Earth flattened. Boulders crushed. Grass scorched. Wood cracked. My claws ripped through trees as easily as a sword would with flesh. I scraped the ground as I flew by and exposed its foundation. I wiped a mountain out of existence with the force of my kick. I blasted through the rocks and melted all around me with pure energy. I watched it burn. The land became a different shape. I was in control. I formed it on my own. I willed it to be.



Exhilarating.



I was satisfied with my work. The then-green island had been properly manipulated for whatever my Master wanted to do next... But I would pretend to keep working since I was not ready to go home.



It was time for me to go meet Amy Rose.



I arrived at her house at our agreed time. She wasn't pleased when I let myself in when the door was locked... I knocked on the back door instead.



"Come in!" she called.



I entered, but I didn't see her at first. She eventually walked out of the bathroom, not yet paying attention to me as she shuffled through a tote bag she was carrying. She had big floppy hat and an outfit that exposed part of her chest and her stomach. Pretty.



"Hey! I'm almost ready," she said to me cheerfully. "Where's the beach you want to go to? Do you think we could drive there?" she asked, walking towards her kitchen. She put some food in the bag, too. It was looking... stuffed.



"I'm taking you to a remote island... Why are you putting so many things in that bag?"



"I need them for the beach. Duh." Amy twirled around and grinned at me, at last looking my way. "Done!"



I went back out the back door and gestured her to follow.



"Oh! Wait a sec." She went off to some other part of the house... And was there for a few minutes. I hung my head back. She was taking too long. I was going to rust.



Amy finally walked out and I got to see her up close. The way she looked at me... She was... very pretty. I wasn't irritated anymore.



Because of her tote bag, I had to carry her a different way. I went behind her and held her back to the top part of my chest. I still needed my main torso exposed for proper air flow, but this should be fine enough. She was surprised by the position change; through the flight she was uncharacteristically quiet.



I arrived at the island of my choice, quite a distance from the one I shaped for my Master and much more bustling with life. There was a natural rock formation near the beach, blocking a part of the sky and providing natural shade. I thought she would appreciate the shade, while I appreciated the additional cover.



"Beautiful!" beamed Amy as she went to the shore. The ocean water was clear and sparkling. I watched her admire the view. She turned towards me and gave me a smile that would overload my systems. I'd never forget.



"Stop standing over there!" she then huffed and placed her hands on her hips. I approached her, so she looked back at the ocean. She hooked her arm with mine. "You picked a great spot," she said softer.



"You like it, then?" I asked.



"I love it. I haven't been to the beach in a while. The air here feels great." She closed her eyes, deeply inhaled through her nose. "Ahhh... The scent of the ocean... Huh." She opened her eyes again, then looked at me, confusion on her face.



"... What?"



"Does your nose work?" She touched the tip of my nose.



"Not the same way yours does," I replied. "But I can detect changes in the air."



"Oooh." She was satisfied with my answer and went back to watching the ocean. I preferred watching her.



After a moment, she let go of me and went to dry sand just shy of the tide line. She unraveled a towel from the tote bag, spread it out horizontally, then took an entire umbrella out from the bag. The pole extended and the umbrella opened; she stabbed one end into the sand and gave herself a proud nod. I wondered how the bag could hold so much since it didn't look very large, but the same could be said for how she summons her hammer out of nowhere.



"Do you have your hammer?" I asked out of pure curiosity.



"That's like asking you if you have your turbine." Amy showed me the handle of her weapon from the tote bag. "Ta-da!"



"How is that--"



"Impeccable inventory management skills," she replied, tapping the side of her head. "I don't plan to use the Piko Piko Hammer today, though. Unless there's a robot that isn't too cute to bash around here?"



"That hadn't stopped you before," I said back. She laughed.



Eventually, Amy sat on the towel and dug her feet into the sand as she continued to watch the horizon. I sat beside her. We were quiet for a little while together. It was peaceful.



Amy broke the quiet: "Hey, I have something for you." She went back into the bag. "I was thinking... On my worst days, just looking at my flowers tells me everything's going to be okay. I know you have like, recordings and letters, but..." She had something enclosed in her fist, then held it out to me. I opened my hand for her and she placed it in my palm. "I wanted you to have something more symbolic."



Looked like some kind of... chain with a string loop. I held it up to better examine it. There were tiny blue and black beads connected to a silver metallic star. Did she make this?



"It's a good luck charm!" she beamed. "The love I put into it means it'll keep you safe."



Love?



"I didn't want to make you anything that clashes your style. I hope you like it." Her voice was cheerful.



I touched the star. She... made this for me? With love?



"It is my treasure," I said, putting it into a compartment on my right arm. I decided I would only take it out if I wanted to admire it. It would always be with me.



When I next looked at her, she had a wide grin. She pulled me into her embrace from the side. "Aw...! I love the way you say things," she said, rubbing our cheeks together. "Even if we can't see each other for a while, we'll always have something we can look at."



I found her sentiment comforting. "Thank you," I said.



Her eyes were sparkling. She didn't say anything for a while. I focused on the ocean waves. "I'll go ahead and give this to you, too," she started, digging back into her endless tote bag. She brought out a folded letter and offered it to me. "Per our tradition," she said in a light tone.



I unfolded it to read it, but she quickly slapped my hand over the paper, re-folding it.



"D-don't read it right now!" she said, her face red. "Wait until you're alone later."



"Why?"



"It's embarrassing, that's why," she huffed. "And it's good manners."



"Uh huh," I said flatly. "I'll honor your request." I put the letter away in the same compartment as before.



"How do you keep all that stuff hidden from Eggman?" Amy asked, tilting her head as she watched me.



"He doesn't check me for items on my person," I explained. "He trusts me enough. Even if he didn't, the items I keep on me can be explained as gathering data..." That was the original excuse I used for myself before accepting my feelings, anyway. "I'm at greater risk of losing my items if my arm is severed, I suppose."



"Mm... That reminds me of what happened at Little Planet. Have you made any progress on figuring out that message?"



I thought for a little while. "I am choosing patience, like from your fortune."



She giggled. "I'm happy you let me read you. It was fun." She lay back and stretched herself out, letting out a long sigh. "I worried so much about our future, but I'm learning to enjoy the present more."



I gave a single nod, then watched her. She was completely relaxed. I followed her example, leaning back to stare at the ocean horizon and the sky. Wild birds flittered down the shoreline.



... I scanned the area. No one else was nearby... Good.



"Weird question," Amy started. She sat up, but she didn't look at me. Her posture showed her shyness. "Uh... Are you, like... Do you find people attractive?"



That was easy. "Just you," I said.



"I know you like me...! But I mean in a visual sense."



"Yes. Just you," I reiterated. "You're..." I felt like there wasn't a good enough word. "Very pretty."



"Yeah?" She smiled, her cheeks as pink as her fur. She aimlessly traced one of her fingers through the sand. "I wasn't fishing for compliments, but that makes me happy... Honestly, I'm not that used to it. Sure, the girls and I always talk each other up, but..." She averted her eyes. "When I really think about it, I don't have that much experience with guys."



She spent all her affection on that awful Hedgehog. I did not say this to her.



She let out a sweeter sigh to herself. "I've been around them plenty, but I think I can be too scary to be someone's crush, I guess. Or I just hang around guys who are way too oblivious."



"You're not scary," I said, a little quiet.



"Yeah, you're the scary one between us."



I proudly nodded. My response made her grin.



"Not scary enough to chase me away, so don't worry," she added. "I guess that huge dragon form is pretty terrifying."



"Ugh..."



She laughed. "Is that a sore spot?"



"I was not in a proper state of mind when I became Metal Overlord," I admitted to her. "It was an impeccable plan, granted," I mumbled to myself. "The second time, I was more together with help from Dr. Eggman's bio-data, but I still had trouble keeping my control in the end."



"Pretty extreme way to lose control... Why were you not in a proper state of mind, anyway?" Amy said.



"... It doesn't matter," I replied. The answer was much more shameful. "I have no desire or intention to become Metal Overlord or any variation of that again. If I win against Sonic the Hedgehog, I want it to be one-on-one, as I am now."



"So prideful," she said with a joking tone.



"He is a cheat. He rarely fights me one-on-one because he knows I will best him." I tried not to dwell on him besting me even when I was a leviathan fifty times his size...



Amy giggled. "For what it's worth, I think he does take you really seriously. Can't be said for all of his adversaries." She crossed her arms over her legs as she watched me. "... I think we all do, truthfully. I've never liked facing off against you, even in a group."



"You are correct to identify me as a threat," I replied. "... Despite my affections, I've always taken you seriously as well. I think you've only gotten skilled over time."



"Aw, thanks," she said, cheerful.



"... I'm relieved you understood me when we last fought." I stopped building the sand pile and focused back on the ocean. "I didn't want to take you to Dr. Eggman."



"Yeah, what was he gonna do anyway?"



I shrugged at her. She rolled her eyes.



"Figures." After a moment, she stood up and stretched out. "Well, enough about enemy stuff. I think I know the answer, but I'll still ask: are you much of a swimmer?"



"No."



She laughed. "You'll still be my lifeguard though, right?" She discarded her hat, then flung her draping skirt onto my head as she walked towards the water in only her swimsuit. I pulled the skirt off and tossed it to the side, watching her instead. She examined the water below her, then went deep enough to sink herself into the water. She sent me a lighthearted wave. I had difficulty seeing her well enough, so I went closer to the shore and settled there. My weight slowly sunk into the sand as the tide went in and out.



Amy hummed to herself as she leisurely strolled with the waves. She glanced over to me, then eventually looked down. She suddenly disappeared underwater.



...!



I stood up to find her.



She popped her head back up and shook the water out of her quills. Our gazes met again. "Why do you look surprised?" she asked loud enough for me to hear.



I sat back down and crossed my arms. She let out her cheerful laugh as she often did. I relaxed as she swam more. She disappeared underwater again, but I did not react so suddenly this time. Instead, I floated above the water and watched her. She popped her head back up, but had trouble finding me.



I lowered myself upside-down to meet her vision.



"Oh! There you are. It's not swimming, but I'll take it," she said, amused. "Look what I found."



She offered me an object she gathered from the sand... it was a seashell, scallop shaped and a brilliant pink. I tilted it to see its reflection in the light.



"The color reminds me of you, Amy Rose," I said.



She tilted her head at me, still smiling. "You rarely just say my first name. It's so formal! You should call me a nickname or something."



"A nickname...?"



"Mmhm. Metal's your nickname, isn't it?"



I crossed my arms again, this time thinking about her words. "I suppose so. Amy is not your nickname...?"



"No! That's just my name." She flicked a water droplet from her hand at me. "Sonic calls me Ames sometimes."



"Deplorable."



She covered her mouth as she giggled. "You're not going to let him one-up you, are you? Sonic the Hedgehog has a nickname for Metal Sonic's favorite person, but Metal Sonic himself doesn't... hmm...~"



"I know you are manipulating me," I said in a low tone. She dunked her head back underwater and swam around the ocean floor. I loosely followed her from above, my arms crossed. The worst part was that her tactic was working. I couldn't bear the thought of him having something more special with her.



She eventually went back up, then handed me another seashell. I took it without thinking even though I was irritated with her. She went back into the water and repeated the process. Eventually, I was holding about five shells of different shapes and colors.



"Given it some thought?" she asked.



"You are annoying me," I said.



She grinned, swimming on her back to keep looking at me. I followed her as she swayed with the waves. "I'll give you a cute nickname if you want," she said.



"Metal is fine..." I was frustrated. I couldn't focus on her as I tried to think.



...!



I looked back at her. "There is a name I will call you."



Her eyes widened. "Yeah? What is it? Pet names don't count."



"You would frequently talk to yourself and pretend I couldn't hear you back when I first captured you on Little Planet. You called yourself Rosy." I nodded, confirming my thoughts. "I'll call you Rosy from now on."



Her entire face changed to match the shade of her nickname. "Rosy?!" she screamed. "H-how do you remember that?! Is it recorded? Erase those recordings right now!"



"In your words: I have a much better memory than Sonic the Hedgehog. I like it for you, Rosy."



"No!! No!" She yelled, slapping the front of her face with her hands. She let herself sink into the water. Hahaha.



She came back up eventually and I lowered myself down to be closer. "You're having a strong response to your new nickname," I said.



"That's a name I used when I adventured as a kid! So embarrassing!"



Krsssht! "Get it together, Rosy!"



Amy heard her own voice play back from my speakers, causing her to lunge at me and drag me into the water. I was so amused, I didn't even care.



Plus, the water was shallow enough, I held her and stood up, our heads and shoulders sticking up from the water.



"You...! Y-you! You're the worst!" she yelled. "You should have a bad memory! This is why you get threatened with memory wipes!"



I laughed. She was in the middle of her rant, but she suddenly went very quiet. It took me a moment to realize my laughter was what silenced her.



"F-f...Fine!" she huffed. "You can call me Rosy, but if you say it around anyone else, I'll... do something!"



"Ooh, threatening," I replied with sarcasm.



"You're getting too comfortable with me. I missed when I had the upper hand a few minutes ago."



I playfully nudged her head with mine. "Why are you embarrassed? I think your nickname is a reflection of how long we've known one another. Much more apt than Ames. You should recoil hearing that, instead."



"Rosy is cute I guess," she mumbled. She fished for the seashells between my claws and took them back, putting her whole focus on them. Her face remained incredibly flushed.



"You like it, then?"



"Yes... Begrudgingly..."



"You were the one who wanted a nickname," I reminded her.



She let out a sigh. "Let me be dramatic," she said, flailing one of her hands in dismissal. "You can let go of me now, Prince Charming."



I let go of her and she almost completely sank. She let out a gasp, then stared at me, offended.



"W-warn me! Give an affirmation! Something!" she exclaimed.



She was so eager to fight, tackling me and splashing me. I had fun playing with her. Eventually, she got tired of swimming around and clung on my back as I walked her back to shore. She sifted another towel out from her tote bag and dried off with it, then offered to do the same for me.



It was... nice. I didn't hate the beach as much as I thought. I would have to thoroughly clean all the salt and sand off of me before returning to my Master, though...



While Amy ate her lunch, I did another scan through our surroundings. I briefly left her to hopefully dislodge some sand and make sure the coast was clear. I felt more energetic... I never expected to get along so well with Amy Rose. I felt warm constantly. Happy. I'd never been happy for such a long period of time.



Instead of reminisce, I circled back around the island and returned to her in a much cleaner state. Amy stretched herself out fully on the long beach towel, her eyes closed. I stood guard by her as she relaxed.



...!



I got a call from my Master's base. I made sure my communicator was set so only I could hear the incoming message.



"Metal Sonic," Sage started. Not even she could ruin my current mood. "I am checking in on Father's behalf. How is the land clearing project?"



'Progress is optimal. I expect to be finished by tomorrow,' I replied in my machine-specific tones. 'Once complete, I'll send existing maps and return to the active base.'



"Excellent," she said, her tone cheerful. "... I am not sure if Father wants me to tell you, but I think he will request your assistance for his next project test." She spoke more in a whisper. "The three of us will be working directly together."



'Who will watch the base?' I asked.



"Orbot and Cubot will be on their own mission, so everything should be okay."



Her answer did not inspire confidence in me. But... Actually getting to do something with my Master? I was optimistic about that part.



"The next test should follow the completion of the base you are clearing for." Her voice hushed again: "I believe Father wants a vacation with us."



Us? Being included in anything like that would be a first for sure. I didn't know where any of this was coming from... Truth be told, my Master's behavior after Sage became fully realized was confusing at best. And infuriating...



I didn't desire falling to any anger for the time, though. I glanced over to Amy... I think she fell asleep, or at least she was enjoying the ocean breeze. 'Thank you for the additional info,' I said to Sage.



"You're welcome," she said, cheerful. The communication ended.



My focus went back to Amy. She let out a yawn. "I haven't heard those beeps in a little while," she said. "You talking to yourself?"



I shook my head. "I was contacted, so I responded to the call. Did I interrupt your rest?" I asked.



"Yes...~ The only cure is to sit over here with me."



I sat beside her and she plopped a rolled towel on my lap, then rested her head against it. She let out another dramatic sigh, contented with our new position. I touched her quills, examining her in a more casual manner.



I thought more about my conversation with Sage, and then the conversation in which Amy Rose brought up Metal Overlord...



Impulse caused me to speak:



"You... asked why I was not in the right state of mind."



"Hm? Yeah," she affirmed.



"Maybe a part of me wanted to take over the world... it's what my Master wants. Truthfully, though, I just wanted to finally succeed. At anything."



She turned to her back and looked up at me, but I wasn't meeting her gaze. I stared at the ocean instead and continued:



"I was created to be a better Sonic the Hedgehog. For a long time, I thought I was. But I only knew failure... And he had everything I didn't. The differences, the failures, they kept stacking up. I felt..." I struggled. I'd never said these words out loud before. I experienced a feeling I didn't know or like. "... If I didn't prove I could be better, I didn't deserve to exist at all."



I felt her watch me. I could see concern from the corner of my eyes.



"The first time I became Neo, I had the ultimate plan. I had everything sorted, the alternatives, what to do in specific situations, everything. I was in control... Until I wasn't." I stared down at the sand instead. "I always intended to become Metal Overlord, but what was supposed to be a victory lap instead turned into a desperate attempt to prove my worth. But Sonic the Hedgehog still had what I didn't have. He had allies... he had you. I tried to destroy everything to be right. I only lost more of myself in the end."



There was a long silence between us. Something willed me to explain just a little more:



"I only got worse afterwards. It was only at a pivotal moment, a long while later, that I realized... even if I won, it wouldn't have mattered. I would still be just as empty, and he would have everything I didn't. The flowers..."



I hesitated.



"The flowers reminded me that there once was a person who saw something where I saw nothing. So... even though your letters weren't for me... I treasured the way you looked at my flowers."



She sniffled. I looked down at her, and... she was... crying?



"Metal..." Her voice was wobbly and weak. She sat up, wiping her eyes. Her stare was firm on me, but I had trouble keeping her gaze.



"Why are you crying?" I asked. I didn't want her to be upset. I didn't like it. I didn't like her tears.



She hugged me tightly. "I didn't know you felt that lonely," she muttered. "And that worthless..."



"Don't waste your tears on me," I said to her a little quietly. "... I never deserved kindness. I accepted my circumstances eventually. Meeting you and giving you the flower was another attempt to move on. I never expected..." My voice trailed off.



"It doesn't matter what you deserve or don't deserve," she replied, loosening her hold to look at me. "I don't care. I'll cry about you if I want to," she huffed, her voice still wobbly. Her reaction initially formed a pit in my being, but turned around to making me feel heartened. She was cute.



"I don't understand you, Rosy." I wiped a tear off of her cheek with my thumb. "But I am grateful to be with you."



"Y-you... you..." She attempted a few times to speak, but instead hugged me tightly once more, I returned her hold and let my head rest against hers. She made me feel warm...



Her sniffling eventually stopped as we shared another quiet moment with each other. She let go of me, her cheeks reddened as they often were.



"Thank you for sharing with me," she softly told me. "I'm grateful to be with you. And I mean you specifically... Never forget. Okay?"



"You know I won't," I replied.



I finally saw her smile again. "Good," she said. "Ugh... I gotta stop crying around you," she mumbled, wiping her face again. She grabbed the towel she put in my lap and blew her nose in it. With a groan, she tossed the towel away from both of us. "... You ever built a sand castle before?"



I tilted my head.



We resumed our date by doing whatever activities she wanted to do. She very proudly showed me her sand castle building skills, and in similar fashion, challenged me to build one. Gathering data from her own methods, I realized it was not much different from sculpting with harder materials. I made one beside hers, to which she said it looked like Hang Castle. I took it as a compliment.



Our brief competition inspired me. While Amy took another swim, I worked on a sand sculpture. I blocked her view every time she tried to look. She wasn't allowed to see it until I was done.



She eventually got impatient enough that she left the water to see it herself, but I finished in time. She let out a loud gasp. "Is that me?!" she yelled, excited.



I used an image of her reclining on the beach earlier as reference to make a sculpture matching her shape and pose. The Amy sculpture lay sideways, hand propping up her head and her eyes closed. I thought I did a good job.



"How did you--?! That's perfect! That's just... me! You're such a great artist!" she exclaimed. "But... hmmm... Something's missing."



I tilted my head, looked at the sculpture, then studied her. I didn't think I missed any details...?



She gestured me to sit down. She went to the other side of the sculpture and planted herself a few feet away. Her gaze was intense. She squinted as she stared at me, then began building a mound of sand.



Partway through, I realized what she was doing. I leaned my head against my hand as I watched her. Her focus was endearing. I could watch her forever.



Her own project began to take shape, and soon, I saw my own silhouette made out of sand... with some creative liberties. She even copied my pose, staring me down every few minutes as she tried to get it right. I was amused... and I felt warm.



She groaned in frustration when she couldn't get the shape of my head to stay. My top quill kept falling off as soon as she made the point. "Rrrgh... This pointy head is going to be the death of me," she grumbled. After several tries, she groaned and flopped back. I stood up and walked over to her.



"I like what you made," I said.



"You're bald!" She exclaimed again, raising her hands in defeat. "But what I had so far was cute."



I nodded at her. She decided to build a sculpture of me right beside hers... I thought it was nice.



"I have another idea. Okay." She quickly recovered her enthusiasm and stood up. "Lay right here, please."



I turned to where she gestured, then lay down on my side in a pose similar to the one I sculpted her in. I figured it would be easier if she wanted to attempt another sculpture.



To my surprise, she sat down beside me, then leaned over.



...!



I f-felt... a long shock! She kissed me-- she was still kissing me...! I didn't expect it. I couldn't describe the exact feeling. As soon as her lips parted from me, she leaned in again. Overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed! I was happy...



I had my hand at the back of her head, pressing her against me. I soon felt her whole body on mine. She pushed me onto my back as she kissed me.



I thought I was going to melt. Explode. Something. And I didn't even care. I loved the feeling. I wanted more.



She slightly leaned away from me, her face about as red as my eyes. "Th...that was my idea," she said.



I forgot she even talked about an idea before. My memory was not as stellar as advertised. We watched each other for a little while, and then she giggled at me.



"Are you going to say anything...?" she asked bashfully.



I did not want to speak.



I brought her head to mine again. I pressed my muzzle to hers, hoping I could create the same shock she gave me. Nothing could possibly stop me from expressing my affection. No calls. No uninvited guests. Just Amy Rose...



After our moment ended, Amy wanted to do more 'beachy' things, in her words. We stayed on the beach until the late afternoon, then I took her back to her home. Even though we did a lot, I mostly thought of the kisses given to me. I wondered if her mind was similarly occupied by the same thoughts. She was just as quiet on the way back.



This date was my favorite one so far. I hoped I would not have to wait long to see her again.