"Please tell me why we're doing this again," I sighed. I sat in my disguise and in the passenger seat of Amy's car. Amy cheerfully drove us, sometimes humming along to the song playing at low volume on the radio.



"This is for Belle!" Amy happily replied. "And there probably are some things she can get at the beach town for her research. Buuut... Boat time first!"



"Why with others?" I asked.



"They're Belle's friends, too! And mine. And you love them, so you'll be alright. Speaking of..." The car slowed to a stop... in front of Vanilla the Rabbit's house. Amy honked the car horn a few times.



In just a few seconds, the door opened and both Vanilla and Cream walked out. Vanilla was in her usual clothes, while Cream was in a pastel dress with a floppy hat... kinda looked like one Amy wore before. The chao, Cheese, followed the girl everywhere.



Amy rolled down the passenger side window. "Hey!" Amy called, leaning towards the window; I moved back a little to give her more space. "Cream, you are so cuuuute!"



"Hello!" Cream greeted in reply, waving at the both of us. "And thank you! I'm so excited for our day-trip!"



"Hi, dears!" Vanilla waved at us as well. She opened the door behind mine to let Cream in the back seat. "It's so lovely to see you both. Thank you very much for asking Cream and Cheese to accompany you. It's all Cream has been talking about," she chuckled.



"I'm very excited, Mother," she politely responded, her tone cheerful.



"Aw, we'll take great care of them," Amy said with a grin, lightly elbowing my arm. "We'll be back before it's too late, but I'll be sure to call you if we get stuck in traffic, alright?"



"Of course," Vanilla replied. "And if there's anything at all that I can help with, please let me know." She smiled at the both of us, then leaned down, hugging Cream who already buckled herself in the back. "Have fun, sweetie."



"I will, Mother. I'll take lots of pictures for you, okay?"



"Please do!" Vanilla chuckled again, then closed the car door. She leaned back to the passenger window. "Oh, before you go... Have you heard from any of the Chaotix?"



Amy shook her head. "No... Sonic might've been the last one to talk to them? I think they've been pretty busy with a case."



Vanilla sighed. "That's what they told me, too... A week ago. Admittedly, I'm a little worried. If you see them, ask them to visit, okay?"



"We will, Vanilla, don't worry. Have a good day, alright?" Amy gave one of her confident smiles.



"I'll try. And all of you have a wonderful time as well!" She waved at me and Amy again, then walked back to her door.



We both waved back, then Amy rolled the window back up. She turned towards Cream. "You all settled, girlie?"



"Yes, thank you!" I glanced at Cream as well. She politely sat in the seat behind mine and crossed her arms over Cheese on her lap. "Thank you for allowing me join you today."



"Won't be a blast without you!" Amy began driving again; Cream waved to her mother as we continued down the road. "Team Rose is reuniting again for a fun day out at sea."



Cream gasped. "Mr. Big is joining us?!"



"Yup! Big helped us get the boat. It's so cute, you'll love it," Amy said with a grin.



... I knew about Cream and Big, but I was suddenly worried. "Is... Is anyone else going to be there?" I asked.



She gave a very knowing smile. She better not have invited the Hedgehog... or the Bat. I wanted to actually have a decent time. "Other than Belle and Big, it's just us," she replied softly. "It'll be totally relaxing."



"Yay! This will be so much fun!" Cream cheered. "Have you met Mr. Big and Froggy before, Mr. Kai?"



"Yes," I replied. I didn't know why, but Cream didn't really irritate me. If the Hedgehog asked the same question, I would've been so much more annoyed. "I get along well with Big... And, uh, Froggy."



"I am so happy to hear that. A long time ago, Froggy and Chocola got kidnapped, but we went on a big journey to get them back. Now we're all best friends forever!"



"Chao!" Cheese eagerly squeaked. Cream giggled. I saw her hug the chao from the side view mirror.



"You all became close because of that?" I asked.



"Mmhm! Well, Amy and I were always close because Mother looked after her sometimes when I was a baby. I met Mr. Big through Amy," she explained.



"Oh man, that takes me back," Amy sighed. She glanced at me with a smile. "I did constant adventuring as a kid, but there were times I stayed with Vanilla for a while. Sometimes it was nice to go to a home with someone there. I always loved the way Vanilla's house felt... And Cream was adorable as a baby. She's still adorable, look at her."



Cream giggled. "How kind of you!"



"So when did you meet Big?" I asked Amy.



"Hmmm... When I was a teenager. Definitely before we formed a team, though," she hummed.



"You all have been friends for a very long time," I thought aloud.



Amy playfully nudged me. "So have we!"



"Not as friends," I gestured. I hoped she wasn't suggesting we lie about our relationship.



I saw Cream tilt her head. "Oh? When did you start getting along?" she asked.



"More recently," Amy said with a huff. "But the way he's saying it makes it sound way worse! We get along very well now," she teased, reaching out to pinch my cheek. I tried moving her hand, making her laugh. "Though we did have an argument today."



"It was barely an argument."



"No, it is. Okay. Cream, do you think he's dressed for the beach?" Amy gestured at me. I sighed and rolled my eyes.



Cream giggled. "Your coat looks a little too warm for the sea, Mr. Kai," she replied.



"Wind could be a factor!" I yelled.



Amy looked at Cream from the rear view mirror and shook her head, causing Cream to giggle again. "He won't let me put him in cute beach clothes," Amy said with a dramatic sigh.



"I doubt Big will be wearing any beach clothes," I emphasized.



"Yeah, but his outfit's already pretty beachy. He's even got, like, sandals." She turned her attention back to Cream. "We are perfectly dressed. Luckily, we'll be on a boat, or else everyone'd be looking at us!"



Cream grinned back. "You're very silly."



"I know~" She chuckled. "Seriously, though, we'll have a great time."



Amy with Cream and Big meant that I could spend some proper time with Belle anyway, though Belle would likely want to spend time with everyone. Amy and Cream talked to each other for a little while; sometimes they included me, which didn't bother me very much. Cream sometimes asked me simple questions and I didn't mind humoring her. I was more comfortable during the drive to the beach town than I thought I'd be.



I found myself admiring Amy. Like she said, she was dressed for the beach, a very light and partially see-through dress. She wore her swimsuit underneath. I saw her swimsuit before, very early in our relationship, even, but... It made me feel warmer than before. She somehow became more beautiful, but I wasn't sure that was possible.



She was beautiful, though... She was the most beautiful. She caught me watching her, but instead of saying anything, she gave me a warm smile. She kissed her hand and blew it in my direction. Such a simple action made my face incredibly hot... I could no longer look at her.



We eventually parked when we reached our destination. We were near some docks, a large, white boat floating at one of the piers. That was likely the boat we were going to travel with for the day.



"Alright, here's the plan," Amy said, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. She turned fully towards Cream. "I have to go grab our guest of honor. Could you and Kai carry our stuff to the boat? Big and Froggy should be waiting there, too."



"Of course!" Cream said with a grin.



"Chao!" Cheese lifted their arms.



Amy used the car keys to unlock her trunk, then tossed the keys at me; I grabbed them in an instant. She sneaked me a kiss on the cheek before she left the car. Ridiculous... I loved her.



Cream and I got out of the car, then I lifted the trunk that Amy unlocked before walking away. There were several fishing rods in multiple pieces so they could all properly fit, along with a tackle box, some towels, and a tote bag full of whatever else Amy thought was appropriate to bring. Cheese perched themselves on top of Cream's head while I handed her the towels to carry.



"Th-that's my fishing rod!" exclaimed Cream. "Oh, I'm so thankful. I suppose Mother planned more with you two than I thought. I hoped I wouldn't miss out on fishing!"



I took out all the fishing rods and tucked them under one of my arms, swung the tote bag over my other arm, then grabbed the tackle box for last. I closed the trunk with my elbow. "Amy made sure we could all go fishing." She got a fishing rod for me and Belle, too... I didn't think Belle had ever fished before. Then again, I never fished before Big taught me how.



"That's a lot of stuff, Mr. Kai. Is there anything else I can carry for you?" she asked, polite.



... I put the tackle box on top of the stack of towels. Cream looked very pleased that I entrusted her with more. I locked the car doors, then continued down to the docks. "This way," I said.



Cream hurriedly followed me from behind, then slowed down as she made it to my side. I glanced down to look at her; she stared back up at me with bright, shining eyes. She looked kind of like a chao.



I glanced at Cheese next; they seemed far less pleased with me, eyes narrowed as they studied me... They were incredibly suspicious. I sighed. No Nova to distract them this time... but at least I was with Amy. "Nova is relaxing at home today. Hopefully Cheese and Chocola can see them again sometime."



Cream gasped. "That would be lovely! Is Nova faring well?"



"Yes. We recently discovered they are a Fly type."



"Wow...! That's amazing!" she beamed back. "Cheese loves to fly... And me too, heehee. Oh! Maybe you didn't know." She flopped her ears at me. "I can also fly!"



"Very unique," I said. "I'm sure you're quite strong."



"Thank you very much, Mr. Kai! I try my best to protect my friends and family and anyone that needs help. Amy and Mr. Big are really strong, too!" She giggled at herself. "Stronger than me for sure. I'm learning a lot from them!"



We approached the boat. Like Amy said, Big was there on the main deck... And he was sleeping. He reclined on a beach chair while Froggy settled on his stomach. I gestured Cream to get on the boat first, then I followed her aboard.



The boat didn't look very new, but it was well-kept for what it was and large enough to fit all of us. There was a small, shaded section of the boat that had the steering wheel and a few extra seats. I put the fishing rods and Amy's bag down there, Cream following suit. She placed the towels and tackle box on one of the seats.



Big yawned and scratched his chest, slightly opening his eyes. "Hnn? Oh, hey guys," he said, yawning again.



"Mr. Big!" Cream shouted excitedly, running over to him. She hugged his head and kept clinging onto him when he sat up. Froggy adjusted and hopped to the top of Big's head.



The two of them talked to each other for a little while; I let them have their moment, instead focusing on putting the fishing rods together. I stopped paying attention to what they were doing. All I could hear was the ocean waves... I thought of my first time at the beach with Amy. Beautiful.



"Mr. Kai?"



I turned my head and looked at Cream. I didn't expect her to approach me again.



"May I help you with the fishing rods?" she asked.



"... Do you know how to put them together?" I asked.



"Yes! Mr. Big showed me how before."



I gestured for the rest of the fishing rods and allowed her to give it a shot. She quietly picked up one of the fishing rods and properly put it together like she implied. I continued with my own work. Whenever I looked at Cream, Cheese had an intense stare in my direction. I squinted back at them. Insolent thing. Clearly, I wasn't going to do anything.



Cheese's eyes widened, staring with more surprise. I relaxed my gaze, then continued to put the rods together.



"Ta-daaaa!" Amy's voice! I checked the main deck, where Amy had her arms spread out to show Belle the space. Belle laughed, tears budding at her eyes.



"Aw, you didn't have to do this!" Belle said with a grin. Cream and I joined the rest of them. Belle noticed me and gave me a very wide smile. She wiped her face, laughed again, then greeted Cream and Big.



Amy rejoined me, fluttering her eyelashes. "Everything good over here?" she sweetly asked.



"Yes. Your tote bag is an incredible weight," I grumbled.



She giggled. "Good exercise. Let's spend plenty of time with Belle, but don't forget about me, okay?" she teased.



I could never forget about her. I bumped my head to hers. I wanted to kiss her, but I was slightly more conscious of the people around us. Kissing in front of the Hedgehog didn't count. He needed to know that there would be no more 'confusion' over who Amy was with.



Amy grinned, then gently kissed me on the cheek. That worked. She took a small step away from me and stretched her arms out again. "Alright!" she excitedly began. "It's time to get this show on the road. Uh, water. Let's go, Big!"



"Mmkay." Big patted Belle on the head, then walked over to the bridge from the boat to the dock. He disconnected the bridge, then went over to the steering wheel. The boat rumbled to life, and in seconds, we went out to sea.



... I didn't like us approaching the ocean horizon. I preferred seeing it from the air. I went to Belle, who watched the beach shrink into the distance. I watched it too and hated it. We were going to the middle of nowhere.



"This was quite a surprise!" Belle giggled to me. "I thought you didn't like water..."



"I... I hate it. I can't stand it. I am definitely not your father."



She laughed again. "Well... This was really kind of you, uh, Kai. Thank you."



I shook my head. "This was Amy's idea."



"You told her I always wanted to do something like this, though, so that credit goes to you too." Belle smiled warmly. "I'm already having a great time. I guess it is important to not do work stuff all the time..."



"Ugh, don't even talk about it right now. I don't want to think about it."



"Is something stressing you in particular?" Belle asked, frowning.



I sighed again. "I'm... having trouble locating my adversaries. This is new to me. At first, I thought it was because I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, but there were situations that didn't add up."



Belle darted her eyes away, then back to me. "... Rouge?" she asked.



I narrowed my eyes. "How did you know?"



She gave a nervous laugh. "I... thought it was weird Rouge asked a favor from me... She, uh, never does that..."



"You gave her something that wa-" I had to lower my voice. "Wards off my detection?!" I asked in a hushed tone.



"Sorry...! Why do you need to find her, anyway?" she asked.



I gestured at her and stared at her for a while.



"... Ohh..." Belle scratched her head. "Okay, look, let me help you out later. I can give you something to help-- and it shouldn't raise any concerns from your, uh, allies. At the end of the day, we want the same thing."



"After the last conversation we had, I have my doubts we'll get too useful information, but... I don't intend to deliver anything to my allies first," I said with a sigh. "Assist me with the Rouge thing as soon as possible if you can."



Belle nodded. "I will. Boy, this whole thing is complicated... S-sorry! We're still talking about it, aren't we?"



I shrugged. "It's fine..." The conversation had me briefly forget the fact that there was no land anywhere. There was only ocean. I hated this. How was this fun? How could anyone find this enjoyable? And Belle actually wanted to do this for days. At least we were only doing it for one day.



Belle gasped as she looked around. "Wow...! The water's so beautiful! I wonder what kind of fish we'll see?"



"Supposedly, Big is taking us to an area where the water is clear and the fish are abundant. Have you ever been fishing before?"



She shook her head. "It's not, uh, violent, is it?" she muttered in question.



"No... I mean..." I thought for a moment. "It depends, maybe?"



I saw the horror on her face.



"It is mostly peaceful," I reiterated. "You can watch first if that helps."



Belle sighed in relief. "O-okay, that sounds good." She crossed her arms over the edge of the boat and slowly relaxed. She smiled as she watched the sea. I took in the quiet moment with her.



...



The boat was moving too much. I clawed into the edge. I wish I had my actual claws. I wish I had my everything. I felt incredibly unprepared out here. The only thing bringing me solace was that I could still somewhat fight in this form. I managed to beat the Hedgehog up with only my limbs, if that was any consolation.



I felt a familiar hand touch my back. Amy's warmth quickly went to my side as she leaned against me. "How are we doing out here?" she asked, tone light and playful.



"I'm wonderful!" Belle exclaimed.



Amy looked at me for a while. This woman knew too much about me. "I'm fine," I said, averting my eyes.



"Well, if you're a little less fine, you can always hold onto me for support," she softly told me. "Don't want you falling overboard."



"I'm not f--" I growled a little. "Don't even joke about it."



Amy laughed. "Yeah, he's terrified of water, by the way," she said to Belle.



"I'm not!"



Belle gave a sympathetic smile. "I have no plans to get in the water if that means anything?"



"You should know better than anyone else," I harshly whispered to Belle, "of how restricting it is to be in the water."



Amy shrugged as she glanced to Belle. "Wood can float, right?"



Belle smirked. "I have a metallic endoskeleton, but I think I'm probably more buoyant, yeah."



"You are unbelievable for trying to debate this," I grumbled.



"Ms. Belle? We could use your assistance!" Cream called.



"Hmm? Be right there!" Belle left me and Amy at the end of the boat. I did enjoy being alone with Amy, even when she was being awful.



Amy giggled again. "Okay, here, I'll give you credit. You've been amazing in the water whenever I've seen you in it." She playfully bumped me, then watched the ocean. We had a small, peaceful moment together. "Ahh... when I look at the ocean, I always think of our first little beach date..." She let out a whimsical sigh.



"... Me too," I said quietly.



The boat went over a wave larger than I liked. I instinctively grabbed Amy by the waist; she was surprised at first, but then she grinned and hugged my side with both arms. "I can lift you just fine, remember? You're not going anywhere~"



My face felt incredibly hot. "Wh...Why are you saying that to me?"



"So you know I'll always keep my favorite person safe," she purred.



"Y-y-you don't need to, uh. To protect me."



"But isn't it nice to know that someone will anyway?" she asked.



I was overloading. I felt so confused and consumed by love. I wasn't sure why her words affected me as much as they did. I loved her more than anything.



The boat slowed down and eventually stopped. All of us looked out one side of the boat... Like Big told us, the water was incredibly clear. There were several different kinds of fish swimming below the surface... the water was incredibly deep, but it wasn't so deep that we couldn't see the bottom. There was a plethora of vegetation and colorful clusters of coral... Scales of fish shimmered in the sunlight. The boat swayed from the waves at a pace I could tolerate.



"Wow...!" Amy's eyes sparkled as she watched the wildlife below.



"What's the biggest fish you caught here, Mr. Big?" Cream asked as Big joined us on the deck.



"Mmm... Maybeee... The size of this boat," he said with a gentle nod. "I couldn't take that one home," he chuckled.



Belle watched the fish with wide eyes. "That's huge! Fish that big can swim without issues here?"



"Sure can," Big said. "They're pretty rare, though."



"Ooh, maybe we'll get lucky!" Amy beamed.



Cream took pictures of the water with a little camera she had. I heard the same clicking sound earlier, so she might've been taking pictures the whole time... Probably a habit she grabbed from Amy. It was a wonder Amy hadn't done the same thing yet.



Big was the first to find a spot on the boat and cast his fishing rod. Belle had out a sketchbook a short distance from him, watching the water and scribbling down different notes and drawings. I watched her for a brief moment.



She noticed me and gave a more bashful smile. "I'm going to honor my dad and make something from our trip today... Something that could bring joy to others. Sea critters are so beautiful... There's definitely a lot I can draw from."



"There's probably old and battered fish-shaped submarines out here," I scoffed.



"Pfft. I was thinking more like a toy..." She suddenly gasped. "Maybe something that sprinkles water! Kids from inland villages would get to play and stay cool." She scribbled at a much more involved pace. I didn't hear from Amy, so I looked around to see what she was up to.



She extended a beach chair in the middle of the boat and had on a pair of shades she grabbed from her tote bag. Her dress was off, leaving only her swimsuit. She proudly reclined with her arms crossed behind her head, using one of her folded towels as a pillow.



She was gorgeous... Yet, strangely, I had the desire to throw her into the water. She looked fun to mess with. I resisted my urge to battle and approached her amicably.



"You're not going to fish?" I asked.



"Eh, I will later. I want to take in the sun first. The weather's gonna get colder back at home soon! Then I'll make you wear those sweaters again, heheh."



"Uh huh."



"Do you want to join me, cutie?" she asked lightly, her tail patting the chair.



I felt red... Her joy was intoxicating. "I'm not one for the sunlight... I'll go fishing."



"Can you stand where I can watch you~?"



... I did begin to regret my choice in keeping my coat. "I-I'll think about it," I replied, then went to grab the fishing rod she acquired for me. I went beside Big to better allow Belle to focus on her work. Cream perched herself on the end of the boat beside me. I cast my line.



Cheese stared at me again. I stared back. Their stares were judgmental instead of empty like from Nova. I could feel them study my every move. Smart thing. I had the impression they would not strike out of nowhere, at least. Not that it could do much to me... Uh, I think. I scanned their bio-data... They were a baby chao with a shocking amount of experience. They must've gone through phases of adulthood when I wasn't paying attention to them... Made sense, at least. My first time as Metal Overlord was years ago when Cream was even smaller.



"Aw... Mr. Kai? Can you help me with my tackle?" Cream asked. She struggled to put the tackle of choice around the end of her fishing line. I held my own fishing rod in the crook of my arm to help her attach it.



Cheese bared their sharp teeth at me. I did the same back. Cream didn't yet seem to notice; she was watching my hands. I eventually focused on the fishing line as well. When I was finished, I properly held my fishing rod again and looked out at the water.



"Ooh, I see that's how you do it... Thank you!" Cream said, happy. I still felt Cheese's stare even after Cream cast her line out. I attempted to ignore them despite their continued insolence.



I brought my attention to Big. From what I observed, he fished about the same way as he did at the lake. I slightly adjusted my stance and watched the fish in the water. Some were interested in the different lines, but none had taken the bait yet. A lot of them were far larger than the ones at the lake. I wanted to catch the most monstrous one.



... I glanced back over to Cheese. They were still staring at me.



"Cheese, you've been rather quiet," hummed Cream. "Are you okay?"



"Chao!" They acted as cheerful as they usually were. Liar. I would give a peace offering to show they were not worth the trouble to me. If I wanted to actually fight them, they would have been annihilated when I went to their house.



"What kind of food does Cheese eat?" I asked. "Nova is very fond of candied berries I keep on-hand to train them." Keeping the rod in one hand, I dug into one of my coat pockets and brought out the pouch full of candied berries. I always kept them on me because otherwise Nova would figure out a way to break into them at the base. I put the pouch on the rim of the boat and got out a small handful. I ate one to show I liked it.



Cream's ears slightly perked up. "Cheese loves all kinds of fruit, too! Ooh..." She stared at them in my hand, then innocently blinked at me. "May I have some as well?"



"You both can have them. Nova, Amy, and I grew these berries together. I candied them myself."



Cream reached out to take some from my hand-- Cheese immediately jumped off of her head and blocked her. They chomped the berries in my hand in one single action, glaring at me.



"Cheese!" Cream gasped aloud. "Why did you do that?"



Cheese crunched on the berries for a while... Then their eyes widened. I could tell they enjoyed it. After a few seconds, Cheese slowly fluttered back up to Cream's head and licked their own face to clean off any residue. They probably came to the realization I wasn't poisoning anybody.



"It's fine. I have more." I moved the pouch closer to Cream. She took some without Cheese interrupting her.



"I apologize, Mr. Kai... Cheese has never acted that way before." Cream frowned a little, slightly bowing her head. She tried the berries... Her eyes sparkled. She really did look like a chao. "These are delicious! Oh, gosh, I can tell why Nova loves them. You three grew them together? That makes it even tastier."



I nodded. "Thank you... Cheese does not seem very fond of me."



Cream blinked. "... Cheese? Is that true?" she asked.



Cheese crossed their arms. "Hmph!"



"I do not take offense... But I hope I've proven my peaceful intentions." Really, I was insulted that the thing thought I would do anything out here. What kind of information could I gather that I haven't already gathered? We weren't even in a 'personal' location. Cheese either grossly underestimated me, or they were simply protective over the girl--



A bite! I focused back on the water. There was a huge, shimmering red fish on the other end. I remembered how to handle such an aggressive fish and carefully timed how to reel them in.



"Ooh. That's a big one," Big stated in his usual calm tone.



Its strength was nothing in comparison to my own, but I didn't want to break the rod. I would wear this creature down. I would be victorious. Slowly but surely, I tired the fish out and reeled it in completely. It was the size of my arm and half as thick, a few rows of sharp teeth and sharp, teal fins.



"Ooooh!" I heard Amy yell from behind us. I actually forgot she was watching. She must've noticed my change in posture since she laughed afterwards.



I held the fish by the line in the boat. Click! Ugh...! Amy did have a camera! I shot a glare at her, but she just grinned at me from behind her camera, her tail wagging more.



"Great catch, handsome!" she called. Why did she say that in front of everyone else? I felt uncomfortably warm and sweaty. It was not because of the coat.



Cream and Belle cheered for me. I looked at Big. The water was too far below the boat to release the fish the way I knew how. "... How do I return the fish to the water?" I asked him.



"Oh, that's easy. Here, I can show ya." He unhooked the fish and tossed it back towards the water in a very specific way. In a stream of bubbles, the fish swam away and out of sight... Huh, that was easy. I nodded.



My attention went to Belle, who appeared to be deep in thought. Before casting my line again, I walked over to her. "What are you thinking?" I asked her.



"Th-that didn't seem that bad," she muttered. "It might be useful to get a much closer look at the fish... Oh, I have an idea. Could you try catching that blue one with the super long fins?" She pointed at the water.



Belle was much more interested in observing the fish than catching them. That made sense for her. I didn't mind assisting her with her pet project.



"Try this kinda bait," Big said, offering some of the bait he brought. I nodded again and baited my hook. I heard more pictures being taken. She was relentless.



The three of us fishing all caught more eventually. Cream was very excited to show Amy her catch. I caught the fish Belle wanted and carefully held out the fins for her to study. After a short moment, I set the fish free; the way it swam away made Belle watch in awe.



I asked Belle what fish she was interested in next; I liked the goal of catching specific fish. We had our own game. Big explained to me why some fish went for specific kinds of bait, and how they were different from the ones at the lake. I was similarly fascinated. Fishing was much more in-depth than I realized, even after my first time at the lake. I scanned the fish that were close enough and attempted to gauge their preferences on my own.



Amy wrapped her arms around me from behind and leaned her head against my shoulder as I waited for the next fish to bite.



"You look like you're having fun," she said quietly so no one else could overhear.



"I'm fine," I replied. "Are you done cataloguing our time here?"



She giggled. "No~ I love having these memories. You're getting along so well with my friends. It makes me happier than I can honestly say," she softly told me.



"Nothing is happening. I have no reason to be harsh towards anyone." It wasn't like I was trying to be anyone's friend. Also, I didn't want to cause any additional problems for Belle.



Amy let out a light sigh. "Well, it means a lot to me. Don't worry, I'm not gonna suddenly invite them over all the time or anything. I love my time with you, too," she said, then smooched me on the cheek.



Overheating. Too warm. "... You have been in the sun too long. Help me catch fish for Belle."



"Sure~" She let go of me and went to grab her own fishing rod. Cream focused on taking her own photos for a while and I didn't gather any additional sass from Cheese. They finally relaxed for the moment.



...



"Rosy," I said quietly. She was beside me again, readying her line to cast. "Cheese knows. What is my next course of action?"



"Huh?" Amy took a few seconds, then her eyes widened. "Oh, like... Oh. Just keep being good to Cream... I don't think you'll have to worry, but I'll keep a close eye just in case."



"You don't think the creature will snitch?"



Amy giggled. "Did I teach you that word?"



"Yes. Answer me." I paused. "Please."



She cast her line out into the water. "I don't think Cheese will do anything. Maybe you can't fool a chao's senses, but you can prove you're here to have a good time, like what you've been doing. You hardly need my help," she said with a grin. "Ooh, maybe you'll have to teach me to fish now."



"Belle wants that green fish with a unique dorsal fin. We will see which line the fish chooses," I said, lifting my nose in the air.



"You're pretty cute, but I think the fish knows who the cuter one is here." She posed at me. I couldn't look at her for very long. The way she posed, though it was far more friendly, made me think of the photo she gave me. She giggled again and rubbed under my chin. "Ooh, I caught one," she teased.



"This is war. Focus on your line."



Amy laughed, playfully bumping her arm against mine. We fished for a while more and let the ocean breeze fill the silence between us. It was pleasant... I liked being close to her.



The fish chose Amy. Aggravating. She had a cocky grin as she lifted the fish out of the water, however I could not stay angry because she looked happy with her achievement. I was happy too.



...



She was also very distracting. She did not put her dress back on, so she fished in her swimsuit beside me. The sun caught her in a perfect way. When I wasn't watching the water, I was watching her.



I tried to study the fishing line... But I kept drifting back to look at her. She was looking back at me! I quickly turned my head away.



Amy leaned towards me and gently turned my head back to face her. "Do you like my beach wear?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.



Such a simple question made me overload. "I... Yes."



"What's my favorite outfit you ever saw me in?" she sweetly asked...



"... Set your parameters."



"Wow. Yes, other than the gown," she said in-between laughter.



"What you wore at your birthday." I thought for a moment longer. "... The red dress, not the gown. But also, the gown."



"Uh huh," she said with a grin. "Well... My teasing aside, I love how set you are about your look. I'm just saying you could've gone with something short-sleeved that shows off those guns of yours."



"Guns? I don't use guns."



She laughed. "Your arms!"



"... Oh." I wondered if she liked my true form more for that reason. Our conversation came to a pleasant lull. While we talked, Big caught a few more fish. Our chatter likely made us less productive, though I didn't mind too much. I always loved talking to my Amy. I loved her laughter.



We fished for a while more, took a break to eat, then kept going until the sun descended closer to the horizon. Thanks to my and Amy's endeavors, Belle eventually had a plethora of fish in her files. I glanced at her notes; she had several different sketches for toys she wanted to make. The trip inspired her more than I expected. I felt an unfamiliar feeling.



Amy looked at Big. "I think it's time to head back now," she said, then looked at everyone else. "Y'all ready to go?"



Cream nodded. "Sure! I hope I can get some pretty pictures of the sunset." She aimed her camera towards the horizon again. "Mm, not yet," she muttered to herself.



Belle slapped her sketchbook closed with a satisfied sigh. "I am ready," she said proudly. "Since a project is complete-- uh, mostly complete-- I'll have some time later to start tinkering. Aheehee!" She giggled excitedly at her own use of the word 'tinker'. She was... something.



Big had a cooler full of common, unremarkable fish he planned to take back... Maybe to eat? I wondered what I could cook with fresh fish... I'd ask him how he cooked them later. Amy was too nosy for me to ask here.



Amy slipped her dress back on before the boat started back up. As the boat began to move again, the wind made her dress flow elegantly behind her. I briefly forgot we were moving again... Until we hit a big enough wave. I clutched onto the edge of the boat and intended to stay there the entire time, unmoving.



I had to distract myself. "Belle." I motioned her over to me.



"Yeah?" She walked over so casually. Bragging.



"Tell me about your projects."



Belle grinned and just as eagerly opened her sketchbook again. She told me all about the toys she thought of from the fish we saw. She went over the logistics of the materials to use for them, how to get the shapes she wanted, features that should be safe for its intended audience, and so on.



When we first met-- when she fixed me and we became connected to one another-- my Master gave her the opportunity to join him as a mechanic by her own choice. Of course she refused. I thought her refusal was a waste of her skills because there weren't many beings capable of actually altering me. She could've even built robots of her own, but instead she preferred to fix those abandoned by my Master. What she actually made were toys and simple inventions to make people's lives more convenient. After forming a bond with Amy, I saw Belle's endeavors in a less harsh light.



My future self didn't cut contact with Belle until three hundred years later...



I didn't want to tarnish my own relationship with Belle. I thought more about the people who would stay alive around me, were I also to live for a long time. I wished Amy was one of them...



...



I didn't want to keep thinking about it... though it brought me slightly less pain than before. Not due to any lack of love-- I started to understand what Amy meant when she said her love would last forever. Would I try to keep a bond with Belle? Would I continue to raise Nova? I didn't know. Maybe, without Amy, I wouldn't have continued to function for three hundred years. I supposed I would know more one day... And I wanted that day to feel impossible to reach.



Present moment. Belle was in front of me, talking to me with all her enthusiasm. Amy was some feet away, letting the breeze sift through her quills. Cheese posed for Cream while she took pictures of the sunset. Big steered the boat and Froggy guarded the cooler of caught fish. I was here, at one side of the boat, my hand on the rim. I felt the wind, I smelled the salt in the air. I was here.



"So, what do you think?" Belle asked me.



I didn't mean to tune her out. I got lost in my thoughts... But I had a feeling of what she asked me. "You should try making all of them. I can help provide you materials, as usual."



"You'd do that?" Belle grinned at me, her voice brimming with hope. "That would be such a huge help! Thank you! I'm thinking I could use that furnace at your place to melt down some materials... I should maybe get some better protective gear," she said with a nervous laugh. "I mean, I am fire-proof, but... I don't exactly want to test it out."



"And you thought having a turbine with wooden casing would be without fault," I huffed.



"I-I mean! Okay, I know you--" She suddenly hushed her voice. "You hang out in burnable areas and nothing's happened! And it was just a hypothetical! Of course I would never want to risk any actual burning," she whispered.



"I have impeccable control over the turbine." Mostly. Amy had an unnatural ability. "Even then, I--"



The boat hit an unnaturally large wave, causing all of us to grab something for balance. It wasn't simply a wave; something hit the boat.



"What was that?" Amy asked with a brow raised. She looked over to Big for guidance.



"Uh..." Big glanced over the side of the boat. "It's something a little hungry."



A giant fin breached the surface of the water. A huge, dark shadow loomed underneath. The seafloor was too obscured by the waves, but undoubtedly there was a sea creature the size of our boat. I scanned what I could; it was massive and carried rows of jagged teeth.



It bumped the boat again and nearly turned it sideways; the splashing water almost got us. Cream slipped-- Amy caught her and held onto her tight while Cheese clung onto Cream's head. I moved Belle closer to Amy-- the three of them went towards Big by the steering wheel, where there was some cover from the water.



Big turned the wheel a very specific way and maneuvered around-- and against-- the sea creature. This clearly wasn't his first time dealing with one. The look in his eyes changed, suddenly focused and... all-knowing. "Hang on the best ya can," Big said with a strained breath. "We'll be okay!"



"A-alright," Amy huffed. She had one arm over Cream and the other over Belle. I stood the closest towards the outer part of the boat and watched the water closely.



We were shoved. The boat roughly turned from the impact and caught most of us off balance. Amy lost her footing because she was too focused on the others. I quickly caught her.



"Cheese!!" Cream screamed out. Both Amy and I turned our heads. The impact ripped off Cream's hat, which also caused Cheese to lose balance-- both Cheese and the hat were launched off the boat.



Amy stepped forward-- I was faster. I went to the side of the boat and jumped into the water.



I didn't have to breathe... I did have to swim. I couldn't think about it. I detected heat signatures to see through the mass of foam from the rough waves. Cheese was a small red dot near the surface of the water... And behind them was a gargantuan red-yellow silhouette.



No one could see me. I gave myself my turbine and worked through the water, albeit more sluggishly than I liked. It worked, though. I grabbed Cheese, dazed, as the fish rapidly approached. It approached faster than I could get away. I needed more of my abilities.



I changed my free arm to match my true form and charged energy in my palm. The creature approached with its mouth agape, several times my own size. I launched upwards as it snapped its jaws, then I clawed into its head.



The fish took an overbearing amount of electricity, making it yowl and writhe in pain. It sank. I breached the surface of the water and threw Cheese onto the boat, then lowered myself to watch the sea creature's heat signature. It yowled again, more distant, then swam away.



...



I couldn't see the bottom of the ocean. It was much deeper than where we stopped. The boat felt farther away. Was it leaving?



My body was full of water. Suddenly, it was... painful. I didn't have to breathe, did I? No, I didn't. But I was-- sinking. I couldn't swim very well, not even with my turbine. I couldn't see anything. No one would be able to find me. My chest felt tight. Worse. I sucked in too much water. I couldn't tell where I was--



Something pulled me up from the water-- I heaved out all the liquid from my body. I took a deep breath. Painful. I didn't like that I could feel it.



I looked up-- Big had a grip on me by the coat and hung over the side. He stared at me for a while, and I wasn't sure why.



His eyes darted down to my arm... It was my actual arm without my disguise. I couldn't believe I forgot something so important. I quickly corrected it and concealed my turbine. Big turned his head away, then hopped onto the boat with me in tow.



Big dropped me, but Amy did not let me hit the deck. She held me tightly and looked extremely upset.



"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouted, tears in her eyes.



I coughed; there was a lot of salt in my throat. "Too many things," I said. I attempted to clear my throat. "But you were going to jump. That wasn't happening."



She returned a wide-eyed stare, and for a while, she did not reply. I was right.



"The fish is gone, so we're alright," Big said, tilting his head. He turned his attention to Cream, holding a coughing Cheese. Cream sighed in relief, hugging them tightly.



"I'm so sorry, Cheese," she said quietly. "I should've held onto you from the beginning."



"Chao...!" Cheese took no hesitation in nuzzling her back.



Speaking of affection, Amy had not let go of me even though I was soaked from being in the ocean. The waves calmed down and Big continued to steer the boat. Belle relaxed as soon as everyone else did, letting herself collapse onto one of the seats by Big.



"This cannot be comfortable," I told Amy.



"You shut your mouth," she muttered, hugging me tighter. "You get so anxious about swimming. What if you got lost?"



Would've been awful. "I would make my way back. I was the best option to retrieve the child and you know it."



After a long moment, she answered: "I know..." She sighed, resting her head against mine. "I'm glad you're not hurt..."



I held her back. I didn't mean to scare her. She only let go of me after a few moments, scrambling for a towel to dry me off. She draped the towel over my shoulders, then held me again. I had the impression I would be in this position until we were off the boat.



I felt the gaze of the chao once more. They stared more with curiosity than judgment this time. I stared back, and after a short moment, they looked away from me. I supposed I didn't have to worry about them after all.



The night sky was out by the time we saw the docks... I had never been so relieved to see familiar land.



Belle let out a sigh of relief too. "That was quite an ordeal... Gears, I'm sor--"



"If you apologize, I will be infuriated with you," I said, stern.



"But--"



"You didn't do anything," I said. "Don't annoy me."



Amy smiled at her and lightly bumped their elbows together. "I think what Kai is trying to say is that we wanted to go on this trip, so there's nothing to apologize for. I had a lot of fun hanging out today," she said, cheerful. "Don't feel bad about anything! We had an encounter with nature. We were always going to be alright, though. You were on board with four fighters."



"F-fair enough," Belle said with a shy smile. "Thanks, you guys... I did have a lot of fun today, too."



"Good!" Amy hugged Belle with a much more eager grin.



We finally docked. Everyone said farewell to Big, who stayed on the boat. I was the last to leave...



We watched each other. I didn't know how to approach with gratitude.



I averted my eyes. "You lifted me out of the water," I said. Good enough.



"Ayup."



"... You also saw things."



"Saw what?" Big asked, scratching his head.



I took his question as an offer to avoid a strange conversation. I took the hint and let it go. "Thank you," I said.



He patted me on the head. "Don't worry about it, little guy. Let's fish again sometime!"



I left the boat. They were all waiting for me, which I didn't expect. Cream walked towards me, then ran up to me. She tightly hugged me.



"Thank you for saving Cheese, Mr. Kai," she murmured, clearly fighting back her own tears. I didn't exactly know what to do here. "Cheese is sorry for being wary about you!" I followed Big's example and patted her on the head.



"It's... fine," I replied. I glanced to Amy and Belle, both of them smiling warmly at me. I felt very awkward.



Cream let go of me, then picked up Cheese from the top of her head. As I rejoined everyone, Amy gave me some stuff to carry back. We said our goodbyes to Belle and I received another hug. Everyone was touching me today. I wasn't sure how to feel about it. I didn't hate any of them, so I didn't respond harshly.



We drove to take Cream home, and then finally, I was just with Amy. I didn't really want to deal with more people.



... The air between us was unnaturally tense as she drove us to her house. When I looked at her, she was fighting a frown. She sighed.



"There's honestly so much I want to say to you," Amy said in a serious tone. She spoke out of nowhere. I felt strangely concerned. "Do you know what you did?"



"... No...?" The way she asked me made me feel like I did not know.



"You saved Cheese. No one told you to do that. I didn't tell you to do that." Her voice immediately softened. "Not only that, but you did it in an environment you consider yourself the weakest in. That was--" She sighed.



"Stupid, I know. I didn't intend to concern you so much, but I don't have to breathe. You could've easily drowned."



"I wasn't going to say 'stupid'," she replied. "Selfless, Metal. It was selfless."



...



I considered how I could respond.



"I had to get the chao to trust me," I said.



"You didn't have to save them. You could've just stopped me." Her voice sounded a little different. I could see tears at her eyes glistening from the streetlights.



"Are... you crying?"



She wiped her face, all but confirming my suspicion. "I'm so proud of you," she said in a shaky voice.



I'm so proud of you.



I had no reply... I had no thoughts. I'm so proud of you.



Amy firmly held my hand. She gave me a heartfelt grin. I knew she meant her words...



She didn't say anything else on the way back, leaving her phrase to echo in my head. I didn't exactly know what it meant, but...



I didn't want to question it, either.