The Crossing Destinies [OPEN Sonic the Hedgehog FF]

Hidden rose (4/6)

The girl was speechless and no one tried to talk to her. The tenrec felt her thoughts were swirling in a chaotic manner, much like Silver's ones when she met him for the first time. Her whole world must have shattered. The pink lass started to feel her breathing to return to normal and her heartbeat calmed down a bit, tho she was still far from being calm. She silently said: "Please, continue."

Her father nodded, remembering the old story that left scars in his heart. He slowly started: "For certain reasons you were never told this and servants were prohibited from speaking about it. But, I had an older brother, an identical twin. His name was Morgan, he was your true father. As twins, we always shared a special bond, not just appearance, tho our personalities were different. I was more laid back, preferring books and thinking things first before taking an action.

In this matter, he was my opposite. He dived right into an action, leaving thinking for later, he was more open and considered books to be rather boring, but he never called me a bookworm. We respected each other differences. Our childhood was ordinary, we got our shares of troubles, adventures, and lessons done by tutors or life.

Time flew calmly, until one day my brother announced he won't be inheriting the Rose delivery service but wants to enter The Order instead." He made a slight pause feeling nostalgic. He took a quick sip of a tea as his throat was dry. "Our parents were furious, he tried to convince them he was not suitable. He couldn't stay in one place, neither he could lead a huge number of people. I have agreed with him, he was a wanderer, always exploring new places."

He sighed, continuing: "But our parents refused to listen to him and it led to many ugly fights. In the end, he was disowned and erased from the family register. They even made a tombstone for him and arranged a funeral, to give him a clear signal he was dead for them. I have ensured him, he had my full support and he could come back whenever he felt like it. I have kept that a secret from my parents until their deaths. They would never approve of it."

Sonic looked at Amy. Her expression was blank or she was so focusing she stopped perceiving the world around her.

"A few months after my twin brother left to The Order, I have hired a secretary, your future mother." He smiled at his daughter. "I dare to think of myself as a rational person, I dream only possible dreams but... it was a love at the first sight. While my heart was beating for her, my brain constantly reminded me she was from the middle class and our relationship would only bring a pain and suffering. So I only watched her from distance, making sure her life went smoothly.

I was able to live like that for about a half of the year. During that time we got to know each other a bit more, but I always kept it on a more business level, never asking her about personal life, unless she mentioned some family affair preventing her from temporally attending the job. When I was thinking my love towards her was just an illusion or a spur of a moment, my brother had returned to visit me.

I was overjoyed, since his departure I had never gotten a letter from him, so I was worried. Your mother was at that time my most trusted employee so I introduced them to each other."

He loudly sighed, gritting his teeth a bit, before resuming his story: "I never imagined they would fell in love. Only thanks to my strict upbringing I was able to contain the anger inside, realizing my love wasn't fabricated. I had to repeat to myself that irresponsible behavior will damage the company reputation and that he was my brother I support. It felt like living in a hell." He took a short break, having a need to drink the tea. When he put the empty cup back, Shadow took the teapot and poured him some more. The older hedgehog thanked him, feeling a bit at ease.

"I still continued to work with her. She was my right hand after all, but I felt my behavior towards her was becoming colder. To make it worst, my brother stayed in the city for a longer time. Usually, he stayed only for a few days moving to a new mission.

Seeing them together was breaking my heart. I engulfed myself in a work in a futile hope to forget. For some time it worked, but then, after three months Adeline came to me, announcing her pregnancy."

"That..." Amy gasped perking her ears.

He gently smiled, nodding. "Yes, that was you. At that time... I must have shut my heart in order to let them go. I knew the rumors of my secretary getting pregnant would spread, creating gossips and lies so I filled official statement she was leaving the company because of a family matter. I have arranged for them to get one of the old country house my family hadn't visited since my childhood days.

That way she could raise you without problems and live with my brother as a happy family." He frowned, uniting his hands, resting the elbows on knees and entwining the fingers in a thinking manner. "But nothing last forever. Soon after you have been born she got a message, my brother, her husband was killed during one mission. Only you had given her the strength to continue living.

As you were growing up, she started to notice there was something unusual about you. She paid it only a little attention, being busy with single-handedly raising you. But once you were four years old, it was apparent you were unique. The organization like The Order are open to these types of people, country folks... not much, especially, if they think your uniqueness was causing bad crops three years straight or famine."

Gold involuntarily hissed. This remark reminded her own escape from angry villagers accusing her of being a witch. She quickly pushed these unpleasant memories away, concentrating on the story.

"Your mother was able to barely escape them, taking you with her and coming back to me. This house was the only place she could return to. I was shocked seeing her so tired, scared and devastated. She told me about everything that happened since they left this house.

Once she finished her story, she insisted on leaving, but it was me convincing her to stay. I couldn't leave you two alone. I would never forgive myself. So I took your mother as my wife without carrying for any rumors. I spread my own, claiming you two were living in the countryside to recuperate after a complicated illness. It took some time, but these talks ended since nothing 'spicy' happened." He finished his sentence with a smirk. It seemed despite the seriousness of the situation he enjoyed debunking those silly talks.

"I have raised you as my own daughter. I have made sure you will have everything you may need in your life, but I supposed with that I have chained you here. Adeline, your mother, wished for you to never know you have any spiritual abilities, growing as any normal girl.

But that's something impossible, once such ability awakens it can't be put back to the sleep. Ignoring it would only bring you a pain, yet we tried to deny it. But I guess we failed, bringing you more pain than happiness." He went silent and slightly lowered his head. The heavy burden from his shoulders was gone, but he didn't feel any better.

"So..." Amy had spoken with a trembling voice. "That's why my mother was so strict with me when I tried to describe my ability to see souls. I thought she wasn't believing me, actually pretending she likes me..." she started to cry. "Please excuse me." She jumped down, running after her mother.