Saphire Eyes

By Shychick

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the characters in this fic, except for Aundrina. All StH characters belong to DiC Entertainment and Archie Comics. Lyrics to 'Somewhere Out There' are from Don Bluth's animated films, 'An American Tale' and 'Fivel Goes West', sung by Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion.

A/N- Unlike most of my other fics, this one is more of a serious story. It's not a humorous fic this time, but more of a romance instead. But don't worry! Humor is still my main style of writing! I just thought I'd try something different this time, that's all.

Btw, I hope you have a box of tissues handy, because a lot of parts in this fic are SAD!

Anyway, without further ado, on with the fanfic!

Snively stood in front of his bedroom window, staring out at the night sky. It was an unusually beautiful night in Robotropolis. The entire sky was laced with sparkling stars which shone like diamonds spreading out all across the heavens. Centered among the neverending map of stars was a magnificent golden moon, shining brightly from up above and casting a brilliant beam of light down onto the sleepy city below. Moonlight shone into Snively's bedroom, throwing shadows around his feet and all across his walls. He stared intently up at the moon, surrounded by all those heavenly diamonds, as if mesmerized by such an awesome sight, unable to take his eyes off it. The truth was, the stars and the moon reminded him of somebody... somebody that he had once known not long ago...

Thick, pillowy clouds slowly floated past and eventually separated out into misty puffs, like the ghosts of past memories gone by. For a minute there, Snively almost thought that he could make out a face in one of the clouds just before it vanished... a lovely, yet familiar face...

Her face... Snively thought to himself, sighing in melancholy. Oh, how I remember her face... How could I ever forget such a lovely face? Why, her sweet, gentle beauty alone puts the stars up in the heavens to shame. Those stars remind me of her lovely eyes... how they sparkled warmly whenever she was happy. He sighed to himself again, lowering his head sadly. I wonder where on Mobius she is right now... and what she's doing at this very moment. Well, wherever she is and whatever she is doing, I just hope that she's happy... that she's okay...

He walked over to his night-table drawer and pulled a photograph from it. The picture was of a young woman around the age of 19. She had a warm smile, long silky-smooth blonde hair, and radiant saphire-blue eyes. Snively stared wistfully at the photo in his hands for a few seconds as a few tears escaped from his eyes, landing on the girl's face in the picture. Holding the photograph close to his heart, he walked back over to the window and gazed up towards the night sky again.

Oh, Aundrina... could you be watching the moon at this very moment too?

* * *

(Flashback)

It all began exactly one year ago. On this day, Snively was out patrolling the city streets when he heard what sounded like a female's cry for help. It sounded like it was coming from right around the corner. Curious, Snively hurried around the corner of the building to investigate. Much to his great surprise, he saw a female Overlander being restrained by a pair of SWATBots. The Overlander girl struggled with all her might, but the 'Bot's grip was far too tight on her. 'Let me go!' she cried. 'I didn't do anything! I didn't mean any harm, I swear!'

'SILENCE, PRISONER. YOU-WERE-CAUGHT-TRESPASSING-ON-PRIVATE-TERRITORY. YOU-ARE-NOW-UNDER-ARREST, BY-ORDER-OF- DR. ROBOTNIK,' the SWATBot droned.

'But I swear, I wasn't snooping around! I just got lost!' the girl protested. 'Please don't turn me in to Robotnik! I don't deserve to be roboticized!'

All this time Snively was staring at this young lady, he couldn't help but feel rather sorry for her. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he just felt that this stranger was telling the truth, that she truely was innocent. There was just something in her voice that told Snively that she didn't mean any harm. She not only sounded innocent, but she looked innocent too. There was just some unmistakable sense of innocence that surrounded her, almost like an aura. She looked so sweet and gentle... so pretty and young... Snively decided to listen to what his heart told him, and stepped forward to help the girl. 'SWATBots!' he demanded in a firm, loud voice. 'I command you to release the female intruder at once! I repeat, release the prisoner!'

'COMPLIANCE, SIR,' the SWATs droned. They immediately dropped the girl to the ground, somewhat roughly.

'Gently, you insensitive fools!' Snively yelled. 'She's not just some worthless piece of rubbish, you know! Honestly, have you no respect and consideration for her feelings?' He knew that they didn't of course, being robots. But he just didn't like seeing such a poor, helpless woman in distress being treated so harshly. The funny thing was, Snively had never cared about any prisoner before, male or female! Maybe it was the fact that she was an Overlander like him... maybe it was that sensational, yet irristable aura of delicate innocence to her which made her so lovely and pretty... maybe both... He couldn't quite place his finger on it. He knew he just felt something about this girl... something that intrigued him so...

He walked over to the girl and gallantly offered her his hand. 'My apologies for the SWATBot's crude behaviour, my dear,' he said gently as he helped her to her feet. 'I'm afraid their manners do leave something to be desired.' He turned to the 'Bots. 'You are dismissed!' he firmly said to them. 'Now return to your stations!' The SWATs did as they were ordered.

Snively turned to the girl and smile at her. 'Are you all right, miss? They didn't hurt you, did they?'

The girl smiled back shyly. 'I'm okay,' she said in a timid, yet sweet tone. 'Thank you for your kind concern. They just frightened me, is all.'

Snively took a good look at her. She was even lovlier up close than he had thought. Apart from her wonderful smile, her eyes were the first thing he noticed about her. They were the most beautiful, captivating eyes Snively had ever seen. He was almost mesmerized by the mere sight of them. They reminded him of dark-blue marble, the very color of saphire. And when she smiled, they shone and sparkled like diamonds. Snively also saw that it was her eyes that made her appear so innocent, for they had a rather timid, yet gentle sense to them.

'I do hope that you don't take this the wrong way,' Snively began, 'but I was wondering when I first saw you a minute ago... what exactly is another Overlander doing in these parts? I thought that the only humans around here were myself and Robotnik, and that all the other Overlanders were banished by King Acorn into another area of Mobius during the Great War.' He smiled shyly at the girl. 'So tell me, what's a pretty young woman like yourself doing in a place like this?'

The girl's face fell and her eyes turned dark and troubled. 'I ran away from home,' she said in a low voice, hanging her head. 'I ran away from the Overlander Territories.'

'Is that so?' Snively asked, very much amazed. 'Forgive me if I come off as rude and noisy- I certainly don't mean to intrude on your business- but if I may ask, why did you cross the border from Overlander Territores over into Mobian Territory?'

The girl sighed. 'Well, it's actually kind of complicated,' she said with a sad little shrug. 'But to make a long story short, basically my father is forcing me to get married against my own free will.'

Snively frowned with great interest. 'Hmm... I see,' he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 'That's too bad. I'm sorry about that. That certainly is unfair.'

'You don't know the half of it,' the girl sighed. 'Ever since my mother died years ago, when I was only five years old, my father has taken complete control of my life. He never gives me any freedom to make my own choices. He's always telling me what he thinks is best for me, what to do, where to go and not go, how to dress, how to act, who to associate with and who not to... and if I disobey his wishes or complain, he becomes angry with me and tells me that I'm just a defiant, ungrateful girl! But I do understand that his intentions are all for the best. I know that it's been difficult for him ever since Mother died, leaving him to raise me- his only child- all by himself. Ever since than, he's always thought that he has to worry about me all the time. But he's got to realize that I'm not a little girl anymore! I can take care of myself and make my own decisions in life! As much as I understand why, he's just far too overprotective of me!' She paused. 'And now he's not only forcing me to get married, but he's also decided who I should marry! He didn't even consult me first! It's not fair! Don't I have a say in such an important matter in my life?' she cried, frustrated.

Snively listened with great intent. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he felt rather sorry for this girl that he had never met before in his life. He just couldn't put his finger on why... there was just something about her that touched him. He felt his heart soften even more with great pity for her. 'I'm so very sorry,' he said kindly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. 'That's really a shame. I imagine it must all be very difficult for you. I can understand why you ran away.'

The girl suddenly broke down crying. 'It's been terrible!' she wept. 'I never have any say in anything! He doesn't let me live my own life! I can never do anything without consulting him first! I feel so... so... trapped! Do you have any idea what it feels like, not to have a real life, to always live your life for somebody else? He's more like my master than my father... and I'm just his humble, meek, obedient daughter with no choice but to submit myself to his every whim, never to question his authority! And now he's practically giving me away, like some prize to be won, over to another man who's just going to have the same power and control over me, only using me as his mere servant of a housewife to cook for him, clean for him, and have his children!' She sobbed even harder, burrying her face into her hands. 'I just want to be free... I just want to be me... if I can be so understanding of my father, why can't he understand me, his own daughter? But he doesn't understand me... nobody understands me...' Much to Snively's surprise, she suddenly burried her face into his shoulder and continued to sob. 'I just can't bear to live this kind of life anymore,' she wept against his shoulder. 'Sometimes I don't know why I even bother living...'

Snively gently wrapped his arms around her and comfortingly held her close to him. 'Hey, it's okay,' he said gently in a soft, reasuring tone of voice. 'It's all right. Shhh, there, there now, miss, there, there. Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right now, I promise you... I'm here for you now. I care about you... I understand you.'

The girl looked up at him, tears shimmering in her saphire eyes. 'That's very generous of you, and I truely appreciate your warmth and compassion,' she sniffled, 'but I'm afraid I don't know you. I don't even know your name.'

Snively smiled and gently brushed away her tears from her face. 'Oh, but I do know you,' he whispered. 'For, I too know the insufferable feeling of being used, unappreciated, and misunderstood. I know what it's like to feel trapped with nowhere to turn to, yearning to be free, yearning for a better life. Each day of my life is filled with anger, hate, depression, and fear. I've lived in it for as long as I can remember now... ever since I started to work for Dr. Robotnik.' He paused, sighing sadly. 'You see, he's not only my superior... he's also my uncle.'

The girl's eyes widened. 'Robotnik is your uncle?' she gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. 'Oh, my... that's- that's awful! How horrible for you. I'm so sorry...'

'He doesn't exactly treat me like his own flesh and blood either,' Snively mumbled. 'He treats me more like his slave. I'm nothing but his low-life lackey. I too am forced to carry out orders like the obediant little boot-licker he expects me to be, without question or complaint. He treats me like slime and I despise him more than any other creature on Mobius, even more than that blasted blue hedgehog! I thought that when I first joined forces with him, I would be somebody! But he lied to me... he tricked me into becoming his pawn in his hateful game of Chess. I can't believe what a fool I was for ever looking up to my uncle, for ever trusting him... He just took complete advantage of me.' He sighed sadly. 'So you see, miss, we are both together in the same boat. We are both victims of a cruel lifestyle.' He paused, glancing up into her blue eyes. 'But... you know,' he said slowly, ' maybe that's what somehow drew me towards you. Perhaps I must have known deep down in my heart somehow... maybe that's why people like us need to stick together.'

The girl slowly smiled, a sparkle of hope shinning in her eyes. 'You're right,' she said. 'You know, there was something mystifying about you when I first lay eyes on you, as well. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I could just somehow tell from looking into your eyes that you too share a deep, dark secret of some kind.' She paused. 'By the way, my name is Aundrina. What's yours?'

Aundrina... oh, what a heavenly name the Eternals have blessed her with, Snively thought to himself. 'My name is... Snively,' he said, somewhat ashamed. He thought that she would laugh at such an odd name like so many others, a name that summed up who and what he was completely.

But instead of laughing, she smiled at the sound of it. 'Snively? That's a lovely and original name. I like it... It has a cute, innocent ring to it,' she said honestly.

Snively was shocked. 'Really? Do you mean that?' he asked in surprise.

'Of course,' Aundrina said. 'I think it's a sweet name... just like you.'

Snively blushed with a smile. 'Well, I think Aundrina is a very lovely and fitting name. It's so sweet and innocent... just like you.' He took her by the hand and looked her dead in the eye, serious. 'Aundrina... seeing as how we both need each other... let's make a promise right here and now, okay? Let's promise to always be there for each other... to always protect and look out for one another, no matter what! If you would do me the great honor of staying here in Robotropolis with me, I just know that life would never be lonesome for either of us ever again. We would always have each other!'

Aundrina stared into Snively's hopeful, pleading eyes. After a few seconds of deeply considering the matter, a happy, warm smile slowly spread across her face, and her eyes sparkled with joyful hope. 'It's a promise!' she cried, happily throwing her arms around Snively. 'Friends forever! We'll always be by each other's side, no matter what! And we'll never leave each other either... never.'

They sealed the deal with a warm hug. And from that day forward, things really began to look up for both of them. It was as if a silver lining had finally broke through the dark, gloomy clouds of despair that had always darkened their doorsteps in the past. Just as long as they were together by each other's side, they were truely happy. They never wanted to be apart from each other any longer than necessary and they seldom left each other's side. They valued each other's company and companionship more than gold, and the unwavering sense of care and affection that they both felt for each other ran extremely deep. Yes, the two truely shared a mutual bond.

Snively and Aundrina grew closer with each passing day. Their friendship was something untouchable, stronger than steel. And as the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, their relationship grew and blossomed into something more... Something even more wonderful and magical than frienship. Their relationship had eventually evolved into true love itself, a deep love which filled every inch of their hearts and souls. What they shared for one another was something not only very special, but also extremely powerful and unbreakable.

But alas, bliss was not to be theirs for much longer. Little did they know that their happiness and time together would soon come to an end. It came to pass that about five months later, Aundrina's father had finally managed to track her down. He had been seraching all of Mobius for her, and had finally managed to locate her in Robotropolis. When he found her, she and Snively were standing alone behind one of the SWATBot factories together. Their arms were lovingly wrapped around each other as they were sharing a passionate kiss. This kiss was very special to them both because it was their very first real one, and it expressed their developed, most intimate feelings for one another.

Aundrina's father was terribly outraged beyond reason at this unexpected and shocking sight that he witnessed before his very eyes. His angry, yet surprised yell startled Snively and Aundrina out of their state of peaceful joy and discovery. 'Daddy! What are you doing here?' Aundrina cried, holding onto Snively tight, as if for protection. 'How did you find me?'

'Never mind that, young lady!' Aundrina's father snapped. 'Do you have any idea how worried sick you made me? How dare you run away from home like this?! Crossing the border over into Mobian lands... What on Mobius is the matter with you?' he cried. He glared in Snively's direction, his face masked with obvious disgust and disapproval. 'And here I find you with this short, bald, needle-nosed freak, when you are engaged to be married? Your indecent, improper actions have brought complete shame and dishonor on this family, girl!'

'Daddy, I ran away because I'm tired of you controling my life all the time!' Aundrina cried. 'I'm not a child anymore, Father, and I can make my own decisions about my own life! You never give me any freedom! You make all the rules and I'm never even allowed to have any say whatsoever! And when you had the very audacity to force me to get married against my own will- to someone who I don't even know and don't love, as well- that was just the last straw! You have no right to arrange my life behind my back!'

Aundrina's father growled angrily, red in the face with furry. 'You have no right to speak to me, your father, in such a disrespectful manner, daughter!' he snapped, pointing a reprimanding finger at her. 'How dare you use that tongue of yours against me like that! You mind who you are speaking to, young lady, or you will be punished most severely! Apologize immediately,' he ordered in a threatening tone.

Aundrina hugged Snively close to her and glared at her father defiantly. 'No!' she shot back. 'I refuse to apologize for finally finding the courage to speak my mind and defend my rights! I'm the one who is in the right here, Daddy- not you! I refuse to go back home and have the rest of my life lived for me! I refuse to get married! I'm staying here with Snively, for we made a promise to each other!' She yelled out, 'I love him, and he loves me!'

'You dare defy your own father's orders, Aundrina?!' Suddenly and without warning, her father raised her hand and struck her hard across the face, sending her roughly to the ground.

'Aundrina!' Snively cried out in horror. Immediately, he kneeled down to help her. 'Oh, Aundrina,' he moaned, tightly embracing her close to him. 'Are you all right? Did he hurt you?' He gently brushed away her tears. 'Don't worry,' he vowed, holding her hands, 'no matter what happpens, I will not let him hurt you again... and I will not let him take you away from me! I promise you, Aundrina... just like the sacred promise that we made to each other all those months ago.' He glared hatefully up at Aundrina's father. 'You bastard,' he hissed. 'How dare you treat your own daughter like this? How could you? Aundrina is a sweet, lovely, wonderful person- you couldn't ever possibly begin to realize just how much! I love her with all my heart and soul! And I completely support her with how she feels, for I know she speaks the truth! Unlike you, you selfish, insensitive, heartless cretin, I truely understand her! Aundrina is staying here with me... where she'll never have to ever be controlled and mistreated by the likes of you again!' He helped Aundrina to her feet and protectively stood in front of her. 'And I'll do everything in my power to protect her and what we have... even if it means fighting you,' he said with strong determination, fists clenched.

Aundrina's father just stood there, shocked into silence by the nerve of this little man. 'YOU DARE TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY OWN DAUGHTER, YOU LITTLE WORM?!' he roared in furry. 'I'LL TEACH YOU TO KEEP YOUR LONG NOSE OUT OF AFFAIRS THAT DON'T CONCERN YOU!' With that, he grabbed Snively up by the collar of his green uniform-shirt and pounded him with all his might onto the hard ground. Aundrina screamed in horror and rushed to help him, but only got roughly shoved away by her father. 'No, Daddy, no!!!' she screamed helplessly as her father continued to beat and pummel the little man with all his strength. 'Stop it, please! Please stop hurting him! Leave him alone!!!' But her cries and pleads for mercy went totally ignored. All she could do was watch helplessly and cry as she watched her friend/love get beaten to a bloody pulp and listened to his grunts, cries, and shrieks of pain.

Snively, although in pure agony, tried his best to fight back bravely, but he was far too small and weak to even stand a chance. Even Robotnik had never beaten him like this! He tried to yell for security, but he was in too much pain. All he could yell were cries of total agony.

With a final kick in the ribs, Snively landed roughly on the pavement. His nose was bleeding and his entire face was bruised, including two black eyes. He winced in sheer pain. He didn't have the strength to move or say anything; the only thing that came out of his mouth was a weak grunt.

Sobbing, Aundrina rushed to his side. 'Oh, Snively!' she cried, gently cuddling him and holding his hand. 'I'm so sorry! I couldn't bear to watch him hurt you like that! I love you so much, Snively!' Holding him protectively against her, she angrily turned to her father. 'How could you?' she screamed at him. 'How could you do such a horrible thing? He's smaller than you; you could've killed him! He was only trying to protect me and fight for our love!' she sobbed, her tears splashing down on Snively's bruised face. 'My friend... my poor, poor friend...'

'Enough of this foolishness, Aundrina!' her father snapped as he grabbed his sobbing daughter and forcefully dragged her towards the hovercraft that he had arrived in. 'You are coming home and you are going to get married, whether you like it or not! I'm your father, and I know what's best for you! This is for your own good!' He frowned. 'Someday, you ungrateful little wench, you'll thank me.' He roughly shoved her into the hovercraft, got in himself, and started up the engine. 'You're never going to see that man again.'

'NOOOO!!! SNIVELY!!!!' Aundrina screamed from the window as the hovercraft flew away.

'AUNDRINA!!!!' Snively screamed after her, watching helplessly from the ground as he watched his one-and-only true friend and love vanish from his sight, as well as his life forever. 'NOOO-O-O-OOOO!!!!' he screamed towards the sky at the top of his lungs. He fell to his knees and started to sob and weep uncontrollably, pounding his tiny fists onto the ground. 'Oh-h-h-ho, no, no, no, no, nooo...' he wailed. 'It's all my fault,' he whispered, before burrying his face into his hands and sobbing. A waterfall of tears poured from his sky-blue eyes and leaked through his fingers, some landing on the ground and some landing on his uniform. 'It's all my fault,' he repeated, looking up with a sniffle. 'If only I could have protected her better... if only I had managed to stop him from taking her away... if only I wasn't so bloody small and weak!!!' He continued to bawl, drenched in grief, guilt, and self-pity.

It started to rain and thunder than. Thick raindrops poured down from the black sky like giant teardrops. The dreary weather matched his mood perfectly. 'Oh, my sweet Aundrina,' he sobbed, getting completely soaked by the cold raindrops that pelted him from above. 'Oh, my precious Saphire Eyes... I'm so sorry. How can you ever forgive me?' Thunder rumbled loudly overheard, muffling his sobs of devastation. The little man had never felt more alone in his entire life as he did right now. He didn't know how he would ever live without Aundrina.

'A promise is a promise... and I broke our promise...'

* * *

(End of flashback)

Snively sighed, his heart feeling as heavy as ten boulders. He felt so alone... so empty inside.

He glanced down at the photograph of Aundrina in his hands and kissed it. Holding the picture close to his heart, he sadly gazed up at the moon and stars from his bedroom window. 'Oh, Aundrina... I miss you with all my heart and soul. Not a single night goes by that I don't pray that we'll be together once again... forever. How I long for that day to arrive. Until Fate allows us to meet again in the future, I only hope that you're thinking of me and missing me too... wherever you are... somewhere out there...'

Snively: (Singing) Somewhere out there

Beneath the pale moonlight,

Someone's thinking of me

And loving me tonight.

Aundrina: (Singing from her own bedroom window, from far away) Somewhere out there,

Someone's saying a prayer

That we'll find one-another

In that big somewhere out there.

Snively: And even though I know how very far apart we are,

It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star.

Aundrina: And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby,

It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky.

(Both singing together) Somewhere out there,

If love can see us through,

Than we'll be together

Somewhere out there,

Out where dreams come true...

Snively sighed sadly, letting a few tears roll down his cheeks. With a heart-breaking sigh, he took one final gaze up at the starry night sky, watching the heavenly diamonds twinkle from up above. 'Well,' he sniffled, 'I suppose the only thing I can do is have faith that we'll finally be reunited again someday. Because my faith is the only thing I have to hold onto now...' he added in a choked tone, his voice cracking. Somehow managing to compose himself, he crawled into bed and lay there in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling. 'Good night, Aundrina, my sweet Saphire Eyes...' he whispered, closing his eyes. 'I truely do believe, with every inch of my heart, that we will find one-another again. I don't know when... I don't know where... but someday in the future.' His hopes firmly restored and tucked away deep within his soul, he slowly drifted off to sleep. In his hands, he still held the photograph of Aundrina.

Oh, Aundrina... I hope I see your beautiful face tonight in my dreams again...

THE END... for now, anyway!

Wasn't that beautiful? *Sniffle!* I'm really sorry if some parts seemed kind of rushed, btw. Listen, it would mean so much to me if you could review this, please! I really need some feedback, as this is my first Romance fic ever, and I want to know how you think I did! I would very much appreciate it.

Stay tuned for Chapter 2, coming soon! I'll upload the next chapter as soon as I can, I promise!

This has been a Shychick Production!