Aurora Storm
This story is experimental. It was written in part with Novel AI. It actually worked pretty well for the most part, and I like the features like memory and author notes that help the AI get your ideas across. It isn't perfect though; it wouldn't catch on that Bark wasn't meant to have any dialouge. Yet it caught on that these characters were from Sonic the Hedgehog. I guess it still needs training for certain things. I think it turned out fine overall, though I edited the AI's input more as I continued using it and writing. For this part, it did most of the fight scenes. Here is the original input, spelling errors and all...
Amy didn't enjoy the cold weather very much. She would rather be in a warm flower field, or even a sandy desert. Unfortunately, Aurora Icefield was where the work was, so she'd been told. She had only been here once before, and not for very long. She hadn't noticed how far apart everything was then. It took several minutes to get from one place to another, likely due to all the ice and snow mounds. But she needed the money to support herself. So she endured the cold and focused on making the distance.
She was focused enough to not hear the footsteps behind her. She may not have seen anything either, as her pursuer blended in well with the environment. The blue-white bear had noticed her struggling to get through the area. Not used to seeing a critter like her around, he decided to take the opportunity to "acquaint" himself. He just had to get a bit closer.
Once Amy finally heard footsteps other than her own, she paused. It had been a while since she saw someone else. But as she turned around, she didn't see anyone. Just the same ice and snow, with an occasional breeze to move snow through the air like powder. Although for a second, she could have sworn she saw something else...?
"You seem lost, little lady. " Amy jumped at the sudden speech. Turning around again, she was shocked to see a large white polar bear, nearly as white as the surroundings. Still, he was much bigger than her. How had she not noticed him around until now?
He spoke again, "You aren't from around here, are you?" His face seemed friendly, and he had a large smile. But something was still off; his eyes were staring right into her as if trying to read her.
"Yeah... I came here looking for work," she said, maybe a little too quietly. "I-I don't have any money," she added. She took a step back, trying to be subtle about it.
The polar bear stepped forward in response, not remotely being subtle. "I understand. It's hard these days, finding a steady income." His smile widened as he stepped closer and closer to her. The surrounding ice made it harder for her to get away; he could tell she knew she would slip. "I have ways of my own, being more familiar with this area."
"That's ok, I'll be fine on my..." she trailed off as the ground beneath her became slippery. Her quills began to flair as her mind scrambled to figure out what to do now. Running may not work, with the ice around, and this bear could probably navigate better.
He was very close now, right where he wanted her. He could sense her fear. It made him laugh a bit before he remarked "I'm sure you'll fetch a fine price."
Amy pulled her hammer out fast. "Get away from me," she hissed. She had to fight if running wouldn't work. She put herself in an aggressive position.
"Oh, I think not!" He lunged towards her, hoping to catch her off guard. He would prove that he was stronger than she was.
But Amy wasn't going down without a fight. She swung her hammer furiously, hitting him in the head, neck, and shoulders. It hardly slowed him down, he was still swinging at her with sharp claws. She ducked under his arm and tried to hit his side. It caused him to gasp in pain.
"Yah!" Growling, he swung around and grabbed her wrist, holding onto it tightly. "Persistent, aren't you!?" He swung her around and threw her against the ground.
Her hammer fell out of her hands. She tried to reach for it, but the bear kicked it away. She looked up at the big animal, glaring at him angrily. "Let go of me!" she cried out.
He laughed, and lifted his leg, bringing his foot down on her. She screamed as she was knocked backward, and landed on her tail. She winced in pain, rubbing her sore rear end.
"Do you know, I've never seen a creature like you before. You're certainly interesting." He loomed over her as she sat there, rubbing her tail.
"I'm not interested in your company! Get away from me!" She got up and backed away from him.
"Oh, but I am interested in yours. Now that you've seen what I can do, you'll come with me willingly. Or else I'll make this so painful, you won't want to live anymore." He lifted his foot again and stepped hard on her chest. She cried out as her breath escape her. His smile returned, seeing her struggle. It was quite cute. She certainly could fetch quite the price. But perhaps it would be of a different benefit if he kept her for himself... first, he had to finish this little job...
Bark never minded the cold. He supposed it was natural for him, being a polar bear. But there was also something peaceful about the endless expanses of snow. It was blank and quiet, and it contrasted the lights of the sky wonderfully. Even a snowstorm like the one just starting to brew didn't bother him much. Though he preferred to view those through a window, with a warm fire or body, by his side.
He had every intention of living out that daydream tonight, heading towards the nearest inn he could think of. But the tranquility of the area was broken when he began to hear voices. Loud, angry voices. A bit confusing as he overlooked many fights this far out from any establishments. Perhaps someone had fallen through the ice into the freezing water again. He decided to investigate further.
Getting closer to the sound he realized, no, this was a fight of some sort. As he passed through the mounds of snow and ice, the vocals became clearer. Growling, snarling, and hissing. But one of the voices stood out to him.
"I'm not interested in your company! Get away from me!"
Amy Rose.
He didn't have time to wonder what she was doing here. He heard her cry out in pain. He rushed over to the area. Once he was close enough, he charged at the other polar bear, knocking him away from Amy and nearly off his feet.
Bark growled, getting ready to attack again.
The other polar bear roared back. "You'd best leave while you still can. This one," he motioned to the slowly recovering Amy, "is already taken."
Bark swung at his face. The bear dodged just barely but was taken aback by Bark's second punch to his gut.
Amy watched in awe at the battle. She was glad that Bark was there, and she was grateful for the help, but she was still worried about this guy. Getting back into focus, she looked around for her hammer.
"This one is mine, and not for sale!" The blue-white bear swung a paw at Bark.
Bark dodged it easily, but the bear was quick to follow up with a claw swipe across his stomach. Bark grunted as he stumbled back, clutching at his side.
The bear grinned, "You should learn to watch your back, little one. I'm not done yet."
Bark growled, taking another swing. He hit the bear in the shoulder, causing him to stumble backward. He used the opening to charge at him again, knocking him onto his back.
Just as the bear tried to get back up, Amy came behind him. With all her might, she swung her hammer directly onto his head. It hit him square in the face, the sound reverberating around the area.
He stopped moving after that, falling unconscious. Now the only sounds left were the heavy breaths of the two remaining fighters.
Putting her hammer away, Amy looked up at Bark. His expression was unusually hard to read. She wanted to say something, but her mind wouldn't slow down. Before she could properly think, she was scooped up into Bark's arms, and he started moving again.
"Ah!? Where are we going?" she asked, a bit nervously. He didn't give her an answer; silent as usual. But his face was now determined and focused. Even as the snowfall began picking up speed, he plowed through. She supposed she would just have to wait and see.
Finally, they reached a building. A sign with the words, "Campfire Inn" stood outside the doorway. Only then did Bark slow down, still keeping Amy in his arms.
Amy groaned as she was carried over to the inn. She couldn't believe she had been beaten so easily. She thought she was strong, and that she could protect herself. But if Bark hadn't noticed...
The inn was small, with only a few rooms, and even fewer customers. The owner was a cheery old man, who greeted them with a wide smile. "Welcome to my establishment! Oh, it's you again! And I see you've brought a guest?"
Bark finally let go of Amy, resting her on the ground. She got up to find she stumbled a bit; her leg and chest were still sore, and her clothes had become wet from landing in the snow.
"Yes, I... we were attacked earlier today. My friend here saved me." She looked down. "Um, I don't have any money."
"Oh, there's no need. Any friend of Bark's is most welcome here. Please, make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, please ask." The old man smiled at them again and turned away.
Amy nodded, and the two went inside. They were shown a room, with a bed and a table. Bark got there a bit faster while Amy insisted on walking herself despite her slight limp.
This was written second, so the progression might be a bit weird to the continuation.