STH © SEGA
Chapter One:

Big Thanks to my Beta Reader BlackPetals23

My Life

Amy's POV

My green eyes stared in the direction of the horizon while the sun set. Nighttime was always the most dangerous time to be about—for us homeless, anyway. Being outside meant you were just waiting to get killed. That's why, if you're smart enough, you form groups.

I remember when I first ended up on the streets. I was fourteen years old. I was living in a group home with a nasty woman who would always scream and beat us. I think she hates Rouge the most.

Rouge was there at the group home ever sense she was eleven. She's a white bat with blue eyes. She played as a role model for me—always walking around proud and pretty.

In the group home, we were rarely allowed to utter a vowel. On the rare occasions that we did get to talk, though, we would always talk about our dreams.

Rouge said she wanted to be a fashion designer. Since she was the oldest, however, she did most of the house work. I remember when there were leftovers she would always share them with me.

Rouge and Dane Olga—the one that runs the group home—would always fight. One day the fight got so bad she kicked Rouge out. When I found out I was honestly scared for Rouge's life.

Where was she going to go? Who was going to take care of her? I also worried about me. Now that Rouge was gone, the other kids were surely going to pick on me.

Three weeks after Rouge was kicked out, I was cleaning the house when I heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen, thinking it was one of the younger kids getting a late night snack. Instead of finding one of the kids, I found a figure dressed in black grabbing some of our food from the pantry. I grabbed the broom sitting by the doorway and beat the intruder with it.

"Amy, stop! It's me! Rouge!" the figure screamed as I was about to swat them with the broom again.

"Rouge?! What are you doing here?! Didn't Dane Olga kick you out?! I can't believe you're here. How are you? Where've you've been?" I asked her, not believing this was really happening and that she was really here.

"Amy, be quiet before Dane Olga comes down here," Rouge shushed me while glancing around quickly.

Just as she said that we heard stomping coming down the stairs.

I worriedly glanced at the bat. "Hide!"

Rouge slid under the table just as Dane Olga walked into the kitchen. Dane Olga was a big, brown grizzly bear in her sixties—with a life goal that seemed to be just about making everyone's lives miserable.

Dane Olga glared at me. "Amy! What the hell was all the screaming about? I'm trying to sleep!"

"I'm sorry, Dane Olga, I was cleaning the pantry and I thought I saw a spider."

"Well, keep it down, I've got work in the morning," Dane Olga said as she stomped back up the stairs.

As soon as we heard her slam the door, Rouge cam e out from under the table.

"Rouge, where are you going?" I inquired as the bat headed to the entrance of the kitchen to leave.

"I don't know."

"Can I come with you?"

"No, you need to stay here.

"Why can't I come with you?" I hurried to her, pleading and begging with all my might.

"Because, Amy, it's too dangerous out on the streets and it's safer here."

"Please, Rouge. I can't stay here with that woman anymore."

"Fine, you can come with me—but if you turn out to be more trouble than you're worth, I'm taking you right back here," Rouge said, finally agreeing to let me come.

I smiled and went upstairs to pack some necessities I would need. I grabbed my jar of money I earned from doing odd jobs from my dresser. I went to the kitchen and stuffed stuff like cookies, canned food, and fruit in my back pack. After packing, Rouge and I left the group home for good.

~~~.~~~

That day was 2 years ago.

After traveling so long, Blaze, Cream, and Nights joined our group. We were a family.

~~~.~~~

Rouge and I met Blaze when she was disowned by her family for getting pregnant before finishing school. Rouge and I stuck by her side during the whole pregnancy.

I remember a few days after the birth when Blaze gave her healthy baby boy up for adoption. That was one of the hardest days of her life.

~~~.~~~

The day we met Nights was one of the most exciting times of my life. Rouge and I were at the casino where she worked. Rouge had been on one of her many jobs. Everything there was so bright and colorful.

"Hey, Amy, I'll be back in a few, okay?" Rouge yelled as she walked away with a man who looked to be in his late thirties.

I walked around for a little bit until I spotted a group of people who surrounded a large table—they were screaming and laughing about something. Curiosity got the best of me, so, I walked over to see what all the commotion was about. I saw a girl and a man playing what seemed to be poker. The girl was what looked to be a Nighmarian. She was tall and slim; she had purple hair, and indigo eyes that gleamed with mischief. She could have been a model. The Nightmarian girl then threw her cards down and the man sighed in defeat.

"Hey," I asked the girl, "what was that?"

"Oh, that was me pawning some guy at poker," she laughed. "I'm Nights, by the way."

I introduced myself and we started talking. She told me how she had run away from her abusive father and started gambling. After Rouge finished her business with the man, I introduced her to Nights. After that we left the building.

While leaving the building three men grabbed us. One of the men was the one who lost against Nights in poker. I bit the man in the hand that was holding me. He screamed and slapped me so hard that I fell down. Rouge than kneed the guy where the sun don't shine, Nights did the same and we took off running down the street.

~~~.~~~

The day we met Cream was one of the most important days of my life.

She was the one who held our messed up family togvb ether.

One day, Nights and I decided to go get something from the local convenient store. Once we stepped in we knew something wasn't right. There in front of the store was a raccoon in his late thirties yelling at a young rabbit girl who seemed about nine years old at the time.

The young rabbit was the color of cream and her caramel brown eyes were full of fear. In one hand she held a blue stuffed animal; in the other hand she held a honey bun. Which by guessing from her raggedy clothes, she was about to steal the honey bun. The man continued to holler in her sensitive ears.

"Hey, you can't be yelling at kids like that."

I looked to my left to see Nights stepping forward to confront the man about how he was treating the little girl.

If you're going to get upset and immature about somebody stealing a honey bun, then I'll pay for it," Nights finished, pulling out a crumpled dollar bill.

"Hey, are you ok?" I asked, bending down to the girl's level. "Where are your parents?"

"They left me," she choked out.

Nights than gave her the honey bun before suggesting, "How about we get you cleaned up?"

The rest was history…

~~~.~~~

That was my family.

Rouge, Blaze, Nights, Cream, and I were one happy, messed up family.

Rouge was the head strong, forthright, loud mouth. Blaze was the wise and logical brains of the group. Nights was the smooth, manipulative talker. Cream was the one who held us together, the one who reminded us when we fought, at the end of the day that we were still family—no matter what happened.

And me? Well, I'm the one who's quiet and thoughtful and often has my head stuck in a book.

Together we are inseparable.