The hot Texas sun burned bright in the deep sapphire sky but the light pink clouds stopped the morning sun from bearing down on the few awake inhabitants of Coyote Springs.

Two of the citizens awake were Old Farmer Rose and his only child Amelia Rose. The father, a dark red hedgehog with dark blue eyes, was dressed in his usual black dress pants with a white shirt and black suit jacket with plain black shoes. The daughter, a rose pink hedgehog with enchanting emerald green eyes, wore a short sleeved white blouse with a faded red skirt tucked under a brown waistcoat. She had her long quills cascading down her back and ankle high boots on.

"Amelia, I want you to go down to town and sell some of our meat and eggs, alright?" The father asked as he loaded up the mule pulled cart.

"Of course Father, I'll be sure to get a good price for it" Amelia assured as she mounted the cart.

"I know you will I just worry" Her father grabbed her hand "With all those bandits running around I have to worry, I don't want to lose you like I did your mother".

Amelia smiled gently at her only parent. Her mother had been mugged by some bandits on her way home from the market and she died later that night. Her father had been so distraught but now almost ten years later he had a gorgeous seventeen year old daughter to remind him about the snow white hedgehog he loved so long ago.

"I promise I will be fine father and if I do find myself in trouble then well I know how to shoot so I won't be unprotected" Still her father's brow did not unfurrow "And besides I won't be alone for long Kida has said she will meet me at the cross road just down the road".

"Ah young Kida, like a second daughter she is" Farmer Rose laughed. Kida Thorn was Amy's deceased mother's niece, so Amy's cousin. "I guess I shouldn't keep her waiting; Daylights a wasting" He cried as he slapped the mule on his rear making him set off and pull the cart with him.

"And remember be back by nightfall" Amelia could hear her father shout as she rode out of their farm.

"HEY AMY" A voice with a british accent called out as Amy rode towards cross road.

"HEY KIDA" Amy yelled back.

(A/N KIDA pronounced KEY-DA)

Kida was a light blue hedgehog with eyes to match Amy's. She wore a long sleeved white blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows with a hem that went down to her mid thigh with a black waistcoat on as well as some light brown trousers with dark brown knee high boots. A belt was placed around her waist that always carried a knife. Her elbow length length quills were in two french plaits that she wound round each other to form a long doughnut shape at the back of her head, she placed her white cowgirl hat on her head and pulled it over her eyes.

"Heading out to the market now then?" Kida asked as she mounted the cart and sat next to her cousin.

"Yep, my father wants me to bring in some money so we can pay taxes early and buy a bull to stud with our heifers" Amy explained as she flicked the mules reins to get him to speed up.

"So your selling this?" Kida asked as she gestured to the contents of the cart, to which Amy nodded "Why not just come out hunting with me again?".

"Because I don't want a bounty on my head" Amy groaned.

"Hey I have no bounty because no one knows it's me" The pink hedgehog's cousin chirped.

"Yet" Amy mumbled.

"Hey!" Kida retorted.

The banter continued as the cousins rode into Coyote Springs. It was quite a large town where shoppers and marketers would come from across the wild west to sell, trade or buy goods from others.

Amy's father, Jasper Rose, was the owner of the largest farm in an eight mile radius. So if anyone wanted food, vegetables or milk in their town, The Rose's farm was where they went.

Now as the pair rode closer to the market Amy stopped and handed the reins to her cousin "Kida take the cart to the market I have to visit the sheriff and give him what he ordered" She said as she picked up a crate filled with her farms goods.

"What's that?" Kida asked, a slightly dry grin creeping onto her face, "A good slap in the face or a kick in the-" The blue hedgehog was promptly cut off by her cousin.

"Kida!" Amy cried. She knew about Kida's feelings towards the Sheriff, well not that there are many.

Kida just giggled before she and the cart took off down the dirt track towards the market at breakneck speeds.

Amy sighed at her cousin as she blew her bangs out of her face before she walked off towards the sheriff's office.

She walked in to find a hedgehog sleeping laid back in a chair with his hat on his face and his feet on his desk. Amy groaned inwardly as she walked towards the desk and dropped the crate on the wooden surface, causing the slumbering hedgehog to jolt awake, knocking the hat onto his chest, and immediately point a pistol at Amy's head.

Cerulean eyes flashed with recognition as they took in the rose female "Blimey Rose don't do that" The male said as he untensed and lowered his weapon.

"Well Sheriff it's your own fault for sleeping on the job…...again!" Amy scolded.

The Sheriff was a green hedgehog with light blue eyes. He wore a brown dress shirt with black dress pants and a belt that carried a sword and pistol. He had a grey waistcoat over the shirt and an overcoat with the Sheriff badge attached to it. Scourge finished the look with a black hat.

"Meh" He replied as he lifted his hat and put it back on his head as he leaned back in his chair again and closed his eyes.

"So what if the town got attacked by a gang of arsonists? What would we do if our estowned Sheriff was asleep?!" Amy asked angrily.

"The deputy would take care of it" Scourge murmured.

"He always does" Amy snapped before she took a deep breath and calmed herself "Anyway here is what you ordered from my farm" She gestured towards the crate.

"How much?" Scourge asked as he opened one eye.

"Forty rings".

The Sheriff then reached into his jacket pocket and found a brown woven bag, which he threw to Amy, who checked the contents and then pocketed it in her small belt bag.

"Thank you" Amy said as she turned on her heels and walked out the door but she stopped when Scourge's voice called out to her.

"Rose, you and I can still go out for a drink sometime you know?".

Amy sighed as she looked over her shoulder to see him still peeking at her with one eye "Sorry Sheriff, but I'm gonna have to pass" And without another word she walked off.

Amy walked down to the market with her head down as she thought about what had happened 'That lousy, no good Sheriff. If he thinks he can just sit on his ass all day and do nothing for the town then expect me to go out with him then he has another thing comi-'.

"LOOK OUT!" A masculine voice cried out before Amy felt herself collide with a strong body.

Turns out that when Amy had her head down she unknowingly walked in front of a speeding stagecoach.

Amy, after getting over the initial shock of almost being run over then knocked over and landing on her savior, looked up from the chest she had landed on and came face to face with the Deputy of Coyote Springs.

"Oh my stars! I am so sorry Deputy" Amy rushed as she got off of him and sat on her knees.

"Don't worry about it, Miss Rose, I'm just glad I gotcha outta the way in time" He replied.

"Yes well thank you so much I owe you my life Deputy" She said.

"No thanks necessary Miss, I was just doing my duty but if you owe me anything it would be to call me by my name like I've asked many times before" The Deputy said as he helped her up and she finally got a good look at him.

The deputy was a cobalt blue hedgehog with lime green eyes. He wore a pair of brown trousers with a white half untucked dress shirt and a black waistcoat with a belt for swords and guns. His badge was pinned on his waistcoat.

"Oh sorry Sonic I just forget" Amy apologised.

"It's alright Miss Rose" Sonic assured.

Emerald eyes flashed with humour "And what about you? I have asked you as many times to call me by my name as you have yours" Amy bantered.

"Oh my deepest apologies Amy! I promise it will never happen again Amy" Sonic said with fake sincerity.

The pair of mobians glared at each other playfully before they both burst into hysterics.

"Very funny Sonic" Amy laughed "But I really have to get to the market".

"Oh really, you couldn't stay a little longer?" The Deputy whined playfully.

"Unfortunately not I left Kida in charge of the stall" Sonic's face paled "And I've left her alone long enough" She said as she started to walk away "And thanks again" She called "Sonic".

Amy walked away but she suddenly found herself in the arms of the Deputy with him smiling down at her and running at his namesake speed.

"Wouldn't be right to let a lady walk alone now would it?" He winked "Especially if this lady has a nack for almost getting run over".

She pouted at him but said nothing as he carried her to the market. After what seemed like a second, Sonic slowed his pace and gently set Amy on her feet. "Here we are".

"Thank you, Sonic"

"Once again, no problem. Just doing m-" He was cut off as a barrel of baby blue crashed into him.

"Sorry" Kida apologized to him before turning to her cousin "Amy! You're here! Great. Took your time though. But anyway, now that you're here-"

"Kida!" Amy interjected.

"Yeah?"

"Slow down"

"Sorry, but how do you stop a goat from eating a table?" Kida asked, tilting her head to the side.

"What?!" Kida pointed towards their stall where a goat was nibbling away at the wooden structure.

Amy facepalmed before turning to Sonic "I'm sorry but I have to go, Thank you again" She took off in the direction of the goat "Mable, no!"

Sonic nodded slightly, a small grin on his face as he watched the rose hedgehog pull the goat away from the table, his eyes traveled only to be met with a pair of vibrantly coloured irises and a cheeky, knowing grin.

"What?" He asked.

Kida's grin only grew "You like her".

Sonic shook his head "Huh? No I don't" He protested.

"It's fine, your secret is safe with me" Kida replied as she began stalking back to the stall.

"Kida! No, I don't! What secret?! KIDA!"