AN: This is my first fanfic so.. let the journey begin!

'Street Rat' that was the most common name for a girl such as herself: Young, skinny, dirty, and of course homeless. Only at the innocent age of three, the little girl was already living the life of poverty and starvation. For as long as she can remember, she was on the streets trying her hardest to survive.

She was never alone though. When she was three, which was the day she was abandoned, a fellow homeless man took her under his protection and treated her like his own practically. He was so devoted to protect her life rather than his own. He even gave her a name: Edith. The reason to why he named her such a beautiful name was unknown but it stuck with her and she loved it.

Each morning, he'd slowly wake her up by saying: "Good morning, Edith, the sun rises for you," and then the day would begin. He taught her the art of robbing a person blind at the age of four. Much to his surprise, the little one was shockingly successful at pick-pocketing.

When she turned the age of 5, he taught her how to beg and to beg to the right looking people. Such as young women or elderly nice looking men to give her spare change. He taught her everything to know about the wrong people to beg from or how to avoid the police when they are about. The little things are what kept her alive and healthier than other homeless little girls and boys. Sure she wasn't like wealthy young girls who are put in gowns that add more beauty to their figures and curves but Edith was stuck in a dress that the homeless man stole from a drying rack outside a private flat. It fit her but her small, skinny figure was unable to fill in the curves on the hip, therefore she wore a man's buckle over her waist.

When she turned the age of 6 (he decided that her birthday was on Christmas because she was a gift to him from God above), the homeless man died that night due to the harsh winter night. He had a worn out coat that was reliable for that weather but he gave it to Edith to keep her warm in the night. He was exposed to the bitter weather and died knowing that he was protecting the girl. And that's all he ever wanted... but Edith on the other hand was scared waking up without hearing "Good morning, Edith. The sun rises for you,". She thought he left her but found his body laying on the pavement beside, with his eyes tight shut and his body frozen cold.

She didn't give up though. She knew that he would want her to live to her fullest and try to live a better life. And that'd exactly what she did. She began to live by hope. Hope for a better tomorrow is all she could think about through out the harsh winters.

About year after Her Protector, who's name she never did quite know, decided to leave the streets she was raised in. Instead, she moved more up to where there were larger numbers of people and more stores. She landed a nice spot outside of an inn. There she made a residence outside under an abandoned cabbage cart. The smell of rotten cabbage became a regular fume for her to sleep in.

But what she loved about that spot more than life itself was the cheerful people who sang every night inside the inn. It was the same old song ever single night and the way it was sung was so festive and cheerful! Edith never quite caught the lyrics of the tune but the sound was enough to drift off into a peaceful sleep. She never once felt the courage of walking inside the inn. She would, some nights, advance to the out walls of the inn and sleep outside of the inn and hum along to the tune when it was sung. But she never had strength to walk in.

There was something about the tune that really moved Edith... some ember started in her belly and rose to her heart. It was an odd feeling that she never felt before until she first heard that song. And what she didn't know was that the song gave her happiness and just listening to that one song made her experience happiness for the first time in her life.

One night, she walked up to the walls outside the inn and closed her eyes to listen to the joyful song when she saw a girl about 7 years old, her age, step out. She was wealthy looking with a beautiful purple gown and a black shoulder shawl and brown curls that matched her shimmering eyes. The other girl just stared at Edith as if she were an unknown species of some sort, "What are you doin' out here?" she asked slightly raising a brow. Her voice was rather melodic. Soprano.

Edith has never had an encounter with a person her age. She was only usually acquainted with Her Protector and when he passes away, she never talked to anyone, "I-I um... I-" she was stammering to try to find the right way to talk to someone her age, "I was sitting," was all she managed to say.

"Yeah," the other examined her head to toe, "I can see that," much to Edith's surprise, the other girl was not rude but somewhat welcoming. She showed this by giving her a warm smile, "I've seen you before... do you have a mum and papa?" she asked.

Edith was surprised by the question. She had to mentally ask herself the same thing before shaking her head, "No..." she said sheepishly.

"Is that why you sleep under the cabbage cart?" The other girl asked looking at the abandoned cart not to far away from where Edith was resting.

Edith bit her lip slightly, "Who are you?" she finally knew the right question to ask. She had heard many conversations around the town to pick up some conversation pointers such as greetings, feelings, and farewells.

"I'm Eponine... who are you?"

Edith frowned slightly. The other girl had a very pretty name and it suited her, "Edith," she mumbled.

The other girl lit up slightly, "What are you doing out here?" then the people inside the inn began to sing the seem cheerful song that Edith came to hear. Making Edith jump, Eponine groaned out loud, "Every single night!" she exclaimed, "It's the same old song every night!" she pouted.

"You live in there?" Edith pointed timidly to the inn.

Eponine nodded, "My mum and papa run the place. They sent me out on an errand," she huffed and looked down at Edith, "would you like to come?"

Edith was stunned. She just met someone her age and the conversation was going very well inside of her mind and now the other girl asked her to go with her somewhere? Edith just nodded... maybe this is what it's like to make a friend.

"I have to steal bread from the bakery... you're a street rat, right? You should know what it's like," Eponine didn't mean for it to happen but Edith slowly felt a pain in her chest at the word 'Street Rat'. Is that what she was called? Is that what Eponine saw her as? A rat on the street?

But all Edith said was, "Yes,"