There's always a time in life when paths are going to be chosen, when people are going to choose different routes to other destinations, and friends and loved ones are going to go their own ways, and Amy had come to learn that the precious moments you have with those people – the ones we often take for granted – don't last.
When Eggman finally expired from the world, old age catching up on him and stealing his life, it was as though the purpose in life for the members of the Sonic Team was gone. Suddenly, they were nobodies, just members of the worldwide community struggling with money and freedom and life. Now, they could only do what everyone else was doing: get jobs, go to school, and deal with the drama of everyday life, because suddenly they didn't mean a thing to anyone anymore.
And so, Sonic just got up and headed back to his home, as though nothing happened.
Amy had been sure Sonic would have taken it harder than everyone else. His dad wasn't the greatest either; he had his own plans for his son. And yet, Sonic just grinned at his stunned group of friends and said, "Well, that fixes a lot." Amy could barely look at him after. She wasn't even sure if it was the same guy. And she hadn't the chance to confirm it either. He was gone before she could even blink.
Then it hit Amy hard. She'd have to return home as well, a town or so away from Sonic's, and live with her dad and crazy step-family, since she was no longer being paid for hero work. It was great to be with her dad again, but the rest of the family was a different story. They hated her, but she put up with them, for her dad.
Despite the pitiful and mentally polluted environment back at home, fabricated by her latest family members, Amy and her dad spent the best of times together. They had always been each other's best friend, so Amy was able to become the luckiest girl in the world all over again. Her dad loved her more than all the step-family together, but Amy never put it in her step-mom's face. Amy never felt she missed out on anything, even when her glory days and love with Sonic was over.
Amy's dad owned the coolest diner in all the town: Hal's diner. It was decorated in brown tones and inspirational quotes in a welcoming way that made guests feel relaxed. The staff was better than any staff any manager could ask for, ones who also made up Amy's little family. Rhonda was like a second-mother to her (Amy could never call her step-mom anything close to one) and took Amy under her wing the moment she saw her walk through the diner's chimed door. Bobby, the cook, was like a crazy uncle that would tease Amy and play cards with her. Eleanor was the sweetest thing, the clumsy woman, and Amy viewed her almost as a grandmother. Everyone felt close at the diner, and ultimately, Amy thought her life was beyond perfect.
Amy and her dad would sit on the roof sometimes, when the stars were out. They would either sit in intimate silence or would talk about any subject in the world. Her father would often remind her not to fantasize on what may or could have been, but instead focus on the future and make her dreams come true. She needed to hear that; she often got distracted by wasting her energy thinking about the past, thinking about her dear old friends and the potential relationship she almost had with her hero. Hal would tell her daughter about his dreams, ones that usually focused on her, getting into college and doing what she wanted, and being happy.
"Fairy tales aren't about finding handsome princes," he would tell her. "They're about fulfilling your dreams and standing up for what you believe in. Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."
Amy didn't think she needed to be told this. Her character and opinions were strong, stubborn even, and she never backed down from anything. This she told him, but he would say that things happen that can change people. She didn't understand what he meant at that time.
On the last day she would ever spend with him, he gave her a story book.
"Cinderella?" Amy had questioned skeptically, holding the large book in her hands as though it were a dead body.
He chuckled at her response. "It contains some important things that you will need to know later."
"A story book?"
He didn't have the chance to answer. The room suddenly began to shake, at first with little movement, but a few seconds passed before the tumors were extreme. Hal's alarmed gaze locked with Amy's, then he drove her to a door post.
"Stay here," he commanded, and he parted. Amy called after him, but he was gone towards the screams of his wife. He didn't realize that his selfless actions would cost him his life.
Amy lost her best friend that day, and from then on, the only fairy tales in her life were the ones she read about in books.
Her father hadn't left a will, so her evil step-mother inherited everything; the house, the diner, the money, and to her dismay, Amy.
Amy started high school a few months later, unknowing of what was awaiting her there.
Just fixing up the chapter so that it's better. Don't get excited about updates just yet people. ;)