Hey y'all. I have some unfortunate and good news: I don't think I will be finishing Heiress of Hell. I mostly worked on it during school when I was bored in one of my classes and served more as a free idea rather than an actual project. If I have time, I may be able to complete it - but I'm not making any promises. Please do not groan and complain; I honestly do not want to hear it. I want to be able to share my works without feeling an pressure or guilt for pushing aside a project for another; this profile is experimental for me as it has always been. The GOOD NEWS: for my 2017 year resolution, I am planning to finish my second novel. This story you all are about to read is the project I'm hoping to turn into a full length novel so constructive criticism and your thoughts are welcome in your reviews. There are a lot of characters in this story so some of the Sonic characters may seem a bit out of place, but I wanted to make it into as much of a fanfiction as I could. Also note I am originally writing them with original names and converting it into a fanfiction so i apologize in advance if I miss any names especially towards the first few chapters that are pretty long.

Sorry for blabbing: enjoy!

All characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.

Chapter 1

"Where are you going, Daddy," I asked as I peeked my head out from the corner I was hiding in. Earlier that night, I had been awakened by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. At first, I thought it was one of the dogs pondering around so, I decided to go check out which one. I had quietly got out of my bed and peeped my head out through the crack of my door that my parents left for me. Instead of the familiar sight of one of the huskies, I saw my father creeping – fully dressed in his soldier uniform – down the hall. I was immediately intrigued as to what he was doing up so late and why he was dressed in his uniform. He had just returned a few weeks prior from one of his missions. He assured my mother and me that he was going to be home for at least a year before they sent him off again. So, where was he going?

I quietly trailed behind him as he proceeded down the hall towards the steps. I made sure to keep my steps light and my figure hidden in the shadows. My father had taught me that trick when we would play hide and seek. "It's good to know how to skirt around your counterpart; then, there's always opportunity to catch them off guard," he had told me. I had thought it was fun in that moment but actually putting it into action felt a bit strange. While I was excited that I was succeeding at the ability, I couldn't help but to feel a bit guilty about snooping on my father. He'd always told me everything that was on his mind; I never needed to follow him around for information.

Once we were down the stairs, he'd ducked into his office. I hid myself in the shadows by the doors to watch him as he began to take various guns out of his locked closet. He had taken a deep sigh before he did so, as if whatever he was about to do was a burden. He hesitated before grabbing a pistol from his wide collection of weapons. He hooked it into his belt before grabbing a bunch of others like it. He attached the smaller ones to his waist while he put the larger ones on his desk. I watched as he almost emptied the entire closet before finally closing it and locking it. My stomach began to twist and turn as I saw his pained face when he turned around. His handsome face was pulled into one of a physical agony although there were no injuries on his body. He put his hands on his desk to support himself as he let out a small choke of a sob. His helpless position didn't last long before he straightened back up. At the sight of his broken figure, I'd taken a baby step out of the darkness to comfort him but immediately hopped back when he recovered. He wiped a lone tear from his face as he picked up a large black duffel bag from the floor. He loaded all of the large rifles on his desk into the bag quickly before zipping it up slowly. Another sigh left his lips as he looked to the picture of my mother and me on his desk. His jade eyes softened at the sight as he reached out to stroke the picture. "My girls," he murmured, "my beautiful girls."

"Daddy," I had murmured as I stepped out of the shadows. "Daddy, where are you going?"

"Amy," my father exclaimed as he looked up at me. He almost dropped his bag from surprise. His dark green eyes were wide with shock as he stared at my small figure in the doorway. "Amy, what are you doing up," he asked as he dropped the bag on the floor. He hurried up to me, bent down to my height, and stroked my dark hair. "Are you alright?"

"I heard you in the hallway," I told him. "I didn't know it was you before I saw you; I thought one of the dogs were wandering around."

"Jesus, Amy," he murmured. He pulled me into a hug, his muscular arms squeezing me the tightest they've ever had. I wrapped my small arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder. "I thought you were going to be staying for a long time, Daddy."

"I'm sorry sweetie but there's been…there's been a change of plans. There's some unfinished business that I need to take care of." I pulled out of the tight hug to look him in the eyes.

"When will you be back, then?" His mouth opened to say something as his eyes watered. His stroked my face, his large hand larger than my cheek.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know." He cupped my chin between his fingers and squeezed gently. "You have to promise me you'll stay strong for your mother. She needs you, you ought to remember that."

"But she needs you too, Daddy." My father's eyes watered even more as he nodded his head.

"I know, sweetie. I know," he replied lowly. He lowered his gaze as his hands fell away from my face. He grabbed his gold chain that was around his neck and pulled it up over his head. Without hesitation, he put the chain over my own. His smaller replica of the golden medallion of valor that he'd won a year prior hung from the chain, glittering under the dim office light. The medallion was made of pure gold so it held some weight down against my small neck. I cradled it in my hand, admiring the engraving of my father's name beneath the army leaves.

"You love this necklace, Daddy," I said as I looked up at him. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because I want you to have it. I want you to be able to look at this and know what I did for you and know how much I love you." He stroked my face again as his lips pulled up into a subtle smile. "You are going to do great things, Amy; I hope that I'll be able to see you succeed." Without another word, he picked me up. I clung onto him as he carried me back up the steps and to my room. He lay me down in my bed before tucking me into my covers.

"Are you going to come back, Daddy," I asked him as I curled up into my covers. My father opened his mouth to answer but hesitated. His eyes watered a bit more as he leaned forward to kiss my forehead. His lips lingered before he pulled away.

"I love you, Amy," he told me.

"I love you too, Daddy," I replied.

"Go to sleep now, sweetie," he said as he stroked my hair. He held his smile as he got back to his feet. He slowly turned towards the door, his eyes locked on me until the moment they absolutely had to look away. I watched him as he opened the door to my room. I yelled out as I heard a loud gunshot in the distance and watched my father's figure disappear from my sight.

I awoke with a shiver, the memory of the last time I saw my father bubbling in my mind. My eyes began to water as I remembered the cold knock on the door, the stranger's emotionless face, and my mother's unstoppable cries. I grabbed the medallion that still hung from my neck as I opened my eyes. The sun was pouring into my room, barely missing my direct line of sight. I squinted from the brightness as I slowly hauled myself to sit up. My white husky, Ace, was laying at the foot of my bed, his ice blue eyes watching me with concern. He raised his head as I stretched and let out a soft moan. "Good morning handsome," I told him as I held my hand out to him. Immediately, he got up from his spot and padded up to me. He lay his large head in my lap as I began to scratch behind his ears. "Today's the big day," I told him. "Let's hope I can get through most of it." He let out a soft bark in response causing me to smile.

I hopped out of the bed with Ace following behind. I slipped into my slippers as I made my way out of the room. Ace stayed on my heels as I walked downstairs to the kitchen. I could hear my mother's cheerful tune and her soft dancing steps. I slowed my pace as I approached the kitchen so that she wouldn't hear me. I used my familiar technique of sneaking around the shadows to watch her from afar. She was dancing around in the yellow sunlight, her pale pink hair swaying around her slender body. There was a content smile on her face as she sang, her soothing voice echoing through the house. My mother was beautiful when she was smiling. Sure, she was beautiful all of the time but even more so when she was happy. Whenever she was in a good mood, her face glowed, her eyes were warm, and her laugh was carefree. She looked younger when she was smiling, all of the years of pain she's endured absent from her face. I didn't want to disrupt her but I did want to eat. She seemed to be making her famous homemade biscuit egg, cheese, and bacon sandwiches. I could smell the savory scent from upstairs. Her signal of cooking such a housewarming meal could only mean one thing.

"Good morning," I told her as I walked into the kitchen. My mother's big brown eyes turned to me and her radiant smile grew even more.

"Good morning sweetie," she replied. "Come sit down; I'm making your favorite for this morning."

"Thanks," I told her as I made my way to the table. Ace lay down at my feet as I sat down. My mother had set up our small kitchen table with a pink plaid tablecloth, freshly cut fruit, and a gallon of squeezed orange juice. I noticed there were three sets of cups, plates, and napkins around the table causing my small smile to falter. "Mom," I began to ask, "Can you see daddy today?"

"Yes; your father was the one who convinced me to make this meal in the first place. He thought it would be nice for all of us to have a family breakfast," she replied happily.

"Mom," I said wearily. "Did you take your medicine this morning?"

"Don't worry about that sweetie; just know that we're all going to have breakfast together today – as a family."

"Mom," I repeated softly as I got up from my seat. She had turned around from the stove to stare at me with her large, hopeful brown eyes. I walked up to her to gently put my hands on her shoulders. "Daddy's not here," I reminded her softly.

"What are you talking about," she asked with an oblivious smile. "Of course he's here."

"No," I said as I shook my head. "He's not." My mother's smile slowly began to fall as her eyes flicked back to the empty table. I watched as her glow of happiness began to fade and the familiar dullness began to take over the gleam in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. "You should go take your medicine, mom," I told her softly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just…I thought we all could…"

"I know, mom; I know." I kissed her cheek before giving her a gentle nudge towards the hallway. "Go on; I'll watch the food for you." My mother nodded slowly before walking out of the room. I frowned after her as she wandered towards the steps. My mother had always been a bit…strange when I was younger. She was constantly having hallucinations and speaking to people who weren't there. The difference before was that it was all pleasant hallucinations. She used to think she was speaking to fairies, wizards, and the like when she was around me. At first, I thought it was a game so I'd join her in talking to the imaginary characters. I didn't know that there was something wrong with her brain until my father sat me down and told me that I have to snap her out of her hallucinations when she got too into them.

"She needs to understand that they're not really there. I understand they make her happy but she needs to accept reality – and the reality is always harder to accept," he had told me one night as he was tucking me into bed. I hadn't really understood what he meant in that moment, but after his death, I understood it more than I wanted to. My mother couldn't accept the fact that he was gone so she would have frequent hallucinations that would give her the satisfaction of having him back with us. The first time she had a mental image of him, she got into an argument with a wall about his promises and how horrible he was for leaving us behind. Obviously a part of her knew that he was gone but overall she was refusing to actually let him go. Sometimes I found it a bit sad how it's been ten years yet she still hated the thought of him really being gone. I mean, he was my father and I loved him but I taught myself how to move on. If only she could do the same.

When my mother came back downstairs, she seemed to be in a bit duller mood but happy nonetheless. I hated having to burst her bubble but I knew if I didn't then the consequences might be a little worse than just making her upset. The doctors warned that if I let her in her hallucinations for too long then she could lose all tracks of reality and be trapped in her own little world. Sure, she could still communicate and such but she wouldn't have the view of the world that everyone else had. She would see people who weren't there and have conversations with them and believe in them. The mental power they could take over her wasn't something the doctors wanted to play around with. The pills could only help but so much.

My mother didn't talk much as we ate breakfast. I tried to entertain conversation about the weather and her plans for the day, but she didn't seem to be interested in talking to me. Her chocolate eyes kept lingering on the empty chair next to her. Eventually, she began to ignore me and just gaze over at anything but me. The action would have hurt if she didn't do it so often. Half the time I don't even think she realized I existed. I was just another object in the space around her world sometimes – a sad fact that I've come to accept.

After breakfast, I headed back up to my room. I changed out of my pajamas before taking a quick hot shower in the bathroom connected to my room. I wrapped a towel around myself as I got out. My wet pink hair hung down over my shoulders as I padded towards the sink. I grabbed my hair brush before beginning to brush my pink hair. My jade eyes locked with themselves in the mirror as I did so. I had to admit that I was always taken aback whenever I saw my reflection. While I was a splitting image of my mother, I had the color scheme of my father. My eyes were a wide, dark green that made it seem as if I was always in a gaze, my face was rounded like a cherub angel with my faintly pink cheeks and my small chin. My lips were a plump pink that accented my small dwarf nose. My pink hair was spilled over my shoulder in wet, water fall like waves down my back, framing my face. My skin was naturally pale like my father's but was bright with a glow that my mother's more tanned skin held. I had always wondered how I'd come out to be a perfect combination of my parents. Sure, I get that's just how my genes made me but the thought still fascinated me.

I brushed out the knots in my hair before brushing my teeth. When I padded back out into my room, I immediately went for my comfortable wear outfits. I threw on a pair of shorts and a baggy tee shirt with a sports bra underneath. I also pulled my hair up into a ponytail. My reflection gave me an encouraging smile before I headed out my room with my back pack in hand. I could hear my mother cleaning up in the kitchen as I passed by the doorway. She was humming to herself, a sad tune this time. The sound caused me to frown a bit as I continued towards the front door. "I'm heading to work, mom," I yelled out.

"Okay, honey! Be careful," she replied. I retreated out the door into the warm, sunny atmosphere. The summer had been beautiful this year. It was never too hot, and the sun was always shining. The kids on my block were outside playing a card game on my neighbor's stoop as I passed by.

"Good morning, Amy," they all said in unison as they smiled at me. I returned the smile and gave them a wave. "Are you going to the gym? Are you teaching classes today?" One of the boys asked.

"Yes, the class for you guys starts at two. I expect you all to be there," I told them as I gave them a stern pointing finger with a sly smile. "If not then I will track you down and kick your ass." They all giggled at my swearing. I could only smile wider at them. The kids in my town didn't have the best home life. A lot of their parents were never around due to their busy work schedules or plain negligence to their responsibilities of parenting. I'd grown a soft spot for the kids since I was always the one that the parents hired to watch over them at night and make sure they were functioning alright when there was no parental supervision. A lot of the children took that as a nudge to latch on to me. Some of them even called me "mom" just for the sake of it. Sometimes I did like all the recognition and appreciation but other times I wished they could have actual role models to look up to. Sure, I didn't get into trouble and I did well in school but one day they were going to need something more than that to aspire to. My thoughts wandered to the image of my father in his all black uniform. My heart grew heavy as I reminisced the way I used to admire that uniform. My stomach did a soft flip as I remembered that one day, I might be wearing that same exact uniform.

"We'll see you later, Amy," the kids yelled as I bid them goodbye. I walked down the busy streets of the city, weaving my way through all of the people on the sidewalk. I enjoyed living in the city, but I didn't enjoy all of the people who lived there as well. Don't get me wrong, everyone was nice but sometimes it would be great if I had some personal space when walking on the sidewalk. I sped up my pace as I began to lose the crowd behind me. I had veered off onto a side street where there weren't many people walking. My eyes casually took in the tall, run-down buildings, the speeding cars, and the rushing people. Many people would be in awe of the city I lived in due to its authentic beauty. Most of the buildings had been up for the past hundred years but maintained their beauty in their cracks and fading color. The buildings held so much substance to them despite their own age.

The gym building in which I worked in even held its own beauty. There was an old sign hanging up above the doors that read "Donnie's Gym", the red paint around the windows were chipping away, and the doorknob was turning a golden shade of red. The long years expressed themselves clearly over the building, but I didn't mind. I appreciated the building's age more than I wanted to. In a way I'd grown up there. My father used to take me there all the time when he was home. We'd go to watch the new boxers fight and chat with my father's old friends. He'd trained there with them before he went off to join the military. A small lump in my throat began to arise as the memory of seeing my father's old friends pass down his old boxing gloves to me after his funeral. "Your father would want you to have these," one of his friends had told me with moist eyes. At first, I'd merely stared at the raggedy blue gloves in my hands. I wasn't completely sure what to do with them at that given time; I didn't exactly have a place to put them. So, I slid them onto my small hands and mimicked the boxing stance I'd seen so many times beforehand. My father's friend had raised his eyebrows at me as a smirk tugged at his lips. He bent down to my height and held out his palms to me. After years of watching boxers practice their combinations with their trainers' gloved hands, I easily imitated the movement. My action caused the man to smile wider. He grabbed my gloves and pushed them together. "You're gonna do great things kid," he told me.

Ever since then, I'd devoted a lot of my time into being at the gym. My father's friends took me under their wing and trained me alongside of their sons. Don't think they treated me any differently because I was a girl. I had to do just as many pushups, pullups, and combinations as the boys did. "Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you can't fight like a man," my father's friend from the funeral told me. "You are just as strong, smart, and dominant as they are. All you have to do is work for it and believe in yourself; never let your feminine appearance get in the way of what you're capable of."

I had to train a lot harder than the boys around me, but that worked out in my favor. Eventually, I began to find little quirks and advantages in my small body that would later help me take out the boys in our matches. Since I was smaller and less bulky than the boys, I could move faster on my feet and catch them off guard while their eyes were following me. Usually, I'd dance around them as they attempted to hit me and then get in a few jabs until they got tired. That was when I'd begin to take my final blows and take them down.

Boxing wasn't the only combat sport I'd picked up, though. I'd also gotten myself into mixed martial arts when the boys I trained with sparked an interest in watching UFC. My trainers were a bit skeptical about letting me train with the boys since this sport dealt a lot more with strength rather than agility. However, I quoted the words the man at the funeral, Uncle G was the name I began to call him, had given me and forced them to let me train with the boys. I'd admit that it was hard since I had to go all the way back to square one with training harder and finding advantages within my small body but, it was all worth it. In the end, I managed to beat almost every one of the boys in my age group as well as all of the girls. I became one of the top fighters in our region after sneaking out to multiple tournaments with my gym buddies. I held my title close to my heart though I stayed humble about it. My mother didn't know about the tournaments or my small fame; she didn't need to know. All she had to know was that I was being productive and keeping myself out of trouble. That was all she had to care about.

The inside of the gym welcomed me with the familiar sounds of grunts, smacks of colliding gloves, and the soft sound of scuffles on the matted grounds around the building. The gym was a lot larger on what it appeared on the inside with its three stories, multiple boxing rings, gym equipment and small rooms that was covered in mats for safety. As I looked around, I took notice of some of my friends sparing in one of the rings. I happened to catch one of their attention, and the boy smiled widely at me. "Hey Amy," he said happily before receiving a punch right to the face that knocked him off his feet.

"What's up Amy," the other boy said as he shot me a wave.

"Hey guys," I told them between my giggles. I continued walking towards the back of the building where the coat racks and small cubbies were. I threw my backpack into a random cubby before heading back into one of the small offices that lay in the very back of the building. Uncle G's door was closed so I knocked lightly.

"Come in," I heard my trainer's accented voice ring from the other side. I walked inside to see Uncle G sitting at his desk while his son, Scourge, was perched on the edge of the desk itself. Scourge was practically identical to his father with his curly green hair, light blue eyes, and caramel toned skin. He was handsome though with his tattooed biceps, long legs, strong jawline, and soft smile. There were many times when I'd have to sit through the girls' chatter about how dreamy he was. Each time, however, I couldn't hold myself from rolling my eyes. Yes, Scourge was handsome but he was special and didn't deserve to be treated like some type of prize. Growing up, he had become like a brother to me. He'd defended me when I was bullied in school, he let me cry on his shoulder when I was down, and he would hold me tight when I felt like falling apart. He even let me practice with him when it came to combat sports although he was a lot bigger than I was. Half the time, he would be putting me down on my ass but there were times when I'd be able to take him down. He's practically helped me pull through any challenges I'd had throughout my years despite dealing with his own problems. He was my best friend and I loved him dearly.

"Good morning Amy," Uncle G said as he shot me a soft smile. "Today's the big day, isn't it?"

"Yea," I replied as the soft tingling in my stomach that I'd been managing to push down for the past couple of days resurfaced again.

"Don't be nervous. You're going to do just fine."

"Just make sure you don't fall on your ass," Scourge said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Come on, dip wad, you promised you'd help me practice," I replied. Uncle G chuckled as Scourge rolled his eyes at me.

"If you could give a guy five minutes to wake up then that would be great."

"You had all morning to get some coffee into your system. Now get up and let's go before I embarrass you in front of your own father." Uncle G whistled in surprise.

"You better hurry up, son, she doesn't seem like she's playing games today," he told him. Scourge raised his eyebrows at his father.

"You don't really believe she can take me out, do ya pops?" Uncle G shrugged.

"I've heard things around the gym, son. From the rumors, it seems as though she can easily knock you out with a few punches. I wouldn't test her if I were you." Uncle G shot me a mischievous smirk in which I returned. Scourge once again rolled his eyes but got up from his place on the desk.

"Let's go, midget," he told me as he began to walk towards me. I shot him a wide smile in which he couldn't help but to smile back. He followed me upstairs to one of the matted rooms. I kicked off my sneakers as Scourge took down one of the flat gloves from a shelf in the room. "I would ask how you're feeling but from your eagerness to start practicing so early in the morning, I'm guessing that you're pretty nervous."

"It's the audition of a lifetime; how can I not be nervous?" I asked as I watched him slip the gloves onto his hands. His lips turned into a soft frown as his light blue eyes looked away from mine.

"It's just a try out to join a stupid military school," he muttered. I frowned at him.

"We've already talked about this, Scourge; it's what I want to do with my life."

"But there's so many other options. I'm not saying that you're wrong for wanting to fight for our country but there's just so much bullshit attached to it." He shook his head. "I always pictured you as becoming a teacher or a social worker or something. You love teaching the kids here."

"I know I do. But, I did get into the state university nearby so I do have a back-up plan. I can still major in Education or Social Work if I really wanted to."

"If you don't get into the military school, you mean," Scourge said with a raised eyebrow. I sighed as I crossed my arms across my chest. "I know you're tired of my lectures but I just…I already worry about you enough and if you do go to that school…I don't know how you'll be." Scourge's face had fallen a bit, his emerald eyes filled with an emotion I'd never seen before. We'd always been friends – never more than that. We'd never tried to date nor have we ever even considered the fact that we might have feelings for each other. It was such an easy thing to look over when you were always together and your families acted like relatives. I'd always dismissed the idea that he even held some sort of affectionate emotion for me not just because we were so close but also because he was a little older than me. I was only eighteen, young and bushy tailed, while he was twenty-three and approaching a stage in his life where he needed to straighten up his act. While the age difference wasn't large, sometimes it did make me feel a bit uncomfortable to think about at times. I'd never been good with boys despite having been around them for most of my life. When their emotions got involved, they made me nervous. I wasn't sure if it was because I'd been a witness of their strength or if I was afraid of what they could do with their abilities. Sure, I could defend myself but not every guy would be as considerate as the guys I trained with in terms of giving me a fair chance.

I walked up to my best friend and took off one of this gloves. His eyebrows crinkled in confusion as I did so. Before he could ask what I was doing, I grasped his bare hand with mine tightly and brought it to my lips. I pecked his knuckles once before looking up into his glittering blue topazes that were filled with surprise and curiosity. "I know you're afraid of being apart," I told him softly. "Trust me, I'm just as scared as you are but we'll be okay. There is such a thing as a telephone and the school lets people visit. It's not like we'll be totally apart."

"I know," he murmured. "I'm just being selfish." He caressed my cheek softly, my hand still holding on to his wrist. "I already lost one of the most important women in my life; I don't want to lose the other one."

"You won't," I promised. I pecked his knuckles once more before releasing his hand. "Now put your hands up; we have two hours before my first class comes in." Scourge smiled at me as he shook his head and put his glove back on.

Our training session went pretty well. We worked on my hand combinations and special holds for a little bit before he challenged me to a full-on match. I went along with it considering we had nothing else better to do. Scourge had always been a challenge for me since he had a couple more years of experience on me but he seemed to take it a bit easy on me this time. His holds weren't as strong nor was he using as much strength as he usually did. When I actually got him to tap, I was certain he had let me win. He hadn't been easy but it was less difficult then what I was used to coming from him. I wanted to question his lowered level of difficulty but my first class of novice kickboxers were coming in so I didn't have the time to.

The day didn't drag the way I thought it would as I taught my classes and mentored the younger kids. They were quite entertaining that day for some reason. I had more of a problem keeping an eye on time than I usually did. But then again, I also wasn't really trying to watch the clock. I didn't want to count down the moments until I'd be standing up in front of the judges' hard stares and wondering if they thought I'd be good enough to join their school. Instead, I wanted to cherish the little moments of my life. I knew that if I did get into the school, my life would be totally different. I wouldn't be able to goof around with the teenagers or laugh at the kids when they imitated moves they'd seen off of action movies – I wouldn't be able to glance over and meet Rafael's soft gaze on me from afar. I hadn't realized until that day how much all the little things meant to me. No matter how depressing things got at home, I could always turn to the gym as my escape to happiness. If things got bad at the school, I couldn't simply run down the street to the gym – or Scourge's house. I'd have to stay there and deal with it head on – something I didn't think I was ready for.

Around five o' clock, I headed out the gym eagerly. Scourge had spared me a wave as I bolted out but I didn't see the usual smile that came attached with it. I wanted him to quit acting so weird but I could understand his sadness. He had lost his mother in the horrors of the war we're experiencing just in our own town. I don't think he could deal if he were to lose me in the effects of the actual war going on outside of our country. I was the same rock to him that he was to me. If we were to lose each other, we'd both be thrown off.

I shook off my thoughts as I continued sprinting down the street to the small performance center. I wasn't exactly sure why they were holding the tryouts there of all places but I didn't question it. I just followed the directions that the acceptance of my general application gave me. Be there by six o' clock and be prepared to show off some of your combat abilities. Although I was a little worn out by my regular day at the gym, I tried to rejuvenate by drinking some water as soon as I got there. I had pulled out the bottle just as I walked through the front doors of the center. I didn't have the opportunity to hold it to my lips as I was caught off guard by the abundance of people in the lobby.

There was an equal amount of boys and girls scattered around the room, all of which were dressed in work out attire similar to mine. Most of the boys were burly young men while some of the others were tall and scrawny. The burly ones held sinister facial expressions as they stood with their arms crossed against the wall. A lot of the girls flocked to them, their flirty smiles and seductive body language giving their intentions away. The girls varied in sizes as well, however. While some were perfectly built with toned muscles and flat stomachs, others were unnaturally skinny and some built with curves. I couldn't imagine that everyone in the room was planning to audition for a spot in the combat sector of the school. Then again, I was aware that the school held other programs that were liable for other parts of the military such as technology, strategy, and negotiating. I had just forgotten since becoming a soldier was all I could think about.

I took a seat on an empty bench where I stayed for a few hours. I relaxed as I watched the other young adults be called into the performance room and exit. Some of the more muscular applicants came out with bruises and messed up hair while the softer applicants came out without seeming to have a hair out of place. Obviously they were having us tryout to whatever pertained closest to what we would be studying at the school. I watched as the number of people left in the lobby got smaller and smaller. As the numbers decreased, the tingling in my stomach increased. I would admit that I was extremely nervous. The thought of what I wanted for my future was hanging in the performance I was about to put on for the judges. I couldn't fail; if I did, I don't think I would be able to forgive myself.

I rubbed the medallion around my neck just as I heard my name being called. I looked up to see the familiar women dressed in a white blouse and black pencil skirt who had been calling people in and out throughout the time I'd been there. She shot me a warm smile as I got up and made my way towards her. I returned her smile with a shaky one of my own. "Just relax, dear," she told me. "You'll do just fine." She led me down a flight of steps in a dark hallway and into a lit up auditorium. In the room laid some technological things, some papers with maps on it, a small impromptu mat ring, and three older citizens sitting in the third row of the seats centering the objects in the room. Two of them were men while the other was a women, all with lips in a stern line and stony eyes.

"Miss Rose," the man with a head full of white head said with a nod. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you," I replied as the tingling in my stomach began to grow stronger. I clasped my hands behind my back as I tried to keep up a small smile.

"Rose," the other man with dark hair asked. "As in Leonard Rose?"

"My father," I replied quickly. "He died fighting for our country." The judges exchanged a look that tempted my eyebrow to raise. Their stern lines of lips seemed to twitch as did their eyes lit up with an emotion that I was not quite aware of. I wished that I had the authority to question their unreadable look. My father had done nothing but be a good soldier for this country – so good that he died in its name. But then again, how awkward it must be to see a child of one of their fallen trying to walk in the footsteps of their deceased parents. They probably pitied me.

"We apologize for your loss," the woman spoke up. "Your father was a good man; he was one of the greatest soldiers we'd ever seen in the past generation. I assume you're hoping to be just as good as he was."

"I just want to make him proud." The woman nodded, her stern lips tugging into a sincere smile.

"I'm sure that you will."

"Enough pleasantries," the dark haired man said with a flick of his hand. "Miss Rose, you seem to have a very impressive resume in terms of your combat skills."

"Yes, I've been attending a local gym that trains across many different combat fields for years. I've been teaching my own classes there for the past two," I expanded.

"You also seem to have excelled significantly throughout your school years," the dark haired man said as he glanced up at me from the papers he was staring down at. "Graduating valedictorian in a school as big as yours is very impressive."

"Thank you," I said as slight blush began to run up my cheeks.

"For your audition, we're going to have you do a small mock fight with one of our trained soldiers," the white haired man said. As he spoke, I noticed a young woman with long brown hair and all black attire emerge from the sidelines where a young man was sitting. She was barefoot, lean, and very pretty. She didn't seem like much of a challenge to me. I was pretty sure that Uncle G had written me a letter of recommendation that said I specified in fighting against boys. But then again, this was probably just the normal routine for female applicants. Besides, I wasn't sure of the young man's fighting skills so he probably wouldn't be as easy to take on. The woman stepped onto the mats and put her hands on her hips. "You may begin when you're ready." I nodded to his statement before making my way towards the mat. I kicked off my own shoes to stand across from her on the mat.

She didn't wait for me to take a position before she swung at me. I dodged her punch easily despite being caught off guard. She immediately began to throw more punches at me, all of which I danced around. I caught on that she was a fast hitter and tried to take on her opponent head on. Since I was more patient, I danced around her and snuck in punches when I could. All of my punches hit their target which was usually her face or abdomen. My opponent seemed to get annoyed at my strategy so she resorted to what most of the guys at my gym did. She openly grabbed me around my waist and slammed me down against the ground. I trapped one of her legs between my own before she could even think about swinging her leg over me. I could feel her muscles go into the movement before she realized she was trapped. I immediately grabbed her head into a headlock as I rolled over so I'd be on top of her. I unscrambled my legs from hers so that I could straddle her for a moment before leaning over and putting her into the perfect body scissors. I grabbed her arm as I did so, pulling it towards me so that she had one less arm to push at me with. My hold on her was tight so she tapped out within a matter of moments. I let her go before standing up. I turned to the judges to see that they all had dumbstruck looks on their faces. I'd been moving pretty fast throughout the match so I guessed I could understand their expressions. I also wasn't much in terms of body. I was short, curvy in more of a fit status, and had a small posture. I didn't look like much until I was put into action. I hadn't even registered that at the beginning. Maybe that was why the judges made that unreadable face. My father wasn't a big man but he was very muscular and bigger than I was. They might have been expecting different coming from his offspring.

"Thank you," the woman told me as she struggled to smile. "You'll hear from us within a few weeks regarding our decision."

"Thank you," I told them. As I hurried out of the room, I couldn't help but to hear their soft whispers echoing out behind me.

I jogged all the way home since it was late and the moon was already high in the sky. Plus, I hadn't had the chance to call and check in on my mother all day. She did have work that day but she was fine in social settings. It was when she was alone that her mind got the best of her. My thought proved correct when I walked into the house to the smell of burning food. I immediately sprinted towards the kitchen where my mother was standing over the stove with a blank face. The food in the pan was now a crisp black and there was some smoke arising up from it. "Jesus," I murmured as I turned off the stove. I took the pan off the stove before turning to my mother who hadn't moved an inch. "Mom," I asked as I grabbed her shoulders. "Mom?" I shook her shoulders softly, taking her out of her gaze.

"Amy," she asked. "Sweetie, what are you-" Her brown eyes flicked to the pan on the stove and a look of horror overcame her features. "Oh…oh. Amy, I am so sorry. I was just trying to make us a nice dinner and I…I don't know what happened."

"It's okay, mom," I told her as I gave her a soft hug. "Go lay down. I'll take care of dinner."

"Are you sure? I mean, I can do it."

"It's okay mom. Go lay down." My mother pulled out of the hug with a soft frown. I smiled at her and nodded my head. "I've got it. Just go relax." My mother stared at me for a moment before nodding.

"Alright. I really am sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay, mom. It's fine, really." My soft smile fell as I watched my mom walk slowly into the living room. The thought of her being by herself overwhelmed my conscious, causing a soft ache in my stomach. My mother wasn't capable of taking care of herself. Her mental status didn't allow her to no much how much she believed that she could. She needed me here more than I needed her to be. If I did leave off to college, who would take care of her? Sure it wasn't my obligation to but after all the things she'd done for me…I couldn't abandon her like that. I thought about Scourge's comments about having other options and my heart fell even more. Yes, I could commute to school and be here but I…I had bigger dreams. I wanted to explore the world and experience life on my own. I wanted to worry about myself for once and not take care of everyone else. For once, I just wanted to be independent and live my life the way I wanted to.

I cooked up a new dish for my mother and I to eat before watching the news with her. The report we happened to catch was one about another raid that happened a couple of hours away. The radicals seemed to have tried to blow up some of the government buildings down there in order to declare their loyalty to the country we were fighting a war against. The war had been going on for as long as I could remember; it had been the reason my father had to keep leaving to fight. I was aware of the "traitors" that roamed our streets and fought in secret favor of the country we were trying to protect ourselves from but I hadn't thought about how extreme they were becoming. Before, their protests and small outbreaks weren't violent or deadly - they were just around. But now, it seems as if they're starting to become a deadly threat. That didn't foreshadow well for the fate of our country.

Later that night, I followed through with my normal bedtime routine. I murmured a soft prayer to my father asking for his protection over my mother and I before reading for about an hour. I didn't remember falling asleep but I did remember hearing my mother's soft voice talking to what she assumed was my father about how much I reminded her of him. After that day, the summer seemed to fly by. I had almost forgotten all about my audition to get into our country's military program. In fact, I had committed to the state college who was offering me a full scholarship to go there. My mother, Uncle G, and Scourge had been ecstatic about my decision – Scourge especially. Yet, I couldn't help but hold out some sort of wonder as to if the judges had thought about me at all. I had obviously surprised them but maybe not enough to get into the school. I hadn't mentioned my audition to my mother at all so I figured I wouldn't have to. If she knew I wanted to take up my father's profession, she'd probably flip out. So, if she didn't have to know then I wasn't going to tell her. Sadly, however, the day did come when I did have to fess up about where I really wanted to go with my life.

It was a late summer afternoon when a loud knock sounded on our front door. My mother and I were in the living room folding clothes and watching television with Ace at our feet when we first heard the noise. "I got it," I told her before getting up to answer the door. When I opened it, I almost fainted. Standing at the door was a man dressed in the same all black uniform my father used to wear. The last time I'd stood in front of a man in that uniform was when a stranger was telling me that my father had died. Hopefully this messenger didn't bear bad news as well.

"May I help you," I asked.

"Are you Amy Rose," he asked, his deep voice booming in my ears.

"Yes; may I help you with something?"

"Do you mind if I come in? Is your mother around?"

"Yes to both of those questions." I stepped aside to let the man in. My mother was standing at the doorway of the living room, staring at the man with crinkled eyebrows.

"Amy, what's going on," my mother asked.

"I will explain, Mrs. Rose. I suggest we all sit down first."

"Of course," my mother replied. "May I offer you some iced tea or lemonade," she asked as she led the man into the kitchen.

"No thank you, ma'am." We all sat around our small kitchen table, my mother continuously giving me confused glances. "Miss Rose, I have come to inform you of your acceptance into the Political Defense Academy. Your academic status and your physical abilities stood out to our admissions staff. We'd be more than happy to have you attend our school in the fall. We have very high expectations for you there – especially due to your father's reputation. I'm sure you'll make him very proud there."

"Political Defense Academy," my mother murmured as her face fell into one of horror. Her big brown eyes had lost their joy and her mouth was turned into a deep frown. "For the love of Jesus," she said as she stood up. "When were you going to tell me about this," she yelled down at me.

"Mom, I –"

"She's not going," she snapped at the man. "You already took one part of my family and I refuse to let you take the other. Amy escort our guest out, we need to have a talk. Now." With that, she turned and stomped out of the room. My stomach burst into an abundance of tiny prickles as tears of both happiness and fear filled my eyes. I hadn't thought I'd gotten in; I didn't think they would announce it this way. I was expecting a letter or something, not in the form of a person.

"We are aware of your mother's sickness. We assure you that we will provide a caretaker for her while you are away." I blinked as I tried to collect my thoughts.

"Thank you for the offer, sir, but I'm afraid that I'll need to discuss this with my mother before I make any further decisions." The man nodded as he pulled a card out of his pocket. On the card was a single number with P.D.A. written at the top.

"I understand. Give us a call when you're ready to make a decision."

"I will." I escorted the man out before meeting my mother's wrath. I didn't even have the chance to fully turn away from the door before I heard her voice boom out at me.

"How dare you have the nerve to go try out for that stupid school and not even have the dignity to tell me," she yelled at me. Her face was a ruby color, angry tears falling down from her face. "Do you know what they do up there? Do you know what it means to fight for this country?" She shook her head. "You're not going."

"Yes I am," I said firmly. My mother raised her eyebrows at me.

"Excuse me," she asked.

"I said that I am going."

"Over my dead body, you are! You are going to the state university like we planned!"

"That's not fair," I yelled. My patience that I'd had since the moment I was forced to grow up after my father passed away disappeared in that moment. I was tired of making every decision on her behalf. It was time for me to live my life now and I couldn't let her stop me from doing that. She'd been doing it long enough. "Ever since dad died, I have not been allowed to do anything! All I can do is worry about what you're doing and making sure you're okay! You're the parent, not me! It's time for me to take care of myself – to live my life! I am going to go to that school whether you like it or not!"

"I'm not losing you," my mother yelled. "I am not going to let them take you away. I don't care if I have to die in order for that to happen! I cannot lose you!"

"You won't," I promised.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she said coldly. "Look at how well that worked for your father." Her statement hurt just as much as if she'd slapped me in the face. I always knew that she knew he was dead but her mind hated registering it. Hearing her acknowledge it now after all those years of seeing her repress it made my heart hurt. God, I was all she had but she had to understand that I wanted to live too. I couldn't keep worrying about her all my life.

"Mom, I can't stay here. I need to get on with my life; I have to go make something of myself."

"Then make yourself a nurse or a teacher or even a professional fighter for all I care – anything but a soldier for this god-forsaken country, that's all I ask."

"I'm going to accept the offer, mom. It's my decision, my opportunity, and I'm not letting you get in the way of that." My mother stared at me for a moment before shaking her head.

"You sound just like your father," was all she said before she turned and wandered upstairs into her room. She slammed the door after her which caused me to flinch. I fought back my own tears as I made my way into my own room. I immediately called Scourge to tell him the news. He stayed quiet as I let my tears fall and I yelled about my mother and how she didn't understand and how I just wanted to be able to live my dream. The last thing I told him was that I was taking the offer and that I wasn't letting anyone stop me from doing what I wanted to do. He stayed quiet for a few moments before he finally spoke.

"Damn, Amy, you really are your father's daughter, aren't you," he said solemnly.

"What's that supposed to mean," I snapped back. "You know how I feel about going to this school; you know how much it means to me."

"I know. I also know how much it meant to your father. He didn't let anyone get in his way either." He sighed. "I know how much this means to you and I'm willing to stand by your side throughout the whole process, but just be a little softer on your mom. She's gone through enough already. This is going to be hard on her – it's going to be hard on all of us. So, just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," I said softly.

After I got off the phone with Scourge, I tried to reason with myself about my decision. My dream of becoming a soldier was coming true but was it worth the price of leaving my loved ones behind? I didn't know what was going to come out of my education at the school or what was going to be of my experience as a soldier. But then again maybe that was the thrill of life: the thought of the unknown. If I wanted to live my life then I had to break out of my comfort zone. I had to do what I wanted to do no matter what lay behind it. My father had the courage to do it. Now it was my turn. I dialed in the number on the card on my phone and waited patiently as it rang.

"Amy Rose," the voice of the stranger who had stopped by the house said. "I hadn't thought I'd hear from you so soon."

"Yes well, I'm happy to inform you that I've made my decision."

P.S. Have ya'll seen the Rent movie because that's my whole life right now :P

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