A story dedicated to my friend who loved the idea of a little female hedgehog getting into trouble. This story includes couples KnucklesXRouge and SonicXAmy. Hope you enjoy.

Sonic Tales

Chapter One

'Winning the Race'

I'm running, as fast as my tiny legs can take me. Down a course, I follow the white painted lines on the concrete floor and my heart skips a beat. Everyone else is behind me, way behind me, though I don't want to lose focus by turning my head and looking. That could cost me the race.

I keep my speed steady, pushing my feet to the limit, there barely hitting the ground as I shoot off towards the finish line where everyone is waiting. Smiles on everyone's faces, all of my class members all staring in disbelief. I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win! As I reach closer, I begin to hear their calls; their cheers making me push myself harder. With a smile on my face, I begin to slow down. That's when I panic. It's like my body has no more energy to release. I struggle to get to the white line, when something passes me from the corner of my eye. I stare in horror, as a light brown squirrel charges pass me, with her blonde thick hair waving in the wind. She skips across the white line, and I pounce after her, once just coming behind by a second. I slow down to a stop, panting as I turn back to see the rest of the class mates come past after, with sweat pouring off their foreheads.

Then comes my best friend, I walk up to the finish line and smile as I see her. She's exhausted, and her face is as red as a beetroot. I giggle at this, but she's too tired to even fight back at me. Slapping her hands to her knees, she looks up at me.

"Did…you… win?" she asks, in-between pants. Her legs wobble as she attempts to stand up straight, giving me a hopeful smile. But I shook my head. And she looks away, disappointed. "You know…your dad won't be happy with you, Lia?"

I turn my head, ashamed as I should be. I could have won that race with my eyes shut, but my body keeps warning me off when I push to the highest limit. I growled at myself, rubbing my naked pale arm.

"I know, I know…" I try to keep myself calm, but my heart thuds harder, so hard that it feels like it's going to bounce out from my chest. "I don't know what happened" I take a quick glimpse at the squirrel and my sharp teeth automatically clench together.

She notices my glare, and smirks back at me.

"Better luck next time, Amie" I hear her call out to me, using her sarcastic tone and then gives me an evil wink at the end. I growl again.

"How did Megan beat me? She's a dam squirrel" my voice becomes louder, as I pull myself back round to my friend. "I mean…how?"

"Maybe it would be different, if she knew who you really were" she shrugs her shoulders, and gives me an innocent smile, flickering her bright purple eyes at me.

"Crystal"

"What? You would think I would be quick on my feet, after all I am being trained to be a jewel thief" she slaps her hand on her chest and smiles proudly, only for me to huff back at her.

"Taking your mum's profession then?" I snigger at her playfully and she glares back, not impressed.

"Well there's no way I'm babysitting a rock all my life" she bites back, and I shrug. "Besides, I'm more like my mum anyway"

"Same" I add quickly, making her look at me oddly.

"Lia, your mum would be proud of you…you know that" I sighed at her comment. Of course, she was right. My mother would be proud of me, and in everything that I do. It's just my father I need to impress.

We begin to walk back to our classroom to finish the rest of the school day, which was a bore, and then we head home…very slowly. As me and Crystal walked, our brothers were ahead, playing and joking about how their day had been.

I shake my head with boredom, carrying a rucksack over my shoulder, and watching my best friend drool over my brother. How disgusting. He's like 13 years old and she is 11…it couldn't work out for her, besides I wouldn't want it too. He's the most annoying brother in the world, yet the most popular one throughout the whole school. But I know why that is.

I stare at him. His long royal blue legs attached to his strong body, with his tanned arms and emerald green eyes, ones that could even make angels fall. And let's not forget his 3 big quills sticking out from his head with the two small ones hanging like wings from his back. I growl. He's exactly the same as my dad, you couldn't tell them apart from afar. I turn to his best friend, Crystal's brother Kip, a red echidna with long dreadlocks and purple gleaming eyes like his sister's. It's so strange how Kip is completely red with a white marking on his chest like his own father, yet Crystal is completely white…like her mother. And there both pure echidnas…how confusing.

"Lia…did you win the race that you was bragging about?" my brother calls out, walking backwards to face me. He gives me a grin and I look down instantly. "Didn't think so. You wait till dad finds out" he laughs to himself, and I slow down even more. I don't want to go home, and be the failure of the family…

I look up to the clouds and sigh deeply. I miss my mother; I want her to come back. It's not the same without her. As I continue to follow my brother home, we say goodbye to Kip and Crystal as we make our departure down our separate pathways. Then I think of my mother even more. Her holding my hand as we walk down the park, with ice-cream in our hands. It makes me smile. Then I think of the last time I saw her, and the smile fades away.

It's been five months without her, and even my brother can't cope. He doesn't even speak a word about her, probably because he misses her that much.

I remember me and my brother sitting on the top of the stairs, hearing the loud voices, both my father and mother arguing constantly with each other. A tear falls from my eye and hear as my mother bellows ''It's over, it's over" louder with her own cries in-between. My father calling her name and begging forgiveness…but it doesn't get anywhere. Watching her grab her long brown coat, she slams the door shut, and my father follows, chasing after her. Me and my brother run down the stairs quickly, ignoring the smashed glasses on the floor, the broken picture frames and stare out the window, watching as our mother vanish in the distance, and our father on his knees.

"We're home" I hear my brother call out, bringing me back to reality. We walk down the stoned walkway and to the front garden, which has not been cared for since mother left. I sigh, stepping up to the wooden porch and allowing my brother to open the door. "Losers first" he jokes, but I ignore him, stepping into the cold house. We close the door and drop our bags to the floor next to the coat hanger and step in further. "I'm gonna find dad first" the blue hedgehog jolts forward without time to react, making me chase after him.

"Flash, please don't!" I cry out, but it's too late. He enters the kitchen and proudly congratulates himself for getting their first, while I trot in after, seeing our father sat at the dinner table with a cup of tea in his hand. And sitting in front of him, is a yellow fox who seems pleased to see us.

"Uncle Miles!" Flash calls out, throwing himself for a hug. I notice my father's cool expression as he looks at me. And soon enough he looks away. My ears drop.

"Hey kids" Our uncle Miles greets us with open arms, and I nod back at him, keeping my face straight and dull. "Come here Lia…give us a hug, aint seen you in a while" he opens his arms out and I stroll across, not giving any sign of emotion, I hug him slowly.

Flash jumps to the seat next to our father and begins to tell him about his day at school, and funny enough, he pays attention, sitting their nodding to every word my brother has to say. I pull away from Miles and stare at the kitchen, glancing at the open window.

"Oh and Lia didn't win her race at school" Flash adds to his story, giving me a jokey smile. Now my father has my full attention.

He lifts his gaze to me and his emerald eyes stare deep into mine. His lips move up…and he speaks.

"Why?" he keeps his eyes on me, waiting for an answer but I struggle to answer. But then Miles interrupts.

"You look so much like your mother when you pout like that" he states, causing both me and my father to glare at him. "Sorry" he mutters.

I gulp then look away, avoiding eye contact. Now feeling my father's stare, I fiddle with my fingers, hoping he would leave me be.

"Why didn't you win?" he asks plainly. But I don't answer, my heart racing as fast as it can, which might even be faster than me. I gulp again. Tension rises in the room, and I notice Flash leave the room. "Amelia" my father's voice deepens, and I push my shoe against the ground and try to speak up but my voice has been lost.

"I…urm…struggled" I clench my eyes shut and I hear his disappointed sigh.

"Amelia, if you can't win a silly race, how do I know you will be able to run from danger?" his voice is stern and I feel more embarrassed that Uncle Miles is sat next to him, while he gives his lecture.

"I'm not going to be in danger" I tell him, but he looks at me with a seriously and I gulp harder.

"You don't know that! For all I know you could be taken from me during school?" I sigh at him. Ok he does have a point. "Don't sigh at me Amelia!" so I hint a small growl. "Amelia!"

"Ok…sorry" I grumble back at him. Right now I want to leave and go to my room, where I feel less stress. But my father continues.

"I want you to work harder next time…much harder" his voice softens. "I don't want to lose you Ames" I hint a small smile; he used my mother's nickname…for me.

"Ok Dad" I walk forward and fake a soft smile, watching his mouth press to a straight line. I get closer to him and he grins, leaning forward and grabbing me tight, pulling me into a hug. I giggle at this and laugh as he starts to tickle my sides, making me slide down to the floor. "Dad…stop" I laugh at him, as he puts me on his knee, making me face him.

"Your my special little girl aren't you?" he gives me his trademark wink and I nod back at him. Falling into his fluffy furred chest for a big hug. He kisses my head. "I don't want to lose you Amelia…not now…not ever"