AN: The second chapter of what will be a four chapter story. It is greatly different from the previous one, but enjoy it all the same.

And to think I once saw team Rose as team Mismatch…

Read and, if you like, review.

The fire crackled happily and warmed the small clearing; casting fantastic shadows on their faces and dancing with light - fluidly, serenely. The cool night air was filled with buzzing of small bugs and, more distant, croaking of great frogs.

Amy watched as her youngest companion leaned against one of the soft vines, taking it all in with wide, innocent eyes. She had had doubts about taking the young rabbit along on the journey, but they were now all in the past. The doe had acclimatized herself perfectly to every place and situation they had encountered. And when the time came to rest, the smaller girl always managed to relax and marvel at the beauty surrounding them. Amy was thankful for having cream by her side – she herself never knew when to put her guard down, and too much tension confused her senses.

"Is something the matter, miss Amy?" The rabbit asked turning to her.

As always, she was the last one not sitting, still scanning the area for some unknown danger. It wasn't Eggman nor his robots that worried her – she was just used to living in town. She didn't find the beautiful, starry sky half as comforting as the ceiling in her apartment.

"No, it's nothing." The hedgehog replied with a grateful smile to put her friend at ease. "And I told you Amy would suffice." She remarked, fully expecting to be called "miss Amy" in the close future. It didn't bother her that much either way.

She squeezed herself in between the cat and rabbit. She associated closeness with crowds – noise and lack of air. But now, with the group sharing body heat, it was all so different that she could hardly believe it. And so, surrounded with noise far louder than the cars back home, Amy Rose slept soundly like she hadn't in years.

XXX

Even hours later, she wouldn't be able to recollect what had transpired.

There was a soft hiss – clear as a roar. Her hands shot outwards; one pushed Cream away, the other rose into the air. She had to have opened her eyes by then. With a piercing jingle of her bracelet her hammer appeared in her hand. She swung.

Either understanding her intentions or thanks to mere coincidence, Big lowered his head and evaded the devastating blow. Her hammer went further; and then it met flesh. The serpent's head flattened; a resounding crack followed. Then it hung limply – obviously dead.

There was a second of silence before the mallet fell from her hands, cluttered to the forest floor and disappeared in a poof of smoke. Her weak knees hit the ground soon after and the whispers of the clearing were silenced by her heavy and irregular breathing.

Amy knew how it was to run for miles on end; but after adrenaline left her, she felt more drained than she had ever been before in her life.

She felt cream, not scared not crying, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and cover her exposed back with a huge and warm ear.

And she saw big, not surprised not angry, watching her with worried eyes, trying to confirm she had not been hurt.

But she couldn't say how much time passed as they remained like that.

"This snake good color. Not sick after bitten." Big spoke slowly, like he always did when explaining them something. "Snake bite – hurt little. Grab snake – eat."

Amy burst into giggles and, simultaneously, grabbed the doe next to her for support.

She had panicked – that was all. She thought Big – Big who knew everything about the jungle, had been in danger. In the end, her actions had been more hazardous then all the snakes in the forest put together. And she was giggling, not weeping. Because it was the sweet idiot's fault – who else would hunt snakes by waiting to get bitten?

Big watched the girls embrace each other with a smile on his face. He was happy they were safe – he knew most others were rather fragile.

And the problem of their dinner had solved itself.

XXX

They were waiting for the sun to rise so that they could continue their trek through the forest.

Silence was never uncomfortable in their group, but neither did it usually last long.

"Miss Amy, how do you make your hammer appear so suddenly?" Cream titled her head sideways in a questioning manner.

The young rabbit was curious; always with a query or two at the ready. Even before they had gathered as a team, she had made it a point to visit Amy in Station Square as often as she possibly could. City life baffled her, and she wanted to know as much as possible about modern culture – something far different from what she shared with her mother.

On the other hand, Amy saw the doe as something of a little sister.

She wouldn't deny life could get lonely in her small apartment. Female presence was very much appreciated. Catching Sonic from time to time was one thing, getting him to take part in cooking or shopping would be another.

"That?" She asked with a laugh. She hadn't discussed the subject in ages. "I twist my wrist, have the bracelet jingle just right and Poof! it's there." She gave the rabbit a friendly smile. "It's part of my Gypsy heritage."

"Gypsy heritage? You never mentioned that miss Amy!" Cream cried gleefully, already drown in by the unveiling mystery.

"Well, my mother had been a wandering hedgehog for most of her life. My grandmother too – but I never knew her. Mother stayed with me for seven years – she always repeated seven was the most powerful magical number, before she moved on."

Although more and more families were like Cream's, the old tradition advised to leave children alone as soon as they learn to fend for themselves. That had worked best before the rapid blooming of civilization, with all its blessings and dangers, changed the lives of people everywhere.

"But she didn't leave me without a few tricks." Amy continued. "The hammer is mostly for self defense, but the trick itself works for other objects as well. After all of this is over, I might even teach you how to do it." She grinned.

"You would, miss Amy?" The doe smiled excitedly. She bowed her head in a thankful manner.

"I'm not saying it will be easy." The pink hedgehog interjected, shaking a finger in the air. "It will take a lot of practice, even if you prove as talented as the great Amy Rose." She giggled. "And you never struck me as the weapon type – you're light enough to fly! But I'm sure we'll work something out." She returned Cream's gesture with a nod of her own.

Then she bowed her head and reached into one of her boots, taking something out. Cream leaned forward to see what it was, but Amy covered the thing with her hands, a playful smirk on her face.

"Show me, miss Amy!" The young rabbit urged. "Please?" She added as an afterthought.

She was surprised when Amy revealed what seemed to be slips of paper. They were red, with an intricate golden design lining their edges. Her friend flipped the stack over briefly, as if in presentation. Cream saw that every slip had a different picture on that side – but she didn't recognize any of them.

"Playing cards?"

The hedgehog shook her head lightly.

"These are very special cards, Cream." She shuffled the deck with precise and fluid motions. "They know a lot about what is, was, and might be. Sometimes, they speak to me – imparting their knowledge."

She laid a few of the cards facedown in front of herself.

Cream watched with wide, unblinking eyes. Amy felt relieved that the rabbit trusted her enough not to question her words. After all, the doe herself had the uncanny ability of understanding chao.

"Pick one of them up. You don't have to show me what it is." The pink hedgehog instructed, and her companion immediately complied.

Cream took one of the cards in the middle. She noticed the edges were worn out and the paper felt old. The card had a rather humorous image on it. She looked up at Amy, awaiting further instructions.

The hedgehog just smiled.

"A rat wearing a king's crown too big for him, about to fall in his blind joy – also known as the Fool."

Cream looked from Amy to the card that perfectly matched the description. She blinked, then smiled in amazement.

"How did you know, miss Amy?"

The hedgehog's smile vanished almost instantly. She pursed her lips; her eyebrows formed a small frown; her eyes glossed over.

Overtaken with blame and worry; Cream was about to ask what was wrong.

"I know, because they always show the same thing."

She flipped over the rest of the cards, Cream's eyes following her movements.

"They do answer if I ask a specific question, but if I just lay them down… their words are always the same." Amy's voice was forcedly calm.

"What do they say, miss Amy?" The doe asked softly, not noticing how her friend clenched one of her fists.

"They tell me to follow the one who changed my life." Her voice lost any pretense of calmness. "Follow him no matter how long, no matter how far, no matter how much pain he'll cause me on the way…" She fingered one of the cards – the Lightning-struck Tower, shakily. "Because a day will come when I'll be the only one who can save him." And the soil met her salty tears.

Cream had never seen the older girl in such a state. The pink hedgehog seemed deflated. Her shoulders sank lowly and her arms hung limply. Her head was bowed – her quills obscuring her face and crying eyes. And her whole frame was trembling – shaking with every silent sob.

The doe's heart was torn. She couldn't help but share the pain overwhelming her closest pain. As she felt her own eyes moisten, she wasn't sure if she wanted Amy to speak and relinquish her sadness, or keep silent and save them the suffering.

"But… it's so hard." Amy might have only whispered, but Cream heard all too well.

And when she could no longer hear the sobs, she stated what she felt she had to.

"Mister Sonic."

A sudden change occurred in Amy. The girl picked herself up and grinned, her green eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That's why we have to go and find him! There's no way my love is getting out of my grasp!" Amy punched the air for emphasis.

It was only then, when Cream saw the hedgehog so cheerful and full of life, that she could no longer prevent her own tears from flowing freely. It was painful seeing a friend seemingly happy.

She understood.

XXX

Cream broke the tension between them by going over to wake up the previously sleeping Cheese. The chao wasn't very happy to be disturbed, but it knew the routine and flew over to Big to change the cat for his watch shift.

Amy used that time to reform her smile so that it didn't strain her muscles and wipe the remains of her tears from her face. Big returning to the camp was convenient – the doe probably wouldn't mention their previous exchange as long as he was nearby. Amy felt her usual good mood coming back to her even faster than she had expected it to.

So when the rabbit entered the clearing right after Big, awaiting another period of silence, the pink hedgehog seized her chance to pounce.

"As far as love lives are concerned, we have yet to discuss yours, Cream." She said with utmost glee.

The rabbit jumped visibly. A small blush covered her cheeks – more out of surprise than anything else. She still wasn't used to personal matters being addressed so directly – something that was a norm for Amy.

Big looked up at them with what appeared to be a confused expression, but was in fact his usual one. Not a feline for many words, he preferred to listen to the gals' fast-paced discussions, rather than take part in them.

"Um… What could you possibly mean, miss Amy?" Cream asked nervously, seeing the mad glint in her friend's eyes. Amy herself was not going to let go of her 'prey'.

"You mentioned your 'meeting' with Tails in Grand Metropolis…" The hedgehog urged.

"I thought you did see him miss Amy…"

"Come on Cream!" Amy cut off the doe's uncertain voice with her own, eager one. "He kissed you!"

Cream remained largely unresponsive, not sure what she was expected to say. Amy managed not to slap her forehead, frustration notwithstanding.

"How was he? How did it feel?" She prompted.

It took Cream a few seconds to respond.

"It was nice – a bit funny." She giggled. "I don't recall having been kissed by anyone besides my mother and Cheese before."

Amy gaped in complete astonishment at her too-innocent team member.

"Cream, if he confronts you about it, 'nice' and 'funny' won't do at all." The erratic hedgehog didn't even notice the uncomprehending look she received, so absorbed she was in her chiding. "We'll have to decide between 'hard to get' and 'appreciative'. But we'll get to that later."

Cream turned to Big, but the cat only shook his head in response to the unspoken question. He could follow Amy's logic no better than the rabbit.

"Listen! The sly fox boy has obviously fallen head over heels for you! And he's a nice catch indeed." The hedgehog winked at her still-silent companion. "Now, when the other party shows interest, a women's duty is to catch them and hold tight! Get some ropes and tie them up – that's my advice."

Cream blinked.

"But I like Tails! Wouldn't it be mean to tie him up?" She asked worriedly.

Amy burst out laughing. It didn't take long for Big and Cream to join her. They laughed together – and it felt good.

"You don't have to take everything I say literally!" The pink hedgehog protested, still laughing.

"I'm sorry, miss Amy."

The hedgehog smiled both outwardly and inwardly.

She recognized defeat when she saw one. She was a hedgehog of action and really wanted to help her friend. But her efforts at conversation had showed her that she wouldn't succeed in her goals, regardless of all her determination. But she did get the admission that the rabbit liked Tails, at least. And her cards had never lied to her before.

Things would just go at their own pace, she guessed. She and Cream were simply too different…

"Hey Cream, what's love to you?" She asked, as if on a whim.

The doe, after minutes of nervousness and silence, was glad to find herself on familiar ground.

"Love is happiness. I am happy when I am with those I love. And I want to do anything I can so that they are happy." The rabbit's voice radiated honesty.

And Amy realized that Cream loved many people, if not all of them equally. A pang of joy told her that she was one of them.

"Love is when you aren't lonely." Big's deep voice startled the two girls. "You feel the loved ones near you even if they are far away."

Another could have found the words crude coming from the giant cat's mouth. But Amy believed them all the same. Somehow she knew they all did. That was what united them as a team, nullifying their differences.

"Love is fearlessness." She said with as much conviction and confidence as the others. "A strong belief that nothing bad can happen as long as your loved one is near you. Absolute trust in your ability to face anything and everything on your path."

As the first rays of sunlight broke through the night, Amy felt her heart swell pleasurably. Because they could sit together and discuss such things openly with each other. Because, after all was said and done, they were true comrades.

A chao's cries filled the clearing as a startled Cheese flew into Cream's arms. She listened to his chattering before translating it for the rest of the group.

"Cheese says that a few nasty-looking men entered the jungle and are capturing chao!" The rabbit cried in alarm.

With the eyes of both her teammates concentrated on her, Amy rose from her place.

She saw clearer than ever before that she also had a part to fulfill. As the undeclared leader of the equally unofficial team Rose, she was the strength, and determination, of the group.

"If a bunch of morons think they can hurt chao left and right… they have yet to meet Amy Rose!"

She turned to her companions with a grin on her face and saw them ready and enthusiastic.

"Let's get them!"