Welcome back to this trainwreck! I did not like the way this story [Heart Song] originally went so I have spent the past year or so rewriting it! I really hope people like this version better, I know I do! I did recycle what I liked from the original posting but a majority of it is original! I MUST repeat that a majority of this is based on headcanons I had had after Sonic Forces.

Anyways, enjoy!

A dark, menacing figure sat in his surprisingly spacious cell, heavily shackled, muzzled, and seething. He looked around his cell for the umpteenth time today. The walls were pristine white with white tile floors to match. All the Mobian's nose could smell was the bleach used to clean the cell and the recycled oxygen being pumped continuously throughout the facility's ventilation system. The only light available came from the blinding artificial overhead lights, the whiteness of the room making it seem much brighter. Being a desert-dweller, the canine thought that he would have been used to such an overbearing gleam. With a sigh, he concluded that he must be somewhere deep underground. The only thing keeping him from the outside world was a thick, large pane of glass that opened into a just as large interrogation room.

The canine studied the two GUN officers sitting at the table signing papers who stole glances at the jackal every now and again, eyes filled with apprehension and fear. The jackal smiled a savage, toothy grin, mask no longer hiding his mangled face; while he was still muzzled, it did not do much to hide his bared teeth. His single functioning eye radiated such wickedness, his squad-mates would have been almost proud of him. He relished in the pair's simultaneously widened eyes and hurried signing of the papers. They were right to fear him. Even without the Phantom Ruby, he was still more than a match for a hundred humans. Fear, he mulled.

Fear seemed to be the only thing to make him smile these days. The jackal sat down on his board of a bed, calling to mind all that had transpired over the past week and a half.

GUN had found the canine half-dead near the Doctor's Empire Fortress shortly after the final battle the resistance fought with Eggman, the Phantom Ruby destroyed in the process, leaving his chest to be severely scarred; a deep chasm was left where the Ruby was once embedded in his chest. He stood trial, albeit a short one, on whether he was to be executed or be imprisoned for the rest of his life. The jackal had been amazed to find out that only one vote had kept him alive. Despite how desolate and barren he had left the planet, the government continued to be merciful. Part of him believed that he should have been killed, but of course, nothing could ever go the way he wanted.

He scoffed at the thought, continuing to watch the officers on the other side of the glass. By the looks of things, the two had finished signing the paperwork that would be sending the canine on a new adventure, one that he had never deemed possible. All the information he could collect thus far was that a friend of Sonic the Hedgehog defended the canine in some way during his trial, somehow persuading the GUN Commander to allow the jackal to be… released. Redeemed, they had worded it. Amelia Rose was the name of the foolish individual. The name sounded much like a fat, old woman's name, the canine mulled to himself. Nonetheless, this woman was nothing short of an idiot, the Commander as well.

Maybe both since the canine knew from visits from Tower that he only agreed to let the girl do this is because Tower himself did not want to get his hands dirty with all of this. One of the most dangerous criminal masterminds ever-before seen on this miserable planet and they were going to set him free.

Speak of the devil, he shall appear. A quick beep chimed from the overly secured door leading into the interrogation room and the two soldiers scrambling to get in salute, Commander Abraham Tower strolled into the interrogation room. The man was as stark as Infinite first remembered him being when he first met the human. Tower was sharply dressed in an all-navy blue suit with a soirée of different medallions and pins adorning his military sash, certainly a sight to behold. Infinite could see straight through the facade; the Commander was only trying to show off and intimidate the jackal. Infinite also saw that accompanying the Commander was an atrociously pink hedgehog wearing an equally appalling red dress.

The hedgehog looked to be very young at first glance. Her entire outfit complimented her as horrendous as it was to him. Her body language spoke that underneath this sweet veneer she emitted, she meant business. Something was telling Infinite that he was going to regret this entire ordeal. The jackal did not realize that he was staring until he noticed that the young girl was waving at him with the gentlest smile on her face. Disgusted, the jackal bared his fangs at her, earning him a most lovely expression of terror; he loved it. The Commander saw this exchange and took it as his cue to speak to the canine. Tower effortlessly flipped a switch located somewhere underneath the interrogation table and just like that, the Commander's gruff voice filled Infinite's cell.

"Pleasure to see you making nice with the hedgehog responsible for saving your pathetic lot," the human said, as blunt and sarcastic as always. The only reaction Tower received from the jackal was a childish eye roll from his left eye, as the canine's right had been stripped of its sight by one of Tower's top agents; not that the jackal could really talk while muzzled anyways.

"You should be thanking miss Amelia here, cretin," the Commander continued. "Because you will be spending a fair amount of time in her care when you two ship off to Adabat tomorrow morning."

Adabat? Please let this be a joke. The man has got to be joking, there is absolutely no way that he would even consider letting Infinite go; trial or no trial. Hell, just two weeks ago he was aiding the Doctor in destroying the planet. Now he was going to be exiled to a very popular vacationing spot for tourists and locals alike.

"Not very chatty today, are we jackal? No matter, you'll have plenty of time to find your voice."

Earning yet another eye roll from Infinite, the Commander turned off the voice feed and Infinite was shrouded in deafening silence once more. The jackal found himself looking at the hedgehog once more, studying her.

So… this young girl was Amelia, the girl solely responsible for saving his life. Infinite could almost laugh at the thought. She was nothing like he was expecting, the girl looked so fragile and weak. She looked as if he could break her in half with very little effort, he didn't even need the Ruby. The jackal considered to himself that he could easily overpower this child and kill her, making his escape shortly after. He would make it quick, painless, and without much mess. He could probably leave her body out at sea so the ocean life could finish her off.

He was staring again, noticing only after Amelia gave him another soft wave. Infinite's eyes quickly darted back down to the tiled floor; shaking his head and sighing. These people were allowing this foolish girl to send herself into the lion's den, they were just letting her dig her own grave. Infinite smiled maliciously, thinking just how easy this whole ride was going to be as she waved at him once more, the canine's eye following the girl as she walked out of the interrogation room.

"Ames," a blue hedgehog sighed, exasperated by what his friend had just told him. "You can't actually be serious. Please, tell me you're joking."

Amy forced herself to stay silent and continued to pack a small bag of her belongings, such as a couple of changes of clothes and other items. Sonic had come when she called, accompanied by Tails, to see what the "big news" was that she had been teasing them about; she wanted to tell them in person. She wanted to see them for what may be the last time.

The blue hedgehog stared at his friend, completely and utterly in disbelief the longer she ignored him. This didn't go unnoticed by Amy, she had expected a different reaction from her two closest friends.

"You're gonna get yourself killed Ames," Sonic tried to "reason" with her again. "You're too… young to do this. He doesn't deserve to be saved after what he did." With that, Amy felt something inside her chest snap and let loose a raging fire. She turned on her heels and stood nose-to-nose with Sonic.

"That's rich coming from the honorable Hero of Mobius! Everyone is worth saving! EVERY. SINGLE. LIFE." She felt her cheeks flush red, anger completely piloting her choice of words.

"Hey, don't ye-!" Sonic found himself interrupted.

"So, you're gonna tell me that Shadow wasn't worth saving? I changed his mind about destroying the planet, Sonic! Made him realize that he was wrong! And you're gonna tell me I'm wrong when I made you change your mind about destroying Gamma?!" Sonic was at a loss for words, he just stared at Amy. Fresh, hot tears were streaming down her face and it made something deep inside him ache.

"Amy…" He started after a few moments. "You're only fourteen- "

"And that makes a difference? I orchestrated a rebellion! I made battle plans, recruited soldiers, and helped Knuckles command the Resistance while you were held captive by Egghead for six months! Hell, I even fought on the battlefield myself! I am anything but a child!" With that, Tails finally spoke up.

"Amy, he doesn't think you're childish. He just… We don't… Want you to bite off more than you can handle…"

The pink hedgehog mulled over that briefly before piping up again, the two boys eagerly awaiting what she had to say.

"I know you two are looking after me and all, but I have to do this. I don't know why but I do. Something is telling me this is the right thing to do..." She did not wait for them to retort, scooping up her bag and headed towards the door. With a shift behind her, Amy felt a gentle hand grasp her shoulder. Tails.

"Amy… Could you… just think it through a little more? Are you sure you want to do this?" Tails' voice was laced with intense concern for her wellbeing, he always had been mature even considering how young he was. Even after all these years, Tails was still the more responsible of the evil-stopping duo that was Sonic and Tails, despite his young age. Amy gave a soft sigh and shrugged the fox's hand off her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Tails. I've already decided. Goodbye, guys…" Finally feeling as though she got her point across and permanently shattering her own heart, Amy left and headed to the last of her friends to give her farewell: Cream.

The hedgehog could smell desserts galore even before the quaint hut was in sight. Everything about the house screamed that the residents inside were just as bright and lovely as the array of colors adorning their lawn. The yard was overflowing with various plant life and lawn ornaments, Amy narrowly avoided colliding with a lone pot of begonias while she was lost in thought. Stepping onto the porch and going toward the entrance, Amy gently knocked on the door. A gasp followed the thump with a quick pitter-patter of footsteps racing to the door, a young rabbit's delightfully smiling face greeted Amy along with her pet chao, Cheese. The sight of Amy's sister-figure made the hedgehog beam, almost making her forget why she had come in the first place.

"Hey, Cream!" Amy exclaimed as she hugged the younger girl. "Is Vanilla home…?"

The rabbit nodded and led Amy to the kitchen, a much older rabbit was pulling what appeared to be a red velvet cake out of the oven. Noticing that she had company, Vanilla put her cake on a cooling rack and took off her oven mitts, smiling warmly at Amy.

"Hello, dear Rose," Vanilla spoke, her soft voice making Amy feel so safe and secure. Vanilla was not her mother, but the older rabbit had always claimed Amy as her own child. "What brings you here? I was not expecting you until later."

The pink hedgehog perked up as she realized that Vanilla was addressing her. She had a feeling that Vanilla did know why she was here, but she started explaining anyways, immediately being interrupted by the older rabbit.

"Cream dear, would you go outside and pick mommy a nice bouquet for our tea party?" With an excited (but polite) yes, the little bunny ran outside leaving the two older individuals alone. Vanilla walked over to Amy and took the girl's hand, leading her to the living area, they both sat on the love seat. After a pregnant silence, the mother rabbit spoke.

"Tails called me not long ago." Amy felt her heart sink and faint anger rising in her chest, she wanted to be the one that told Vanilla what she was doing. How dare Tails even think about doing that! Amy opened her mouth to speak but Vanilla shushed her.

"He did not tell me everything, I see that look on your face. However, he did tell me enough. Rose, as your mother, I am very concerned and worried over what you are now getting yourself into." The rabbit held up a stern finger seeing as Amy was attempting to speak again. "And I wanted to tell you that I am not angry with you, not in a million years."

The urchin found herself stunned, not expecting that at all. Amy wanted her mother to argue with her, to tell her not to do this. Despite how much Amy seemed to be so set on her decision, she was terrified. She did not know what Infinite was truly capable of, but she truly did feel as though this was something she needed to do, that it was destiny.

"I have watched you grow for many years, as far as anyone is concerned, you are my daughter. You have been an outstanding sister to Cream, you have fought against evil on several occasions. You have always held your head high and fought for what was right. You are not easily deterred and are so strong-willed, so full of fire. I am very proud of you, my dearest Rose. This mission you are taking on… I completely support you. I know it is terrifying going into the unknown, but I know that you will do great, my child."

Amy did not realize she was crying until she felt the tears running down her neck. Vanilla placed a gentle hand on the hedgehog's cheek and wiped her tears away, pulling the girl into a tight hug, muffled sobs erupting from Amy. Even when you're fourteen, there is no shame in receiving a hug from your mother while you cry. An opening of the door made Amy quickly break free from Vanilla's hold.

Cream ushered in with her assortment of daisies, baby's-breath, and chrysanthemums, a smile plastered on her muzzle, her pet chao close behind. She stopped her parade as soon as she noticed Amy's reddened, tear-stained cheeks.

"Amy….?" The eight-year-old asked with a small squeak, she was about to cry as well. The urchin quickly stood up and smiled, assuring Cream that she was alright. With that, Amy and Cream followed Vanilla into the dining room where there was an assortment of tea cakes and pastries placed throughout the set. For the first time that day, Amy allowed herself to forget everything she was facing. She just wanted to spend a nice, normal evening with her family before she had to ship off to Adabat for who knows how long.

Amy's afternoon was majorly spent playing in Cream's room, followed by a movie marathon. After dinner, the sisters built an expansive pillow fort in the living area, a thick layer of blankets underneath the fluffy fortress, a small lantern illuminating the book that Cream had chosen from her library. Following a thrilling couple chapters of Charlotte's Web, Cream was fast asleep in the crook of Amy's arm, Cheese as well. The hedgehog took a moment to reflect on the day's events, quickly reminding herself that she was not supposed to worry about that until tomorrow.

Blowing out the lantern, the living area was shrouded in darkness. Amy closed her eyes and the harmony of wildlife outside lulled her into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.