Amy groaned, shielding her head under the blanket while her alarm blared. With the side of her fist, she conked the device, ceasing its interruptive chime. Upon rising, she rubbed her eyes, gathering her clothes and heading toward the bathroom.


After a quick shower, Amy bundled herself in a black t-shirt, a pair of navy blue jeans, a pink hoodie that matched her quills, and red converse sneakers. She returned to her room and booted up her computer, knowing Sonic and Tails would be on by now. She checked the time. The date read October 31st, 2001.

"You guys wanna head out for breakfast before we start?" the hedgehog typed.

"I'm game." Sonic replied. Amy always managed to get his attention when she mentioned food. It was a surefire way to gain his favor.

"Me, too," Tails agreed, "We'll be over as soon as we pack our computers."

Something about Tails' words reassured Amy. When he and Sonic were around, she didn't feel so lonely. With temperatures dropping and the sky growing bleaker by the day, it wouldn't be long before seasonal depression fully set in. The best way they'd found to combat it was sticking together, realizing the true test of their friendship rested on their shared opposition to its clutches.

"Come soon," Amy pleaded, "I don't want to be alone - especially today."

"Don't worry," Tails texted, "We'll be there before you know it."

"Thanks, Tails..."

While waiting for her friends, Amy chose a song from her playlist - one she'd been saving for the occasion. It was a bootleg copy that wouldn't be released for another three years...


As promised, Tails and Sonic arrived a little after nine. On their way to pick up breakfast, they made small talk to pass the time.

"I heard Rouge was throwing a party tonight," Sonic mentioned, "Didn't know if you'd be interested in goin'."

Amy shook her head.

"I just wanna stay in and chill out. Social gatherings really aren't my thing."

"As many times as I've heard that, it still shocks me to no end."

"People are more complex than you give them credit for."

"Can't argue with that."

"What are you guys in the mood for," Tails asked, "I've been craving McDonald's lately."

"That does sound kind of good," Sonic admitted, "That work for you, Ames?"

"Yeah," Amy agreed, "It's been a while since we've been there."

"They might have some new stuff. It's worth checking out, anyway."

"Then it's settled," Tails concluded, "To Mickey D's we go!"

The fox marched on like a soldier preparing for battle. The restaurant's delights would fall prey to his mighty taste buds. Sonic joined in to lift Amy's spirits, following close behind his younger brother's stride. Amy smiled, shaking her head in both endearment and embarrassment.

"You guys are such goofballs..."


Over breakfast, Amy handed Sonic a burned copy of Unearth's record The Stings of Conscience. Sonic popped it in his CD player, sharing his earbuds with Tails.

"This is pretty heavy." the fox noted.

"I've got a couple records back at the house. I ripped the files for preservation purposes in case anything happened to my computer."

"Smart."

"I learned from the best."

Tails smiled. It was nice to hear praise for his efforts. Sonic took a bite of his McMuffin.

"This is a good sandwich."

Amy swiped the meal from her companion's side of the table.

"Let me try that."

"Tails, she stole my sandwich!"

Tails shrugged, a look of mischievous joy on his face.

"What can I say, Sonic. I guess you're just-"

"Don't you say it!"

"Too slow."

Sonic responded with a glare of his own.

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"Nope."

"That was one time!"

"Two. Remember?"

"It's like fight club - we don't talk about it."

"Again with the fight club references."

"Stop bringing up Eggman and I'll stop bringing up fight club."

"Fine." the fox pouted.

"You're cute when you're grumpy."

Tails blushed, rolling his eyes to the side.

"I'm not cute..." he uttered.

"You're such a Tsundere, Tails." Amy commented.

"Am not!"

Sonic and Amy laughed, having successfully turned the situation on their companion. The group finished their meal and headed back to Amy's place.


Back at the house, Tails set up his and Sonic's computers, connecting them to the network and setting up a private LAN server. Amy and Sonic placed jack-o'-lanterns around the house, surrounding them with seasonal plants to make them seem more festive. Once they were ready, the group gathered in Amy's room. They started with a few rounds of Quake before moving on to Doom. After a few matches online, Tails shut down the server. The party disconnected from the network completely, opting to focus on the campaign mode. This was where things really kicked off with Amy choosing the music. They started with Thousand Foot Crutch and Linkin Park before moving on to heavier material - namely 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Cast From Eden, Eighteen Visions, Unearth, All That Remains, Dead to Fall, End This Day, and Mortification. Between them, Amy completed the story the fastest.

"Dang, Ames," Sonic commented, "How much did you practice for today!?"

"All month. I got my butt kicked on ultra hard so normal would feel easy by comparison."

"And I thought Tails was dedicated."

"What should we play now?"

"Why don't we pick our own games? We can help each other out if we get stuck."

"Doing it old-school. I like it."

"Heck yeah."

Amy fired up her copy of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Sonic chose a more Halloween-oriented selection - Resident Evil 2. Tails Booted up his ROM for Symphony of the Night. The group continued to play until dusk, jamming their favorite tracks while testing their mettle against their chosen virtual worlds.


Just before dark, the group headed into the kitchen. They popped a bag of popcorn and retrieved their stash of treats. Amy ordered pizza while they decided what to watch.

"I've got The Crow and the director's cut of The Exorcist," Tails revealed, "What do you guys wanna watch?"

"They're both good," Sonic noted, "but The Exorcist wins in eeriness factor."

"Gotcha. We'll watch The Crow after."

"Nothin' beats a double feature."

"You guys wanna crash here tonight," Amy asked, "Figured I could make breakfast in the morning before you left."

"Sounds good to me." Sonic agreed.

"Cool. I'll set up a few pallets after the movies."

"Hope the food gets here quick. I'm starving."

"Same here."


Over dinner, the group watched the extended cut of The Exorcist. Having never seen this version before, Amy's jaw dropped during the spider walk and alternate ending sequences.

"Woah...That was intense..."

"Some of the changes were considered unnecessary," Tails noted, "I just thought it was cool to see extra footage. Most movies back then lost their assets over time, so they'd have to be completely remade at this point."

"We should make our own horror flicks. With our tastes, we could do some neat stuff."

"I've got a camera back home. We can use that to record. Should be easy enough to edit with software."

"Then it's settled," Sonic stated, "We'll get to work over the holidays."


After The Crow, Amy made a pair of pallets in her room for Sonic and Tails to sleep on. The carpet was comfortable enough for them to rest undisturbed.

"Thanks for spending the night guys. It means a lot."

"Anytime," Sonic assured, "You know we're always around if you need us."

"I probably would've gone crazy without you here. You've probably noticed by now I'm pretty reclusive on my own."

"Everybody needs space sometimes."

"I'm just glad you guys are here."

"It's like having another home with the added bonus of people who care about you."

"Exactly."

"What's for breakfast tomorrow?" Tails questioned curiously.

"I was thinkin' pancakes; maybe some sausage and orange juice to go with it."

"Lookin' forward to it."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Amy splayed out under her comforter. Sonic and Tails hopped in their sleeping bags.

"I know it's a little late," the pink hedgehog acknowledged, "but can we watch a few more movies before you guys leave tomorrow?"

"What'd you have in mind?" Sonic inquired.

"I was thinking Ghost Ship and Blair Witch 2. They were my first exposures to rock and metal."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Thanks."

"Don't be afraid to call us up if you need someone to talk to. We know how hard it can be being alone all the time. Like it or not, you're one of us now."

"I love you guys..."

"We love you too, Ames..."

"Goodnight..."

"Yeah...Night..."

Amy shut off the light. She closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the blissful emptiness of sleep...