1Disclaimer: All of the Sonicverse characters and places inserted into this story are owned by SEGA, and used without permission. All other characters and places mentioned belong to me.

Sonic- 21 years

Amy (Paloma)- 19 years

Tails- 16 years

Knuckles- 23 years

Shadow- 22 years

Cream- 12 years

Rouge- 25 years

Chapter 8: Found and Lost

Her name used to be Latin for beloved, good-natured, brave, gracious, and it also meant loved by everyone. It was true that she lived up to what her name had meant, except for one. She wasn't loved by everyone. Someone hated her so much that he would go as far as hurting her and wishing for her to have never existed. Her new name was Spanish for dove, a bird used as a symbol for peace. Her outer appearance had changed greatly. She was no longer her natural pink color, but that of a soft lavender. It was a color of femininity, and it was a grown-up pink. Her quills were longer now and tied back in a pony tail, but her bangs were still the same. The green eyes she had that were an exact female opposite of his were now blue thanks to the magic of contact lenses.

Amy could not stand to look at herself in the mirror any longer with the way she once was. Whenever she did, she would hear his voice in her head tormenting and taunting her to the point of emotional distress. She would constantly get sick and the doctors she went to didn't know why she was sick. They all thought she was faking it, just someone who wanted attention and sympathy.

It was winter now, and the town which was once lively in the summer season had now died down. The snow started to fall during the early morning hours. Amy did not sleep at all in two days. She was deeply troubled and very lonely. There was nothing for her here in this town. Then again there was nothing for her back at Station Square either. No one wanted to be her friend or even go out with her. Her fellow female co-workers would call her ugly and talk about her behind her back.

They would spread vicious rumors about her, only because she did her job better then anyone there. They would say that she was a slut, a trollop, and a whore. There were a few guys over the summer season who had actually believed the rumors. Many had asked for the classic one night stands, that she had always turned them down on, and one tried to rape her. He wouldn't take "no" for an answer. When she was throwing out the trash late one Saturday night, she didn't even know that she was being watched or that someone was waiting for her. He was hiding behind an outdoor stairwell for her. He was obviously drunk, but that didn't seem to impair his judgment. He grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth. Then he dragged her towards the beach. Every now and then he pulled on her long quills just to make her behave, and tell her that no one would ever find her or come to her rescue. In her heart Amy knew that this was true. She went numb after what he said. In all the time she had spent there, she had a little thread of hope that Sonic would come find her and bring her back to Station Square, but that was just some childish fantasy that she would soon have to grow out of. Her would be rapist threw her to warm sandy ground, forcefully kissing her while ripping her uniform. If it wasn't for the fact that Marine Patrol was out combing the beach for teenagers drinking illegally, Amy's rapist would have taken away her virginity.

Amy let out a sigh of depression as she tried to forget about that summer night. No one from her job knew that she was gone, and none of them showed any concern for her when she came back the next day. Some even said that she deserved it, because they had believed in the rumors. She felt like dirt, and didn't know how to cope with how she felt. At times she thought of what her rapist had said to her about no one coming to find her, and hear the words that Sonic had said to her. Sonic was sure getting his wish, even if he wasn't here to witness or hear about it.

It had been three years and in that time, she never developed a social life. How could she when her co-workers made her feel like worthless scum. Her nights were lonesome and filled with nothing but reading as her only means of escape. She would read books of romantic tragedy and some full of sci-fi adventure. She remembered reading a book that was translated from Japanese. Its first chapter told of a romance between an emperor and woman from his court that he loved so very much that the emperor's wife and his consorts were deeply jealous of her. They did everything to hurt her, and the emperor stood by did nothing to stop it. Then one day the woman became sick from all the hatred and pain the women had for her that eventually she died from it. It is believed in the East and in some countries that a person's hatred or jealously can bring pain and suffering to the person it is aimed towards. Even if it would bring them to the brink of death in which they would finally be free.

Many times she had though of going back to Station Square. If she had still lived in Station Square then she would still be with her friends. But where were her friends when she was hurt? No one came to see her after the incident. No one comforted her and told her it was going to be okay. Were they really her friends, or did they just pretend to be because they knew she was a crybaby and a wimp from what they knew of her, or was this another part of Sonic's wish.

Amy got up from her bed and almost collapsed onto the soft white throw rug that laid by her bed. She braced herself against the nightstand, so that she could regain some of her strength. Her body was so weak now, that to her she felt like she was dying inside. Sometimes she wondered if anyone would care if she died. Would anyone be present at her own funeral, just to say "good bye" to her.

It was a week before Christmas and she thought it best to spend it somewhere else, maybe some place that was warm and sunny. Maybe she should go and spend it in Station Square. No one would ever recognize her in her state of being. They probably don't even remember her after three years, or even one day. Even if she would see Sonic back in Station Square again, she would be safe from any ice-filled words he would say to her. Even if she didn't love him anymore, his words would still hurt her.

Amy took a deep breath before heading towards the bedroom closet where her suitcase was kept. She opened the door and pulled out an old green second hand suitcase that she had purchased in a thrift store on one of her trips to Sag Harbor. It was a simple suitcase with wheels. She didn't have the strength to carry her duffle bag or even the suitcase by hand in her condition. She rolled the suitcase from the closet and then pulled it onto the bed. She coughed a bit before opening the suitcase. Her coughing caused her to sit down on the bed for a bit, before she could start packing.

When her strength returned again she slowly got up and made her way towards her dresser and pulled out any type of clothing that she might need back in Station Square. She didn't know that the weather back in Station Square had changed, to her she could remember it being nothing but warm during this time of the year. She had no idea that the weather had changed to a cold one.

As she finished packing, she looked herself over and noticed that she was still in her winter nightgown. She went towards her dresser again and pulled out some warm clothing. It was cold outside and she didn't want a bout of pneumonia to deal with. She then took her coat from the closet and put it on, another second hand item she bought. It certainly was warm and comfortable. She then made her way towards her bed and pulled her suitcase from the bed and rolled towards the door. Amy turned around and the room one last look. She knew that she'd be back, she just hope she would be well when she did.