Chapter 1:

Sonic's Beginning

Sonic the hedgehog was born to hedgehogs Silver and Amanda. Silver was a loving father, and spent as much time with his daughter as he could because his job took him far from home. Silver was a gray hedgehog with white fur surrounding his neck, tan skin and gold eyes. Amanda was a weaver, and taught Sonic a little of her craft. Amanda was an aqua hedgehog with bright blue eyes and pale skin.

Of course, Sonic didn't stay still very long, but the rambunctious child did learn a little here and there. When Silver came home, he would take Sonic out for ice cream, show her the city or play games with her. He also spoke to Sonic about his trade, which was as a silk merchant, and of course, he brought her many presents. When Sonic was old enough to hold a dagger, Silver began to teach her how to defend herself, giving her lessons on using daggers, as well as hand to hand combat. When Sonic turned 8, they progressed to swords.

Silver sold the silks that Amanda wove, and bought many things with the money he received. Gradually, he began to expand his trade, which sent him farther and farther from home. Amanda continued to weave, and Sonic took up sewing. It was a peaceful pastime she enjoyed, while not running around and causing trouble. Amanda sold her cloths and Sonic's creations at a little stall in the market place. The only problem was, Sonic didn't have any friends and that worried her parents.

Sonic would run and play by herself, jump in puddles and collect cool things. She was an amazingly fast runner, able to cross the kingdom where the family lived in less than a minute. No one else in the family had this talent, and warned Sonic not to talk about it. Amanda and Silver were afraid the king, or someone else would use Sonic for their own gain. Sonic listened, but her heart was saddened because she wasn't able to do as much as she'd like to.

The year Sonic turned ten, a tragedy struck her household. Her mother had been sick for some time, and the doctor's words were bleak. Amanda would never get better. It was only a matter of time before she would die and leave Sonic and her father heartbroken.

Sonic stopped everything. She stopped running, she stopped joking, and she stopped sewing. All she did now was stay by her mother's bedside and tell stories. She wiped her mother's forehead and made sure she was comfortable. She turned her mother so she wouldn't get bed sores, and she cried.

"Don't… Cry… My daughter," Amanda whispered in a hoarse voice. "I'll… Always be with… You. My voice… Will be in the rain… My touch… In the sunshine… Why… Why don't… You sing for me? Your voice soothes me."

Sonic straightened and wiped her eyes, then cleared her throat. Her voice broke every now and then, but her mother's smile encouraged her to continue on. The words were soft, and the notes melodic as her emerald eyes stared into her mother's blue ones.

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, Smiles await you when you rise, sleep pretty mother do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby…"

Amanda's eyes drifted closed and she let out a slow breath. There was no breath following it and Sonic covered her mother with a pretty pink sheet she had woven herself. It wasn't as good as her mother's, but she didn't care. Her father walked in then and sank to the ground, tears trickling down his face. Sonic ignored him as she gently wrapped her mother in the sheet.

"She's gone," he said in a choked voice. "My Amanda's gone. Sonic… I'm sorry you had to see this."

Sonic said nothing to her father. There was nothing to say. She wasn't even angry, just empty. Her father hadn't been there for her, had left and been gone more times than he was at home. Her father didn't know her anymore, not since she was 9 and was unable to continue teaching her.

Sonic left on silent feet, not even jogging, let alone running. She just walked slowly outside and knelt in the garden. She cleared away some dead leaves and branches, then dug a hole with her hands and planted a seed from a weeping willow she had been saving. She patted the earth over the seed, as her tears trickled onto the earth. The dry earth soaked up her tears, and raindrops began to fall on Sonic's back as she knelt there, alone. As she rested there, she thought she heard a faint chiming, but it must have been her imagination.

"Sonic?" called her father. "Come in now. It's not wise to stay out all night in the rain. You'll catch a cold that way."

Sonic stood and trudged back inside. She accepted her father's hug, realizing it felt good, and she was glad to have him at least. For how long, though? As soon as her mother was buried, he would go off again and sell things to keep her fed and the house in good repair. Their one servant, an old fox named Freda, was the family's only aid.

Her mother was laid to rest the next day and all Silver's friends attended it. Sonic stood on her own, receiving comforting pats to the back. They had no idea what she was going through. The day after that her father left, and Sonic was alone with Freda.