Hello my Faithful Readers!

Hope you guys aren't too mad that chapter 13 isn't quite ready for reading, but here is the first of many shorts I will be writing that have to do with Let's Go Home.

This one is set 3 years before in Amy and Sonic's hometown.

Again, if there is something you guys want to see, either review with the request or PM me. If I get 2 or more requests I will make it into a short, and dedicate it to the Readers who suggested it!

This is meant to be fun and cute so I hope you guys enjoy it!

Happy Reading!

Sonic and crew are SEGA.

Short 1: Knuckles' Letter

Amy Rose sat in her little cottage, staring out to the mirror-like surface of the lake outside. It was autumn, and the harvest moon was out that night, causing the reflection on the water to look as if a huge gold coin had been dropped into its depths. The stars shone down like glitter on the black surface.

She would have thought it was beautiful if not for the fact that she was in turmoil. In front of her, on the wooden table she sat at, laid a piece of paper that could change her life - was changing her life. She tried to ignore it's presence, but the black inked words were scrolling through her mind, driving her insane.

Why did something like this have to come now? She was content how she was, but if that were true, then why was it affecting her so much in the first place? It was a letter, and she replayed the moment she had read it.

Yo, Amy!

I haven't heard from you in a while, and I guess you haven't heard from me than either, hahaha. Anyway, it's Knuckles!

Amy had chuckled at this part. She could recognize that horrible handwriting anywhere. It was worse than some of the chicken scratch that her professors wrote in. She smiled as she glanced at the paper, but the smile was short lived.

As you're probably aware, I've been spending a lot of time trying to heal the Master Emerald. Finally two months ago it was completely mended!

However, when the island went back into the sky, it moved. In fact we flew for days, until it finally rested above a jungle somewhere Southeast of Knothole.

That was odd, but Amy found it interesting. What about the ancient gem had made it want to move location? As a student of archaeology, she was fascinated by anything that had to do with dead societies or cultures.

She was 17 years old now, and had one year of schooling left, before she would graduate with her degree. She picked the letter up again, and flipped it over to continue reading.

Well, I was quite shocked at first, and didn't leave the island for a week, wanting to make sure the Master Emerald was safe. But everything seemed fine, so I went down to ground level to explore.

Amy this place is amazing! There are so many village's and different people and cultures, I've actually been quite entertained. I mean before it was boring to watch the Emerald, but now there's a lot to do, just under the island!

Anyway, back to the point of this letter. The last time I saw you, you were going on and on about school, and asking a bazillion questions about my tribe. So I thought you might want to consider moving out here.

Amy almost choked on her tea that she had been sipping while reading. Move? Away from Knothole? Away from her friends? Away from Sonic?

I know what you're probably thinking right now. What about my friends, what about Sonic? But think Amy. Do you want to always be tethered down by that burden? Don't you want explore the world and find a place for yourself?

You're like my sister, Amy, and it sucks to see you running in circles over there. That's not you, not the real you anyway.

Come here, they have brand new huts at the beach, and there are sooooo many ruins and old societies here. It's like a treasure trove for someone like you! No joke.

These societies are so advanced I'm surprised they ever went extinct. Skye Arc tribe is just one of the many. Look it up, and you'll see. You won't regret it. Please think about it, okay?

Hope to see you soon sis!

Knuckles

Amy glanced at the letter for what must have been the thousandth time. Her right hand was tapping the table in a frantic crazy rhythm, and her left hand was gripping her mug tightly.

She knew that tribe. Skye Arc. It was one of the tribes they were studying in class, and she was finding them very intriguing. If what Knuckles was saying was true, then he was right in the middle of amazing archaeological finds, and potentially new dig sites to be found. She could make discoveries to jump start her in her career.

I can't move, I have school.

Weak. She could finish her last year online. Plus she would actually be immersed in all of the culture and actual ruins. That was much better than reading about it in a book, stuck in a stuffy classroom, with a depressing professor.

Her heart started beating faster in excitement. This could actually turn out for the best, she could study any culture she wanted; she could actually go touch what they'd touched, walk where they'd walked, and see what they'd seen. It was every archaeologist's dream!

She started subconsciously planning, when should she go? As soon as possible? Or should she wait? Should she sell her cottage? She'd have to contact Knuckles, maybe even stay with him for a while before finding a hut for herself. She could even-

Sonic.

Suddenly her body froze, her mind went blank. Sonic. He was here. He wasn't there. Her mind became full of him, his blue quills, his bright emerald eyes. His laugh, his hunger for adventure. She could see his smirk, and the way his muzzle would purr out her nickname,

"Ames."

Could she really leave, and possibly not live next to the blue hero anymore? He wouldn't move to the jungle just to be with her, he'd stay here, and she wouldn't be able to see him much, if at all. Could she really leave him?

Pounding on her front door snapped her out of those scary thoughts. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was 10pm; who could that be in this hour? She heard the sound again, and she snapped her hammer into existence. No way was she answering the door without some preparation, it could be Eggman for all she knew.

She made her way out of the dining room, through the living room and to her front door. Taking a deep calming breath she stood in front of her door for a second, planning ways to take down an enemy in close quarters. There was more pounding on the door, and finally she pulled it open, just a smedge, to peek outside.

"Ames, it's just me."

Her heart went in overdrive and she threw the door wide open, trying to resist an urge to hug the male before her.

"Sonic!" She mewled happily, smiling from corner to corner.

The azure hero grinned back, his emerald eyes twinkling. He leaned on her door frame, the movement causing a whiff of his scent to hit her nostrils. He always seemed to smell a bit of oranges, and she choked down another urge to sniff him more deeply. Instead she stepped aside and invited him in.

"It's kind of chilly out there, I have a fire going and some warm water if you'd like some tea."

Sonic stepped past her and crashed on her sofa, letting out a contented breath. He felt his muscles start to soften, and his quills tickled, as they completely unbristled. He always felt relaxed in Amy's home - when she wasn't acting crazy that is.

"Sure, Ames."

"Lemon grass, right?" She bubbled happily. Sonic's emerald eyes became amused and he smirked.

"Sometimes it scares me how well you know me." He teased.

She giggled and forced herself to walk at a normal pace to the kitchen. She wanted to dash around, doing anything and everything, that her hero wanted. But she remembered some advice she'd received from Rouge: a guy doesn't like being mothered, unless you're already dating him. And even then, sometimes they'd find it extremely obnoxious.

Her hands shook slightly with excitement as she prepared the tea, it had to be perfect. She was on cloud 9, Sonic hardly ever visited her in her own home, and the thought that he was just in the other room, waiting for her to come back, made her little heart go crazy.

She started humming to herself, and created a tray full of some snacks, and two cups of lemon grass tea. As she made her way happily into the living room, a flash of white caught her eye. It just took that one glance for her whole facade to come crashing down around her. The letter. The promise of a life changing experience... the possible life without the hero in the other room.

That's right, if I leave, he might not want to come that far to see me…

She shook her head- she shouldn't become concerned with this right now, Sonic was here, and that's all that really mattered. She should ignore the pull that letter had on her, the excitement and fulfilment it presented. All she need was Sonic, and she was fine with that. Wasn't she?

"Here you go!" She said merrily, placing the tray of goods on the coffee table.

Sonic had his feet propped up on the wooden table, but removed them when she placed her burden on it. Amy took a seat on a chair that was placed next to the couch, but angled towards the table.

"Thanks, Ames. It smells great."

He grabbed the mug he knew was his, it was the color blue after all, and leaned back on the couch. He took a large whiff of the steaming liquid, before blowing and taking a tentative sip. Amy watched as a contented smile formed on her hero's face, and she contained delighted giggles at his pleasure.

"How is it?" She prompted, wanting to hear his satisfaction from his muzzle.

His eyes had been closed, but one emerald iris peeked out from under a heavy lid.

"Fantastic, as always, Amy."

This time the pink female allowed a happy smile to graze her lips, as she picked up her own pink mug.

"Did you see the moon tonight?" She asked, trying to engage him.

Sonic smirked, and sat a bit straighter.

"Yeah, I did. It looks like it had too much dessert."

Amy laughed a bit at his light joke, causing his already large smirk, to widen.

"That may be true, but it is quite beautiful." She stated, her voice soft and dream like.

Sonic stared at her while she looked out the window in a daydream. Her fur looked paler in the dim light of her house, but the fire's light flickered around her fur, causing small patches to gleam as if they were golden. Her jade eyes reflected the snapping dance of the flames, and the smile touching her lips looked peaceful and warm.

He took a mental picture of her image, so that he would be able to conjure it in the future.

"It's not the only thing that's beautiful tonight."

He had said it so quietly, that even he thought he'd imagined it, but she turned her head, slight confusion on her face.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

Sonic shook his head, and gave her a grin.

"No. Must've been the wind."

She narrowed her eyes, not completely falling for his fib, but choosing not to refute it.

"Yes well, the wind does have a knack of sounding just like a voice."She teased lightly.

It was too dim for her to see, but Sonic's muzzle heated and turned pink at her jab. He coughed, and took another sip from the warm mug in his hand. He would miss this.

Amy took a deep breath, she decided she would mention the letter to him, and see what he had to say. That way it would help her come to a decision on the matter.

"Sonic… Knuckles sent me a letter, he said that the island moved, and-"

"Ames… do you remember that night when I returned from Earth?"

Sonic had been too nervous and worried about what he had to tell her, that he hadn't noticed she was saying anything. He kept his voice neutral, and even, not wanting to rile her up. She wanted to be mad at the interruption, but at the mention of her favorite day of all time, the issue of Knuckles completely flew from her mind. And living up to his expectations, he saw her eyes light up, and her muzzle tremble as she tried to contain a scream of happiness. But she took a deep breath and then smiled, leaning towards him.

"Of course I do! That was the night you gave me a flower for the first time!"

Sonic cleared his throat, the way she was looking at him made his heart feel uncomfortable. He knew that she was expecting him to say something sweet, and he cursed himself for having brought up the memory.

"Um, yes, well… do you remember my promise?"

If possible, the little hedgehog got even more excited than before, and she bounced a little in her seat.

"Of course!" Her eyes filled with undying love, "You said that you'd-"

"Never leave you alone, again." He hurriedly finished for her, it would be too embarrassing for him to hear it from her admiring mouth. He felt a dark swell in his stomach, and he started bouncing his leg uncontrollably, as his legs itched to run away from his responsibility. He could see and actually feel the excitement that Amy was exhibiting.

Amy felt her whole body become warm with delight, it flooded her being and she held her breath as she nodded for the hero to continue. Sonic had to admit that her expectant expression was adorable, but he knew it would be short lived, and that knowledge kept a smile from his lips. When Sonic remained silent, and leaned forward, and looked at him expectantly.

OmiChaos! Is he going to confess?

No. Keep it together, Amy, this is Sonic.

But it seems like it! He's bringing up one of the most romantic things he's done for you!

Sonic could actually see her thoughts displayed in her face. He shuddered at the emotion bleeding through her face, and thanked Chaos that she hadn't come over to him and attached herself to his body.

"Um, yeah. So in honor of that I came here today…"

Say it! SAY IT!

Amy's heart was on top speed, as she eagerly awaited what she believed to be her hero's confession. And it was, of a sorts.

"I'll be gone for about two months, starting tomorrow."

All joy, all emotion, melted off Amy's face. Her muzzle slackened, and her eyes turned empty, as she averted them from his nervous gaze.

He's leaving… again.

"Sorry, it's just... I wanted to check out other areas of the planet for Chaos Emeralds, and I wanted to let you know instead of just disappearing. I wouldn't be keeping my promise if I did that."

Amy nodded, her mind on autopilot.

Don't feel anything. Don't look at him. Don't give into the sadness.

Sonic studied her, she hadn't changed her expression, or moved an inch, and he uncomfortably realized, that he'd hurt her. Hurt her deeply.

Situations like this, where confusing and difficult for the azure male to follow. He liked Amy, he never hated her, he just never felt like she does. As a result, he didn't understand all of her fluid and changing attitudes and reactions. Things that had to do with the heart or soul, didn't flow as easily as running did.

Running was his being, his entirety, he was always looking forward, and racing as fast as he could to the next adventure. As a result, these situations where things moved at a normal pace, where feelings, besides freedom reigned, made his body itch for that next horizon. He craved the comfort of speed. His legs started to tremble from being in one place for too long, his heart beating fast and hysterically, and not the steady rhythm of the run. He needed to go. Escape. He stood, and looked down at her form. She flinched at his movement.

He's leaving…

Sonic gulped down the rest of the tea, gasping as it slightly burned his tongue and throat.

I hope that hurts.

"Well, Ames, thanks for the tea. I'll miss it while I'm gone."

Amy nodded dumbly, and got up to walk him to the door. As he stood outside of the door, not knowing what to say, she finally looked him in the eyes.

"Thanks, Sonic. I appreciate you letting me know."

She gave him a small smile, and he returned it nervously. As much as he wanted to leave, he felt uncomfortable leaving her in a state of unhappiness. She was one of his best friends after all. He racked his brain to come up with something easy to make her happy.

"Do, you, um, want a goodbye... hug, or something?" He asked, awkwardly.

His body unconsciously shivered at the thought of consented contact, but Amy merely shook her head, that smile remaining on her lips.

"That's okay, I know you don't like hugging me."

His heart felt a little pained at the tone of her voice, and the resolution she'd come to.

Before he could back out, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into an awkward hug. Her body was stiff at first, but after a few seconds, she relented. He pulled back, and smiled at her, and she returned it with happy smile of her own.

"See ya later, Ames!" He said, before dashing away, leaving only a scent of oranges in the air.

Amy sighed, and closed the door to her house. She leaned on it, and slowly slid down the surface, until her head rested on her knees, and her tail rested on the floor.

She didn't cry, she didn't complain. No, she was too old for that, too hardened from constant rejection, that it felt as though they were hitting a weathered rock. Her body had become a solid statue, and she couldn't feel anything. Her nerves deadened.

This will be for the best.

She sat there all night, falling in and out of sleep, as her mind battled her heart. Finally warm sunlight filtered through the window across the living room, and onto a curled up form. A single fruit fly buzzed around a forgotten tray of sweets, and a cold mug of lemon grass tea.

The sounds of forest life, leaked into the home through the cracks in the door, and windows. But the song, and tweets fell on deaf ears. The desperate light of the morning sun, strained to touch her cold form, but she could feel nothing but a cold draft.

Amy stared out the window across the room, blinking at its pure light. With the rising of the sun, she had come to her final decision.

She got up, and moved almost zombie like to the stairs leading to the upper floors of her house. She climbed them slowly, in a way that made her seem old and frail. When she finally reached the top, she walked down the hallway to her office, opening the door with the resounding creak of hinges.

She made her way to the desk sitting under a window, and pulled out a pen and paper. For the next hour, she made several attempts at a letter, before finally settling on a page that only contained four lines. But that was all she needed.

She held the paper to her, and left the room at a shuffling pace. When she made it to her bedroom, she ripped off her red dress, and threw it, crumpled, into a corner. Leaving her in only her silk underwear.

She flopped onto her bed, and placed the paper on her nightstand. She stared at it, until she felt sleep take hold of her. Before slipping into the world of comfortable darkness, a smile crept onto her lips as she thought of what was written on that page.

.

Dear Knuckles,

I'm coming.

Love,

Amy Rose

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