Chapter Text
Old boots splash into the oily puddles. Their rapid breaths filled their lungs with dust and smog. Uninterested, dull eyes spared a glance at their sprint– no one cared to stop them.
At the greyish dawn, the Outer Ring stirred to life. Factory and plantation hands trudged the streets to fill their stomachs, needing the energy for their grueling work. Down one of the winding streets, a store known for their questionable yet edible food drew the usual crowd of greasy customers. At a corner, a blind mole screamed for lower prices at an herbal stall, the owner shouting back with equal fervor. Behind a rotting trash can, a cluster of kittens huddled–no parents in sight–their lips cracked, ribs visible, eyes as hollow as a robot’s soul.
“They went this way!” a cry bellowed, shattering the world of monotony.
One of the apples slipped from her hands as she fumbled to stuff it in the brown sack. It bounced on the muddy pavement–once, twice–before being crushed under a boot, beige flesh bursting beneath rapidly accelerating footsteps.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For the two girls, it was always the most exciting.
“Damn it, it’s them again!”
“Someone get those rats!”
The shouts echoed through the narrow streets as the girls bolted around a corner, sliding underneath a vendor’s cart just as a fruit stand exploded behind them. Stale bread clutched in one hand, a bruised apple in the other—this wasn’t just breakfast. It was survival.
“Amy, on your left!”
The young hedgehog didn’t hesitate. With a powerful swing of her fist, she sent a stack of trash boxes flying, scattering debris like a rainstorm behind them. The vendor’s strangled curse howled in response.
“You damn rats!”
On cue, Cream shook the hood off her head, tossing the bag over. Amy caught it between her teeth, her hands already reaching for her partner. Their fingers locked tight.
With a strong flap of the rabbit’s ears, they lifted off the ground, soaring over the rooftops.
Another successful breakfast.
The wind bit against their fur as they glided above the crumbling city. The grey hues of dawn stretched across the Outer Ring, casting long shadows over slanted rooftops and cracked streets below. Homes stitched together from scrap metal, puddles thick with grime—this was home.
Cream carried them toward a carved-out section in the massive concrete wall—the barrier that separated two completely different worlds. The cameras that had once guarded it had long run out of battery. Without flight, it was impossible to reach—a perfect hideout.
As soon as Amy’s feet hit solid ground, she let the bag drop from her teeth and laughed. “That was great, Cream!” She let out a relieved sigh, ruffling the smaller girl’s ears. Then, more seriously, she added, “That was too close. I think they’re learning our escape route.”
“Are we gonna find another place?” Cream asked as she pulled out a warm loaf from the bag, tossing one to Amy.
“Depends.” The older hedgehog tore off a piece hungrily with her teeth, more concerned with filling her stomach than future breakfast heists. “If we can find another place with good food and weak security.”
Cream nibbled at her portion, sitting beside Amy as they stared out at the city below. The sun struggled through thick clouds of smoke, casting a dim glow over the impoverished district. The haze warped the figures below into haunting shadows, making the streets look like remains of a war-stricken land.
“The view’s getting more beautiful by the day, isn’t it?” Amy mused, reaching into the bag for an apple. “When I was younger, it was just fog, fog, and more fog. You couldn’t even see the stall beside you.”
She took a bite, chewing thoughtfully as she pointed to the leaking sun in the horizon. The light bled and shined on people scrambling to get to work– cogs in a worn-down routine. Even without seeing their faces, the sagging feet and hunched backs said enough: a city steeped in bleakness.
“But look at that–” she nodded toward the distance, “I can see the edge of the district. And those ugly red buses driving the workers out. I wonder if one day we’ll be able to see the Forgotten Lands from here?”
“...I guess.” Cream picked at her bread. “But I wonder how Lord Robotnik did it?”
Amy recalled something a friend had once told her—a hedgehog who delivered mechanical parts.
“...I heard they shut down the oil districts and switched to a different energy source,” she said.
What happened to the families who lived there? …I wonder if Robotnik also sent that ‘thing’ to clean them up.
“To what?” Cream tilted her head.
Amy shrugged. “Something clean, I hope. I’m tired of stepping into hard-to-wash stains.” She huffed, picking at her quills. “Especially when you wear that nice cloak I got for you—still won’t forgive that lady for pushing you into that puddle.”
They both laughed softly.
As they finished their breakfast, Amy stood and grabbed her cloak from a makeshift table built from metal scraps. “Speaking of stains, let’s go take a bath. I can just feel the stickiness from that trash I punched.”
Cream gulped down the last piece of her breakfast and grabbed her cloak. “Hehe, sorry. That was the only thing I saw to help out,” she said as she took the hedgehog’s hands.
Amy chuckled in return, “and I’m sorry that you have to touch my hands. We’re even!”
They flew out of the base. Clutching Amy’s hands, Cream lifts them higher against the ground, shortening the distance between them and the wall’s top.
Homes with tiled roofs instead of scrap metal sheets, working air filtering pumps untainted by rust, and the massive vacuum fans scattered around the district– everything built in stark contrast to the world just beyond its borders.
A cooler, refreshing breeze soothes Amy’s lungs as they soar past the wall, gliding downward into a line of trees. In clear distance, a larger, taller wall could be seen– the Inner Ring barrier.
They touched the ground smoothly, heading over to their hidden spot. A small fountain within an overgrown, abandoned park. Luckily, the filtering mechanism was still working, and it was much cleaner than any water source from outside.
The only downside, Amy thought, was that the statue of Robotnik in the middle was unsightly. A grin wider than a snake’s jaw, a nose bulging like a wart, and the glasses that gleamed without intention of hiding evil– suffice to say, Amy closes her eyes as she bathes.
After washing both their fur and clothes in the fountain, the two dried out under the noon sun.
“Tomorrow’s the beginning of the week. There’s gonna be a lot of people in the market today to prep,” Amy mentioned as she tries her best to flatten out her quills. “Let’s head there! We can find something nice.”
Cream took a second to think. “But we don’t need anything at the moment… ”
The hedgehog nudges the younger girl. “Yes we do! Our thread, plus a few extra blankets for the upcoming winter. Besides, it’s good to stay prepared.”
“Okay,” Cream gave in, smiling softly. “But we should be careful. Last time, we almost got caught by the upgraded regulators.”
The duo make their way out of the park, putting on their cloaks, and along the path to the square. Diverse animals ranging from lizards to hamsters could be seen walking along, less careworn and dirty than the civilians they came from. There’s no potholes or large random cracks along the streets. And most importantly, no strange puddles.
They pass through the vendors, looking across the items on sale. Jewelry, sweets, and furniture– all luxuries that only the privileged could afford to fawn over.
Jewelry makes people an easy target where I live. Sweets are delicious, but I can’t have them without having access to hygiene. And furniture can’t fit in the base. Oh, but that dress is quite nice. But it’ll get dirty easily….
“No one! There’s no one here!” A shout could be heard in the middle of a gathering crowd. Amy and Cream quickly share a glance before heading over.
“Are you sure you are not hiding any traitors ?” A cold, sarcastic voice asked.
Murmurs of the crowd resonate in their ears.
“Dr. Starline? I thought he was at Angel Island?”
“Why is he here?”
“He’s so cool…”
A nauseating feeling swallows Amy’s head. She could feel Cream clutch her hand tightly. Instinctively, the older hedgehog pulled her closer to herself. We should leave. But I need to know why he’s back.
The young bear shook his head in response to the question. “L-Look. Why would I hide a ‘Judas’? They’re a threat to our society! See? There’s no one here…”
“Really?” The platypus smiled widely. “Let’s see for ourselves, then.”
The robots move. Their metallic arms apprehend the bear and toss him aside. The boxes shatter under the impact of their arms, revealing the shivering, shaking young bee hidden away within the box.
Dr. Starline let out a soft sigh of mocking disappointment, kneeling down. “A bee, hm? A fly type creature? Do you know why Lord Robotnik has so much trouble successfully securing land for our people?” He shot a cold glance into the bear’s eyes. “It’s because these despicable, traitorous creatures sabotage our armies, our oil rigs. Why do you think I’ve returned? It’s because an enemy, a Judas , has been rumored to have successfully breached the inner walls,” he sneered.
Cream’s breath audibly sharpened.
“S-She wouldn’t hurt anyone,” the bear growled in fear, his hands shaking.
“Not yet . They are all the same. And you, who aid such traitors, should be treated just like them!”
Cream’s hand began to tremble uncontrollably. Amy, without hesitation, dragged her out of the crowd. “We still need to get some thread,” the hedgehog quietly reassures her, trying to distract her from the sight, “so let’s get some before it gets dark.”
The young rabbit nodded, face pale under her hood.
“O-Ouch!”
Cream squeaks as someone rudely bumps into her shoulder, causing her to fall on her knees. Amy was quick to fix her hood before it slipped off, pulling Cream against herself. “Hey, you alright?” She instinctively said, looking around for whoever pushed her friend.
“I’m alright…” Cream rubbed the side of her neck. “Can we please go? Now ?”
They left the crowd, ignoring the screams ringing behind them.
When they arrived at the market, children clung to their parents’ hands as they roamed the stalls, and vendors loudly advertised the day’s goods. Some shoppers tossed their coins on the counter without a second thought, while others haggled with practiced cunning in possibly illegal exchanges.
“Let’s find some more cloth, and maybe a few extra buttons?” The hedgehog lightly suggested as they walked. “We could fix that old skirt back at the house.”
“...Mhm.”
Is she having another anxiety attack? Is she thinking about… Vanilla?
Amy stopped and looked around. Fruits, shoes, blankets. Her eyes fall on a blue, round object sitting on a stand. It was a small plush, with buttons for eyes, yellow tips at the ends of its hands and feet, and lastly, a small round ball on its head.
I know I have some emergency savings here.
Amy held her closely as they made it to the stall discreetly. “Amy?” Cream murmured. “They only sell toys…”
“For doing a great job during breakfast, you deserve it,” Amy reassured shortly.
They stopped at the stall. “How much for that thing?” Amy asked, pointing over to the item. The seller, a badger, stopped chewing on a stick. “Seven silver,” she gruffly responded.
Amy winced. That means I have one silver left when I buy this.
She felt Cream tug at her cloak, as if telling her to not buy it.
The hedgehog immediately takes out a few coins and tosses it on the counter. “Thanks,” Amy said, swiftly taking the plush and leading them out of there. Cream seemed in shock, and whispered, “Why? It’s not necessary...”
“Yeah, it’s not necessary,” Amy winked as she placed the plush into Cream’s hands. “That’s why we bought it. Remember? We only steal what we need, but buy what we want.”
Cream shakily took the soft toy, her brown eyes filling with tears.
“I’m sorry… I made you use your money.”
Amy bit her lip, hiding her uneasiness at Cream’s guilt, then chuckled to ease the tension. “Then take care of the toy well to pay me back.”
The rabbit fell silent, holding the toy in front of her. “I’m a burden…” Her hands trembled harder. “I wish… I could pay everyone back.”
At the sound of her strained voice, Amy realized Cream was reliving the past— like the sensitive scab being scratched off, the old wound began to bleed.
The hedgehog’s eyes softened, and she put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t ever say that,” the older one reassured. “Don’t worry about my money. As long as you’re feeling better, it’s worth spending for.”
Then Amy noticed not only her hands, but her entire body was trembling.
Something was wrong .
“...Cream? Are you okay-?”
Cream’s knees buckled. Her body crumpled . Amy shot her arm out, catching her before she fell hard against the pavement.
The rabbit’s face was twisted in pain. Small painful gasps of air audible through her mouth, eyes tightly shut and body stiff.
Amy clenched her tightly, eyes widened in horror.
“ Cream !”
–
A gloved hand reached over and pressed a button on the wall.
Whirr…
The sound reverberated through the cold, spacious room as the metal covers on the window twisted and folded away. A sliver of dawn’s light seeped in, stretching across the polished floor before bouncing off his blue quills, casting faint shadows along the walls.
“So nice to be back home.”
The words were muttered more out of habit than sincerity. He yawned, stretching his sore limbs as he removed the wires and harnesses from his body, tossing them carelessly onto a chair. A dull ache throbbed in his legs as he limped toward his bed, knowing the bloodstains on the floor would soon be erased by the robotic maid—just another mess wiped clean, another trace of his nightly duties erased.
His body collapsed onto the cold, oversized mattress, face buried in the crisp white sheets. The familiar monotony of it all sent a hollow feeling through his chest.
“…How much longer?”
His voice, low and gravelly, barely carried in the vast emptiness of the room. He let his eyelids close, savoring the brief reprieve from the burning sensation behind them. The exhaustion pressed against him, sinking deep into his muscles. He wanted to sleep. Just a little longer.
But the sun kept rising. Minutes passed, and soon its rays crept higher, spilling directly onto his face.
A groan. His arm sluggishly lifted to shield his eyes, but the warmth had already pulled him from the edge of rest. He let out a bitter chuckle, one devoid of humor.
“That’s enough sleep.”
Dragging himself upright, he forced his legs to carry him across the room. The polished floor felt too smooth beneath his feet, too artificial, like everything else in this place.
He reached for the closet doors and pulled them open.
A cascade of identical, pristine white suits greeted him.
He stared at them for a long moment, his fingers hovering over the fabric. Every one of them was spotless. Perfect. As if nothing had ever touched them. As if nothing had ever touched him.
“...Now, which one should I wear?”
The question lingered in the air, unanswered.
