Special Thanks - @Cutegirlmayra

Illustration - SmilesFPS (SmilesFPS www.twitter.com)

Logo Design - Xenoko (XenokoYT www.twitter.com)

♪ ~ [FFVII REMAKE: Home Away from Home ~ Nobuo Uematsu ~ FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Original Soundtrack]

White painted walls framed in wooden supports.
Circular rooms joined by looping halls.
Family pictures decorating a quaint space.
A tiny kitchen, table, and round door and window.
An old hen full of vigor.

“Oh, my word,” the old hen exclaimed as Rosy stepped into the kitchen. “You are the most adorable thing now that you’re awake!”

“Thank you!” Rosy beamed enthusiastically and gladly returned the sudden embrace she was wrapped in.

~The old hen whose home Sonic had brought me to was so sweet. It turned out I had been resting in the room of one of her children, one left untouched since they left home. She didn’t seem concerned about whether the clothes I put on were mine or her long left child’s, so I guess there isn’t a problem keeping them. That makes me glad, as the red headband and ballet flats go so well with the leotard.

~Hmph! Now if only Sonic would pay attention to me. He seems distracted by something outside the window from where he’s sitting on the table. Seeing him from behind though…

~Hee-hee~♥ I tried to style my spines like his before I came out, but Sonic’s are so much longer than mine that his droop at the tip giving them such a cool shape. I wonder if I can grow my spines out longer. Tee-hee! It’s okay, I know I look cute, and Sonic will think so too!~

“Hi!” Rosy surprised Sonic as she suddenly popped up into his face with a huge smile on her face and sparkling eyes. “Don’t I look cute today!”

“As long as you’re in running shape, it doesn’t matter,” Sonic changed the subject.

A look of confusion donned on Rosy’s face as she stepped back to give Sonic room. Her expression became the subject of Sonic’s interest, but before either of them could continue they were interrupted by the old sapient hen.

“Goodness gracious, Mr. Sonic! She’s barely awake a few minutes and you want to take her out for a run. I insist you first let the girl eat a healthy meal before you do.”

~It was an absolutely delightful porridge that the kind old hen served us, though Sonic refused and only partook in the tea we were served. Ooh~! I don’t understand why Sonic seems so on edge. I want to just help him relax and have fun so badly. There isn’t a lot I can do yet though. I don’t remember enough of anything and have no idea where we are. Once I do though and can figure out what we’re up to, Sonic better be ready to have all the fun in the world!

~Hee-hee. It’s not proper to get too excited while eating though. And I don’t want to upset the kind old hen. She’s been nothing but nice to me this whole time and I want to return the favor. I can’t let myself feel bad either as the conversation switches to my missing memories.~

“It’s obviously the fault of the Rings,” the old hen firmly blamed the golden loops that Sonic gathered on his adventures. “I’ve heard tell all manner of horrible things about them.”

“I guess Rings could be part of the problem,” Sonic agreed as he looked at Rosy’s confused face out of the corner of his eye.

“There’s an old saying; the Rings will always remember,” Sonic continued, but did not seem to jog any memories in Rosy. Not giving up, but putting the matter to the side he explained the saying for the old hen. “It means something like the Rings can remember things and hold the memories of the world and people who live in it. I’ve never encountered the memory loss problem before I came to the lands under that big egg in the sky.”

“A big egg,” the old hen laughed. “That is quite the joke you make Mr. Sonic.”

“Maybe, but it’s where the two of us are going to be trying to get.”

Again, Sonic eyed Rosy from the corner of his eye. She seemed lost in thought and he closed his eyes as he sipped on his tea.

“Still, Mr. Sonic. That thing in the sky, and those dreadful Rings, you should really steer clear of both. I’m awfully grateful that I can’t see at least the Rings.”

“Um…,” Rosy finally spoke up, an embarrassed smile on her face. “This is going to sound strange, but what exactly is a Ring?”

Sonic spat his tea across the room and looked at Rosy bewildered for a moment. He collected himself fast enough to make it questionable he had been so surprised and pinched his brow between his eyes. “Really?”

The question was disbelieving and Rosy fidgeted in her seat. She kept on smiling for Sonic, but it was obvious she was trying not to upset him. To put her at ease he offered her a kind smile in return.

“You really have lost just about everything,” Sonic remarked as he hopped from the table and over to the freestanding stove. With a thumb, he pointed at the golden loop that floated above it.

It was about half a meter in height and spun on its axis hypnotically. The golden hue was at once solid and light reflecting while seeming to give off the dullest of light. The golden twinkles around it were almost imperceptible, but Rosy’s mouth hung open in amazement. “Pretty…”

“Oh bother!” the old hen cut in at the display the two hedgehogs put on. “There’s one in my home. How dreadful!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sonic laughed as he grabbed it and held it firm in his hand. “It’s not like there wouldn’t be anyway.”

“Oh, how dreadful!” the old hen repeated herself again.

~The kind old hen may have been bothered by them. But I can’t help but be fascinated. And Sonic is actually willing to explain.

~Listening to Sonic explain is so dreamy, but I need to pay attention too. Apparently, the whole world is made up of Rings. It’s just that when a Ring uses up all its energy it becomes a part of the world like it went to sleep. There’s no way of knowing how long a Ring will stay that way, but eventually it becomes a Ring again but retains all the memories of when it was a part of the world. When it goes to sleep again it joins other Rings and through their combined memories, whole forgotten land masses and Zones can appear overnight.

~It’s amazing and confusing. It sounds like our whole world is always changing, and that it’s never the same. It gets even more confusing though as not everyone can see and interact with Rings. It’s only like half of everyone who can. And that’s still not all!

~Objects that have a lot of Ring Energy can act sort of like Rings, which can result in whole chunks of land just floating in the air. That’s so amazing. I want to see a floating chunk of land too! I bet it’s amazing!~

“…does that mean then that even that small planet in front of the sun is full of Ring Energy?” Rosy asked excitedly, her tail wagging with amazement.

“I can’t say until we get up there,” Sonic confessed the limits of his knowledge on the matter. “But considering who we have to go meet. Heh! I wouldn’t doubt it.”

“Ooh~! I want to go Sonic!” Rosy squealed with excited delight. “But how are we going to get up there? Do you have a plane?”

“I’ve already tried flying up there, but it’s not where it looks like it is.”

“What?”

“That is awfully confusing, Mr. Sonic,” the old hen cut in again as she gathered up the dishes from the midday meal and took them to her sink. Beginning to clean them in the soapy water she remarked on Sonic’s lifestyle. “Though I suppose a traveler like yourself would be thrilled to find a way there.”

“The journey’s usually the best part,” Sonic laughed and made his way towards the kitchen door that would take him from the quaint home. “So, what do you say, Amy,” Sonic looked back at Rosy and offered her an inviting smile. “Are you ready for an adventure?”

“Of course!” Rosy leapt up and dashed after Sonic and was led out into the world of their adventure.