Hello Old and New Readers!

Goodness guys, I am excited about this one! First, let me just say I HAVE NOT abandoned Let's Go Home, in fact the next chapter is almost ready to go, just needs a little more tweaking. However, I was browsing Tumblr one fine day and came across the picture I am using as a Cover image for this story, and I loved it so much it inspired this FanFiction!

Please check out evaroze, the lovely artist and creator of this picture, without her this story would've never been born.

Also big shout out to my new Friend and Beta Bitterkiss! She also was an inspiration for this story. I beta for her now as well, so if you want some more good ShadAmy, check her out!

As always, thank you WolfsLegend for being my beta and following me through all my misadventures.

And now without further adieu, Team Dark's Rose begins!

Characters copyright of SEGA.

EPISODE 1: Prolog - A Rose Loses her Thorns

~2 years ago~

Amy stared at her friend Cream as the small rabbit trembled, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry Amy, Momma wants me to focus on school from now on..."

Amy gulped, her throat burned as Cream's words sank into her core. She tried to deny it... we can't end it like this... She smiled warmly at the bunny, "It's fine! We can get together on the weekends, and I'm sure Big will be back soon, you know how he is."

Cream attempted a smile, but it withered like a plucked daisy the second she caught onto Amy's desperate, yet impossible, plea. She threw herself in Amy's arms, her tears coming forth in a tidal wave, "I'm soooo sorry, Amy! Momma said no more Team Rose! She never really liked me putting myself in danger in the first place, and when she heard Big had left, she thought this would be a good opportunity to disband..."

Amy stood still, her body stiff, and her arms stuck to her sides as though she were a statue. She wanted to wrap her arms around her friend, wanted to comfort the little bunny, but how could she when her own heart was screaming? This... this can't be happening... It was unfair. It was cruel. Didn't Cream know how important this was to her? When she had formed Team Rose, she had finally been given the opportunity to fight, to prove her worth and show off her strength, to be alongside her crush... He had even gone as far as to compliment her when they'd done a job well done. And now her friend was telling her it was over? She was back to square one.

Amy sighed, placed her hands on the young girl's shoulders and pushed her away at arm's length. A snot trail was bridging the gap between Amy's dress and Cream's nose. Amy knew that the bunny was truly sorry, and the rabbit was 12, too young to go against her mother. She knew it was selfish to be upset, but a part of her wanted to yell and curse at her young friend. Amy gave her a shaky smile, and patted the girl's head, "It's okay Cream... I understand. But I need a little time to process this, do you need help getting home?"

Cream's body shook like a leaf in a storm. She wanted to say something more, wanted to tell Amy that everything was gonna be okay, but she saw the pain in the hedgehog's eyes. Amy's smile wasn't as warm as it usually was. Her face was more of a grimace, with her rigid jawline and stony eyes. Her red dress revealed more than her expression, it was trembling under the restraint that she was using... she was holding back. Cream sniffled, she knew Amy most likely wouldn't speak to her for a while after this, and knowing that hurt. She wanted Amy to confide in her, to say she was going to miss her, that they would still hang out and be friends. But looking at the mask that Amy wore on her face now, proved to Cream that it wouldn't happen. Not now and not any time soon.

Yet, despite that, the rabbit felt a rush of relief flow through her. Watching the mask form, she realized that Amy had never truly been honest with her about her emotions. Sure, she would always confide in the rabbit about her frustrations with Sonic, but about her inner worries and fears? Never. The older girl, in a roundabout way, treated her like more of a little sister than a friend, or worse... a child that she babysat. And although she felt guilty about hurting her friend, another part of her felt grateful. Now she didn't have to pretend like she understood Amy, and going to school would place her with Mobians her own age. Maybe her mother was right... being around Amy, Sonic, and the others was just too stressful, and it was time to move on. Make new friends, and have a more normal life away from battles with life and death situations.

The rabbit felt strength in her new understanding, and it steadied her once more. She straightened up, wiped her nose, and gave Amy a brilliant smile through a river of tears,

"No, I'll be fine. I love you Amy, and I'm always available to hang out. Just make sure it's at a cafe or the mall and not Eggman's headquarters." She giggled, and Amy's smile became a bit less strained. Cream pulled Amy into another hug, and this time the pink heroine returned it.

The two of them stayed like that for a while, neither one willing to let go of the other first. There was a silent understanding that this could be the last time for a while that the two of them would be together. It felt like a goodbye, and neither girl was too eager to be the first one to end it. However, the rabbit had a curfew, and didn't want to spend all her time in a dying hug's grasp. Before separating, Cream leaned up and whispered in her ear, "And who knows? This may turn out for the best, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know you'll do amazing things, Amy."

The words stabbed Amy worse than what had been said before. What did Cream know? Cream was leaving and moving on with her life, while she was still stuck in the same mundane routine as before, with no escape. The rabbit hopped out of her arms, and gave Amy a small wave before walking away, her long ears swinging merrily and her steps light as a feather. She never once looked back.

Tick

Tock

The sound pounded against her brain.

Tick

Tock

She wished it would stop.

Tick

Tock

Chaos... she was going insane. How many hours had it been? From the state of her sanity, she could only guess hundreds.

Tick

To –

Amy stood over the crumpled piece of gears and nobs, panting while metal arms twisted and flinched as it tried to continue with its relentless circle on the clock face. She growled. She didn't need a reminder of the fact that time moved forward. That Mobius continued on its orbit around the sun while her own world flayed open and fell apart around her. She stomped on the clock for good measure before storming out of her house. She needed to DO something, anything that could help her forget the betrayal of her closest friend. She wanted something to distract her from the dark thoughts in her mind, the thought that she was now completely and utterly... alone.

She mindlessly walked and walked, down the country path, and into the heart of Knothole village. She passed neighbors who smiled and waved, and unlike usual, she ignored them. She passed children who ran through the streets and grass, their giggles ringing like bells in the rich gold of twilight that enveloped them. Shouts from their parents calling them inside for dinner fell on young, deaf ears. The scene just proved to sour her mood further. She felt spiteful towards them... towards Cream. They had a family to run back to, friends to turn to, when things got tough... who did she have?

There was no one that she could turn to anymore. That realization, that suffocating feeling of dread, of insignificance and burning solitude, bore down on her and slowed her pace. Sonic wasn't someone who she could actually talk to… and yet she craved to run to him, to see his cheerful and reassuring grin that always managed to make her feel so warm and safe. He was her everything, he was her sun. Maybe she could go to him, maybe this time he would listen. Be there for her.

She stopped mid-stride, and realized she was at the train station. It was a quick ride to Station Square where he lived. And almost like fate was on her side, she heard the long horn of the train in the distance. Gradually, coming out of the depths of despair, Amy smiled, and patted down her dress. She had made up her mind. Now that she wasn't a part of a team, now that she was alone, she could ask to join him. She started to giggle, her imagination running wild with images of her and him running together, saving the world together, and ultimately being together. She would go to his head quarters and ask to join him on missions. Surely by now she had proven her worth as a fighter, and it would be a logical proposal. Maybe this time he'd accept her.

As the train pulled up, she couldn't help but feel the warmth of hope fill her. This was going to work. It had to work. She waited for the doors to slide open, and she hesitated just a moment before stepping into the car.

Amy stood outside the brightly lit building that sported three neon circles, blue, yellow, and red. She couldn't help but feel a little giddy at the idea of a pink circle making it's home next to them. Smiling happily, and with a joyful bounce to her step, she entered the code to unlock the door.

The door swished open and she nearly gagged at the stench that assaulted her nostrils. The best way to describe it would be a mixture of prepubescent sweat and dirty underwear. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and she resisted the urge to throw her hand onto her muzzle. This place definitely needed a female's touch. Marching through the foyer as though she owned the place, Amy made her way to the to the back where she knew the couches and videogames were kept. It was the most likely place to find the boys as they enjoyed playing games into the odd hours of the night.

Opening the door, she scrunched up her face again but this time at the state of the room that greeted her. Pizza boxes, week old takeout, and half eaten chili dogs were strewn across anything that had a surface. The stench was stronger now, with just a smidge of cheese adding to the array of scents. Her eyes were close to watering. Although there was what looked like a fresh pizza on the coffee table, there was no fox genius or blue blur anywhere to be found. Strange… I thought for sure they'd be here…

Then the sound of crashing and banging reached her ears from the adjacent room, the control room. She quickly turned and dashed into the hallway, making her way to the large, metal door that took up the majority of the space on the wall. Of course! Eggman must be up to no good again, and they must be on their way to stop him. This would be the perfect opportunity to offer her help.

Amy pulled the door open, excited to see her blue hero and join him on an adventure, but instead she was welcomed with the annoying blare of an alarm. She blinked as she tried to make sense of the scene. There was a large computer screen that displayed multiple camera images of the the surrounding city and of different areas of the planet. Tails was sitting in a wheeled stool, rolling back and forth between keyboards and buttons.

"Sonic! I'm prepping the Tornado now! Could you please stop eating that chili dog and help me out here?"

Sonic was leaning on a wall to the right, in both his hands were chili dogs, and she watched as he stuffed one into his mouth aggressively. "No-can-do buddy," He started, flecks of chili and bread flying through the room and splashing onto technology and the floor.

"I have to fuel up for the fight! Don't want to lose my edge in the middle of whooping Eggman's large round butt!"

Tails rolled his eyes, and mumbled, "Always gotta do things on my own… sometimes I don't know why I even bother…"

Sonic chuckled, and began to shove another chilli dog into his mouth. He had food stuck in the fur on his chest and his quills were a tangled mess, but all Amy could see was a handsome hedgehog. One who was going to save the day, and Mobius, from whatever Eggman had up his sleeve. In fact, to her, he seemed to glow and ooze charming confidence.

Amy shook her head. This was no time to go gaga over Sonic, she had a mission to do, and she wasn't about to let those beautiful emerald eyes distract her from it. Stepping forward, she made her way carefully through the many tables and inventions that littered the room.

"Amy?!"

The sound of Sonic's voice, and subsequent gagging as a chunk of hotdog went down the wrong pipe, caused both Tails, and pink hedgehog, to look in his direction. Sonic pounded on his chest, and his bright green eyes watered as he tried to dislodge the meat.

"What – COUGH – are you – cough – doing here?!" He paused as he chewed and swallowed the piece of meat after it was hacked back into his mouth.

"Is something going on in Knothole?" He cleared his throat and jumped up to stand straight, doing his best to smile in cover up of the choking. Tails, at this point, had turned around to look at Amy, and the young fox rolled his eyes slightly at the display. Sonic wouldn't admit it, but he was always trying his best to seem 'cool' in front of Amy. He actually felt a little gleeful that Amy had witnessed Mobius' Hero at the worst possible moment.

Amy's affection seemed unaffected, however, and instead she clasped her hands behind her back and started to make circles with the tip of her boot behind her in bashful innocence, "Can't a girl just drop by to check in on her hero?"

Tails narrowed his eyes and grunted. Chaos, there was literally nothing more painful than watching Amy's failed attempts to flirt with Sonic. He didn't understand how she could keep doing the same old thing everytime. Hadn't she learned by now that her type of flirting only caused the blue male to shiver in a great deal of discomfort?

Sonic, true to his nature, cringed and brushed off the crumbs from his hands and chest, "I'm kind of busy at the moment…" He waved nonchalantly at the blinking red lights, his muzzle still in a polite smile.

"Oh jeez," Amy replied, slapping her hand to her forehead, "That wasn't what I meant to say…" she trailed off, feeling uneasy from her hero's reaction.

Sonic and Tails gave each other a glance. Neither one of them really felt like waiting to hear what was to come next. Knowing Amy, she was about to ask for something impossible… something like a date.

"I'll start over," She said, pulling herself together and walking closer to Sonic, she stared at him with large, hesitant eyes. Sonic gulped, this felt dangerous. His right leg began to tap quickly on the ground as he resisted the urge to run away from her.

"I came today to ask if you –"

"Sonic! Eggman just leveled the forest near Angel Island! We've got to go help support Knuckles!" The kitsune interrupted, his tails spinning and lifting him into the air. Sonic tore his gaze from the hedgehog before him and shot the fox a quick look of gratitude and relief.

"Sorry, Ames! Duty calls!" He said, attempting to get around her, but she wasn't about to give up that easily.

"Wait! I want to help! Let me come too!" She clenched both fists in front of her chest narrowing her brows upwards, gazing into grassy green orbs with eager determination.

Sonic visibly flinched, he was always nervous whenever the pink female wanted to join in on their missions. He cared for her wellbeing, but she had a nasty habit of getting in the way or getting captured. If he had the choice, he would rather her stay where it was safe.

"Sorry, again, Ames. This isn't something you should have to worry about, just head home, we can talk later."

"But –"

With a wide grin, a wink and two digits sticking up into a peace sign salute, Sonic tore himself from her grasp and dashed away, leaving a blue blur behind him. Amy stood there, the flashing red lights and blares still going strong around her until Tails finally shut them off. The fox grimaced at the scene, he didn't like to see Amy so downcast, but this was probably for the best.

"You can stay here if you want Amy, till we get back… I'm sure he'll be more open to whatever you want to say after he's high on defeating Eggman."

He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as he passed her, tails swishing behind him as he walked towards the hanger that held the Tornado. And right then and there, for the second time that day, Amy was left all alone.

"What're you staring at bozos?! Yeah! That's right! Keep moving!" Amy yelled through tears and an ice cream smeared mouth. The older mobian couple who had slowed down to gaze at her in horrid fascination, hurried along mumbling about crazy people and youth today. Amy sniffed and chomped down on the cone again, causing the cold cream to drip onto her dress.

Perfect, now I'm all sticky.

Sighing, she got up from the table outside the sweet shop she'd been sitting at, and threw what remained of her cone into the trash. She started down the sidewalk, her feet kicked aimlessly in front of her. What was she going to do now? Look at her, an eighteen year old without a job, without friends… how pathetic.

Her head snapped up to the side, as though the rough motion would put her thoughts to rest, but then she stopped. Her eyes had caught the sight of her reflection, and she turned to face it head on, studying herself. It'd been a while since she had fully looked at herself, and she found that the Mobian in the glass was a stranger. Quills grown past her shoulders, a red plastic hairband pulling them back from her face. Her eyes were bloodshot from tears, and her body, which had matured into adulthood, was still sporting that same old red and white dress she had always worn.

She shut her eyes. She no longer felt like herself. This image before her was stale and childish. This person before her was a Mobian clinging to the hopes of a fangirl, to the fleeting emotions of shallow affection towards someone who only saw her has a friend... and even worse, at times a nuisance. But truly, what did she expect? That was the personality and persona that she'd put out there, she had given no one a reason to think or see her differently.

Someone bumped into her, causing her to stumble forward. The action jostled her from her self loathing and she quickly turned around, ready to snap at whoever it'd been, but there was no one near. Huffing, she strode down the street, her red boots pounding on the pavement. She started with a quick pace which soon turned into a sprint.

She didn't know how long she ran through the city, shouts of anger following her wherever she went. This place was cold, her life was meaningless. There was nothing left for her now and it showed in the cityscape. The bright colors around her dulled into greys and whites. Blurs of indiscript shapes swirled around in her tear filled vision.

Eventually, she stopped to catch her breath, her head angling upwards to look to the stars. That always managed to calm her down. Seeing the beauty in things gave her a more positive perspective on life. But all she saw was a dark, grey sky. Right… light pollution. Chaos… did the universe really hate her? Had the fates really given up on her?

Just as she was about to turn around and head back to the train station, something out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention. It was a large poster on the side of a tall apartment building. It wasn't colorful or 'happy' looking, in fact it was pretty grey and boring just like everything else, but the words were what stood out to her. Above a picture of saluting Mobians were the words, Want to make a difference? Apply for the G.U.N. cadet program today, and find a new, greater purpose in life. Serving the great planet you live on.

It felt heaven sent. Amy sniffed, and wiped her eyes as she walked closer to the poster. In the lower right corner of it was the address of Station Square's G.U.N. headquarters. She glanced up and saw she was on the right street, and it was only a few blocks away.

The pink hedgehog didn't smile this time with hope, or skip down the path with joy, instead she strode ahead with purpose and determination. She had a mission, and nothing was going to get in her way.