Chapter Text
The hedgehog crashed to the ground. “Get out.” The mutt growled, throwing her out of the train. Pulling out a bottle filled with a clear substance from his coat, he spread it on his hands before rubbing them together. “This is the final stop. This train isn’t going anywhere it hasn't already.” Stepping in, his voice lowered to a deep growl. “If you don’t know where you're going, that's your problem now. Should have stayed in that genocide hell heap.” Slipping the bottle back into his coat he muttered. “Forsaken bastard.” The Train door closed leaving the Hedgehog on the ground staring up at it. In the distance, a mysterious figure saw the whole display. It stood there watching as the hedgehog stood up and looked around.
The Hedgehog was in awe, the building was curled over head and it stretched across multiple lanes of tracks. The lights were inbuilt into the walls, a giant analog clock overhead, displaying a time. “3:24” but the hedgehog was unable to read it. Looking up farther the ceiling had windows in them, it was hard to tell since the day was still dark. She had only noticed because of the stars shining through.
The Train started up with a puff snapping the hedgehog back. It began to move backwards. The hedgehog watched it go before feeling a sting in her arm. Rubbing it— it hurted, seems like the crash to the ground was harder than expected. She looked to see if there were any wounds. Her eyes were tired, she had fallen asleep on the train before the mutt tossed her out.
A cold wind blew by causing the hedgehog to lower her arms and hold herself tightly. It was cold, a bit colder than Alley Zone. Taking up her backpack she hugged it for warmth. It was a good thing she brought it with her. Looking up she asked internally. “Is this Hometown?” She had no idea. Looking to the left she saw the mysterious figure, wrapped up in a heavy padded blanket. Her eyes widened in uncertainty. What was that? Is it a structure? Or… a person? looking closer she saw two sets of eyes glowing from under the blanket staring right at her. Her fur began to rise as she slowly backed away. The figure didn't move, the Hedgehog took it as an opportunity to run away.
Running out of the train station, she found herself next to the tracks. Looking back inside, the figure had turned away walking in a different direction. It really was a person. Was it a Rich folk? It looked to be an adult but she couldn't tell through the heavy blanket, regardless she escaped. The wind outside the station blue into her face causing her to shiver and hold onto her backpack tighter. Something cold and wet landed on her nose, causing her to open her eyes. Looking up many white particles began falling from the sky. The hedgehog squeezed her bag closer as she looked up in despair. Snow… she hated snow.
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Three days had passed since the hedgehog arrived at the station. She was curled up in a corner, hiding from the passengers walking to and from the train. Her eyes dimmed from hunger. There was nothing to rummage and eat here, the garbage was always taken away before she could get a chance to search. She had resulted to eating her own quills that had fallen out, only to stay conscious and alert, just in case someone tried to grab her. The snow had covered the entire outside, it was cold. Looking to the tracks as she crunched down on a quill delicately, making sure to grind up the pointed part so she wouldn't get wounded again, she fell in thought. “Is Hometown close to the station?” She had found out the name of this place over the speakers. “Am I close to mommy? Should I go out? But it’s cold.” A wind blew past her causing her to shiver and bite down hard on her teeth. She held her backpack. “Mommy’s hugs would be warm.”
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Later that evening when the station had settled down. She walked over to a bin. It was empty, again. The hedgehog bared her teeth, she couldn’t take it any more. Her stomach growled, she wrapped her arm around it, nails digging into her side as she fell to the ground on her knees. She wanted it to stop, the pain, it hurted… both arms wrapped around her stomach, causing her to fall to her side. Her nails dug into each side leaving wounds which started to bleed. She hated it. It was so loud, and it wouldn’t stop hurting. Her fingers began to curl, ripping into her fur. Her stomach, it hurted. Her mouth started foaming as her teeth clenched tightly together. Her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, head throbbing and a high pitch ringing was clouding her senses getting louder and louder, until it stopped. Everything had stopped. The pain, the ringing, only the shaking remained. She felt warmth. She lay there confused but noticed she couldn’t move, as if all her senses had just turned off, only the echoes of pain, where pain once was. She laid there for who knows how long
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In front of her stood someone, obscuring the light. “Daddy?’ It was him, a yellow, fur slightly deeper in color than hers. He stood over her. “Daddy…I'm so… hungry… the hurt won’t go away…” The father bent over picking up the hedgehog and carrying her away. The Hedgehog stayed in his arms, absorbing the warm embrace, her mind lingering. “How did daddy get here? And why does he… red—” her sentence was cut short from her passing out. The illusion faded and the person holding her wasn't the hedgehog father as she had imagined, it was the mysterious figure covered in padded blankets from days before. He noticed her passing out and quickened his pace.
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The hedgehog woke up in a small makeshift house. Opening her eyes, everything was a blur. Her ear twitched to the crackling sound coming from beside her. It was a fire, a mysterious long tailed mobian was adjusting it with a stick. The hedgehog’s eyes adjusted, the figure was a binturong mobian, his fur a deep maroon from the back and a bit messy, he wore a blue scarf. The hedgehog blinked. “A rich folk!!?” She sat up but her side stung her causing her to wince audibly. The binturong turned, ears perked in surprise. He saw the hedgehog holding her sides in pain. “H– Hey now.” He spoke in a soft and gentle voice as he stood and approached the hedgehog. “Be careful.” The hedgehog shrunk at his approach, ears lowering in fright. The stranger stopped in his tracks at her reaction.
Taking a breath the stranger got on one knee. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” He pointed to the hedgehog’s side, using a tone better suited for children.. “You hurt yourself, right there. I just made it better for you, see.” The hedgehog didn't look, her eyes stayed fixed onto the stranger before her. Hesitating slightly at her reluctance, the stranger turned back and picked up a bowl. “Hey, you must be hungry, have some food, okay?” He got a little closer, placing the bowl beside her before backing away, hands out. The hedgehog stared facing him but the aroma of the food caught her attention. Crawling over she took the food. Before the stranger could speak she grabbed the bowl which burnt her, causing her to recoil back, shaking her hands from the heat. The stranger's ears lowered as he spoke. “Careful, it's… hot… my bad. You may want to wait for it to cool a little bit.” The stranger sat criss-crossed as he gave a smile. “ I can wait with you, over here of course, I can tell you don't fully trust me, which is… understandable.” The hedgehog didn’t respond, instead she looked down to her sides, they were wrapped up in a cloth. Looking back up to the stranger she thought to herself. “It hurted. And what is this rich folk, why does he look so different from others?” She was normally used to seeing them in more fancy attire with better kept fur.
The stranger's ears perked. “Oh! Uhm, Brent. That’s my name.” His ear adjusted as he introduced, rubbing the back of his head. “Brent the Binturong, you could just call me Brent or whatever makes you comfortable.” The hedgehog remained silent. Brent’s smile wavered. “So… did you get separated from your parents? Do you need help?” The Hedgehog straightened slightly, as if remembering something. She looked backwards as she called out internally. “Daddy?” She looked around still in thought. “Where is Daddy?” Her eyes fell onto Brad as her gaze became uncertain. “Is he friends with this rich folk? If so… would he—”
Brent looked at her in concern. “Is something wrong?” A thought clicked. “Oh! are you looking for this?” He reached over, lifting up her backpack beside him. “I saw you with this the first time, I went back to get it while you were resting. You know you've been out for a day now?” Reaching over to her he offered it. “Here you go, I put your necklace in there too. I had to take it off to treat your wounds.” The hedgehog took it. Opening it she found the amulet. Brent spoke. “That thing is really warm, no wonder you kept hugging it.” Looking back down, the device was also in the bag. She looked up at Brent, who gave her a soft smile. ‘What a strange rich folk…’ she thought. Brent pointed to the bowl. “That should be a little cooler now, you should be able to drink it, try not to eat too fast, ok. And if it's still hot you could leave it for a little longer.”
Standing up, Brent went to the curtain. Behind it was the outside covered in snow. The wind rushed in causing the Hedgehog to flinch, fur rising. Turning back, Brent reassured her. “ I'll be back soon. I need to get something for you, alright? Be sure to eat up.” Walking out, he covers the opening behind him. The Hedgehog stared at the bowl of food in thought. “...Should I leave? But it’s snowing outside.” She hated snow. She rubbed her stomach… the pain was gone, did she eat, but when? She reached out to take the bowl. It wasn’t hot like before so it didn’t hurt her. She began to drink it as she stared to the exit. Maybe she’ll go after the snow goes away… “Hometown…” A thought echoed in the back of her head causing her to pause her drinking. That was right, she still had to get to Hometown, she still had to get to mommy. She winced, holding her side, …she would think about it later, for now, she was hurt and felt tired. Finishing the bowl, she lay down on the ground to rest. In moments, she fell asleep.
Brent came in minutes later with small colorful clothes in his hand. He smiled as he looked at it. Looking up he saw her on the ground sleeping. Taking in her tired and innocent behaviour, he sighed softly. Walking over, he tucked her in with the padded blanket and laid the clothes beside her.
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Weeks passed with the two of them. The hedgehog had gotten to know Brent for who he is. He wasn’t a rich folk despite him being an adult. He lived like the kids in the Alley Zone but more efficiently, he knew way more than everyone of them. He was once a rich folk, or kind of, Brent explained that not all adults were considered rich. The hedgehog didn’t fully understand but she managed to see certain details on who was rich and who just had enough to live. He would always explain how he was just one of the ones who had enough. From the hedgehogs' understanding there were different types of rich folks. Some good, most bad.
Brent had a wife and daughter at one point. His wife was named Scarlett, and his daughter was named Tania. Brent had given his daughter’s clothes to the hedgehog, since they were no longer in use. It turns out his daughter and the hedgehog were the same size. Sometimes Brent would call the hedgehog Tania. At first the hedgehog was confused and Brent would pause for a moment before correcting himself to Yellow. Overtime Brent started using Tania and the hedgehog would respond without confusion. Something had happened to Brent's family but he didn’t dwell on it for her sake. The Hedgehog would always notice the sad look on his face whenever he would talk about them.
Another day went past, them performing their routine. Brent and Tania would go to the train station. Brent would ask strangers for money while she would just sit close by watching the train and the snow fall. The Hedgehog was seated with pink and yellow winter clothing, her backpack in hand as she held it tight for warmth. At the end of the day Brent and her would sit together counting the money they had made for the day. Brent would teach her numbers and how much certain things would cost, he also taught her how to read the clock in the train station. She learned a lot of things from Brent.
One such day where Brent was counting the money they had gathered, he was a bit downcast as he stared at the cash in thought. “This isn't enough, how am I going to feed both of us?” Tania was outside the station drawing in the snow, thanks to her new winter clothes the snow wasn't cold as before, she still hated it but it was her only sense of entertainment while Brent worked. Brent called out. “Tania!” Tania looked up and answered. “Coming!” standing up she ran over.
Climbing into the station, she tripped on accident, the amulet fell out of her bag rolling towards the train tracks and falling in. She panicked, running over to the tracks as a train approached. Brent’s senses heightened, his ears perked and fur rose, he got up to reach for her. “No! Stop!” He shouted, grabbing her by the hood and pulling her back. She exclaimed. “ No! Mommy!” Just then the train pulled up into the station, covering the amulet under its tracks. Brent let out a breath of relief, but Tania broke free from his grasp running towards the train, looking through the crevices of it and the tracks hoping to spot the amulet. Her eyes began to fill with tears as her breath quickened. ‘No— no no no mommy!! How would she find her now?’
Brent placed a hand on her shoulder. “Tania, you can’t run towards a train track like that, it's dangerous. You could have gotten hurt or worse.” Tania looked up, she started to shake as her voice let out a cracked, “Mommy…” Tears fell from her eyes, leaving Brent taken aback. His expression softened at her words. Getting down on one knee, he embraced her. “It's okay.” He spoke reassuringly. Releasing her, he looked to the train. “Let's wait here for a moment.”
Later the train pulled out revealing the amulet in the tracks just beside the rail. Looking both ways, Brent climbed in slightly, using his tail to scoop it up before pulling himself to the top. Getting out he wiped off the amulet before handing it to Tania. He shook the dust off his tail as he asked. “Is that something given to you by your Mother? It should be really important, since you almost got hurt for it.” he placed his fist to his hips looking down at Tania. “Thank you.” She spoke, holding the amulet closer to her chest. Brent sighs. “I'm just glad you didn't get hurt.” Looking over to the mobium that had scattered across the ground from his hasty reaction. He moved over to pick them up. Placing the amulet on her neck, Tania followed to help.
After they picked up the money they went back to their makeshift home on the outskirts near the tracks. Late that night Tania sat under the blanket, amulet in hand. She stared at Brent, his tail curled around him as he sat in thought, concerned eminent on his face. Brent was a good person, and he knew a lot of things too. Looking at her amulet she wondered. “Can Brent help find Hometown?” Moving out from the blanket, she approached Brent with the amulet. She reached it out to him and opened it. “It's mommy.” She spoke, snapping Brent out of his thoughts. She continued. “I was looking for her.” Brent blinked before leaning in. “There’s a picture in it? Ah, so it’s an amulet. That makes—” He was cut off as he stared at the picture, his eyes widened. “Is that… Aleena?”