"They make me feel like a prisoner, they make me feel set free. They make me feel like a criminal, they make me feel like a king. They've lifted my heart to places I've never been, and they've dragged me down, back to where I began. Words can build you up, words can break you down; start a fire in your heart or put it out." - Hawk Nelson, "Words"

Hello there! Welcome to my page!

Name: I'm PumpkinSpiceHedgie, or, on AO3, Pumpkin_Spice_Hedgehog. If you've been around on this site for a while, you may have seen me review a few Sonic the Hedgehog fanfics "anonymously" under the name DanceDream. Yes, that is me, and yes, I'm still here. Life got away from me (read as: I started college), and I decided that since the name was outdated anyway (I haven't danced in a studio since sixth grade, unless you count the ballroom dance class I took for PE credits in college), it was time for a new name when I finally got around to getting an account. So I became PumpkinSpiceHedgehog, which has since been shortened to PumpkinSpiceHedgie to fit my Tumblr and other social media accounts.

Find me on other sites: Tumblr, Archive of Our Own, and Twitter (which gets updated WAY more often. As in, it gets updated.)

Fanart: YES, I have fanart! Or at least one person who wants to make me pretty covers for stories. Check out the Katie's Sketchbook blog; she did the cover art for Growing Up Sonic, and I could not possibly be more excited! She's amazing, so please give her a follow and admire her work and her sweet personality!

Fun facts: I'm a new college alumni, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in communication theory with an English minor (tl;dr: I'm a word nerd). I'm the oldest in a big family, I was homeschooled, and I identify as a Baptist Christian. My friends sometimes call me "Mom" because I'm the one who makes sure they get their homework done and keeps them from doing stupid stuff. I danced ballet for six years before taking two years of flute lessons and finally declaring myself a full-time introvert. In college, I worked as a writing consultant in my university's writing center, helping students improve their papers one-on-one. I also ran the writing center Twitter and other accounts, which is where I first got the chance to pursue my passion for social media.

Likes/dislikes: My favorite music artists are probably Skillet, Crush 40, odd-one-out Ninja Sex Party (especially their cover albums), Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe, Lindsey Stirling, the Piano Guys, Peter Hollens, and Caleb Hyles, not necessarily in that order (love them all!). I would also probably die without chocolate, Reese's Puffs, and cinnamon rolls. I dislike pretty much all vegetables, people who can't drive yet somehow have licenses, and being forced to make decisions, especially those of the grown-up variety. Also, talking to strangers on the phone makes me panic a little bit (which is bad because adults have to use phones a LOT, I'm discovering).

Currently reading: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This one came highly recommended by several of my friends at college, and I'm definitely enjoying it. It's a historical fiction, set in France and Germany during World War II. Very worth your time, if the first half is anything to go by.

Fandoms: Sonic the Hedgehog is definitely number one in my book, with Legend of Zelda coming in second and, recently, Super Smash Bros., Marvel/the Avengers, and Once Upon a Time snagging third, fourth, and fifth places. Other than that... I dabble in a whole bunch of other stuff, like Disney/Pixar movies (specifically Wreck-it Ralph, The Incredibles, The Emperor's New Groove, and Frozen... What, don't look at me like that!) and Mario (out of necessity; my parents like Mario better than Sonic for the kiddies). I'm not really one for movies and TV shows, but I'll watch them, and I do get sucked into them eventually; MythBusters, Stranger Things, and of course Sonic Boom are some of my favorite TV shows, and my two favorite movies of all time are Tangled and The Greatest Showman (because I'm a sucker for musicals). I don't read a lot, either, but recently I've gotten thrown headfirst into the Lord of the Rings fandom. I've also watched several anime as of late thanks to one of my friends; Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Log Horizon (in progress), Ouran High School Host Club, Steinsgate, and Recovery of an MMO Junkie are the ones I've seen in the last year or so. However, you'll still see more Sonic than anything else on my page, by a long shot.

What you're probably actually here for: As you may have gathered, I specialize in Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction. Rarely, if ever, will you see me read or write anything else. I may write crossovers, and maybe one or two separate fandoms (given the realm of possibility), but Sonic is my very strong point, and I have nine years' worth of writing to back that up. (Not that I'm claiming perfection; I admit to experience, not expertise.)

If you like the kind of Sonic stories that involve friendship fluff and family tales and a splash of romance here and there, I'm your gal. In my years of writing, I've written all kinds of stuff—age regression, next-gen, coming-of-age, high school AU, what-if's, movie adaptations, and what have you. I like to take fanfic cliches and make them better and more realistic, so that even those who've lost hope in the archives the way I have can read it and enjoy it.

My more original works involve some Chaos theory and other worldbuilding types, like holidays and, believe it or not, the next-gen stuff I mentioned above. After all, what better way to explore a world than to grow up in it and live in it? Almost everything I write has to do with exploring the world through the eyes of Sonic and his friends—it's easier and much more fun to read about how they see the world as opposed to how I envision it as the author.

Characterization and grammar are very important to me, and you will not see me use profanity in a direct sense, beyond someone muttering "something unwholesome under his breath." I may use a lot of my mom's East Texan terms and phrases, so don't y'all be gettin' all shy on askin' me what in tarnation I just said there, now. ;) I can be pretty cynical and opinionated, so if you spot some satirical elements in a story, I probably won't be the one denying their existence. I do sometimes use adult themes, which is why I generally write geared toward teens. Kids can read my stuff if they want; they just won't understand it all.

If you're not completely bored yet, take a look below and see if anything suits your fancy. If one catches your eye, vote for it in the poll above! (No, seriously, I need to know what you guys want so I can put it out there!)

The Ups and Downs of a New Generation (working title) Series

Rating: T (for adult themes)

[Sonic, Amy] [Knuckles, Rouge] [Silver, Blaze] Tails, Cream, Shadow, Marine, Queen Aleena, Manic, and Sonia... plus several other quick appearances from characters like Mighty, Ray, the Chaotix, Uncle Chuck, the Babylon Rogues, and more!

A/N: This series has been in the works for the last eight or so years (which explains its existence in the first place, as I was 14 at its conception). Originally, it was just another next-gen story (which didn't even use my own characters!), but in the years I've been slowly putting it together, it has matured and transformed into something much more realistic and grown-up. The focus is very much on Sonic and the gang, not on the kids; indeed, only two of the kids even show up in Growing Up Sonic, compared to the... whole bunch that pop up in the finale. (Contrary to what that must make you think, I strongly dislike OC stories and will very seldom write them.) I have worked hard to build a whole world around the characters, from arranging countries and governments, to arranging the local area the gang is focused in and orchestrating how it runs, to figuring out who lives where and does what.

To put it in Eggman's words, this series is "the brainchild of my heart and soul" (Sonic Unleashed). It explains and illustrates my thoughts on how the Sonic universe lives and breathes and functions as a planet no more perfect than ours is. I absolutely loved developing the culture of the world, and I'm really proud of how various ideas about religion, race, family, government, education, and social norms have come together to create what I believe to be a really interesting world. As I was developing this series, especially Growing Up Sonic, I was an older teenager and young adult myself, and I totally understand all the questions and the lack of answers there are in this stage because I'm asking those questions myself. I'm not really sure if the story is an expression of frustration or just an attempt to write a good story while I can still identify with the characters on a personal level; it may be both. Either way, I hope you'll give this a good read, because even if you're sick of next-gens and coming-of-ages, I can almost guarantee that this series is different from any other.

Fulfilling the Prophecy

This fic is being reworked to fit the canon and is not available to post yet.

A/N: This fic chronicles the defeat of Eggman and the reuniting of Sonic with his family from Sonic Underground. Obviously, this is important to the validity of the rest of the series, but as of right now, the way the rest of the series has evolved makes this inaccurate. I need to rework it and fix it so that it doesn't negate the better parts of the series. The others will most likely go up in the meantime, and this will be posted later as a prequel.

Growing Up Sonic

Multi-chapter story; Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance

Four years after the defeat of Eggman, the Sonic team must learn to deal with life outside the battlefield. Life experience never comes easy, not even for heroes; while Silver and Blaze are forced to settle in the Chaos Dimension and Knuckles and Rouge learn the true meaning of their relationship the hard way, Sonic finds himself in deep trouble with his mother, his not-girlfriend, and himself. It won't be by his own strength that Sonic gets out of this mess in one piece, but learning this may require more than he's willing to give...

A/N: The late teen/early adulthood years of Sonic and company. Since this is the main coming-of-age fic, most of the drama in the series unfolds here, hence the T rating. If I can ever finish getting it written, it will probably end up as one of my favorites, just because of all the drama.

While it is a leadup to a next-gen, and therefore there is quite a bit of romance involved, I'm trying my absolute hardest to keep it realistic yet set in its proper world in the same breaths. It's a worldbuilding exercise at the same time it's telling the story of how Sonic and Amy work out their relationship amidst all these other problems in their lives. A lot goes on in this fic, but I'm really enjoying how it's playing out so far, and I hope y'all do, too.

Courageous

Multi-chapter story/drabble series; Family, Romance, Friendship

There are two types of courage—that of giving one for all, and that of giving all for one. Join Sonic as he tries to let go of the hero the world once saw him as, and strives to become the hero his family needs him to be.

A/N: This is the actual next-gen story. It's set up more like a drabble series than anything else, just a bunch of oneshots that happen to fall in chronological order and have similar themes. Again, the main focus is Sonic and Amy, but the others play significant (if slightly less so) roles in the overall story arc, if you can call it that. Unlike the previous installment, which has a problem and shows how the characters work to solve it, this one takes the road of describing their average daily lives now that things have changed. It's more of a pick-me-up than anything else. I mean, how can you look at Sonic surrounded by his many young daughters and think, "Ugh, what a killjoy! Now I have to go do something cheerful so my day doesn't go down the drain."

So... yeah. This one's just a fun one. With cute kids involved. What's not to like? *dodges brick*

Other Multi-Chapter Works

Conditional Victory

Rating: T (for big words kids wouldn't understand; E-10 plus isn't an option...)

Complete; 17 chapters; Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy; Friendship, Adventure, Drama

A year and a half after the defeat of Eggman, a literal addiction to the Chaos Emeralds renders Sonic too ill to move. The only way to save him is to bring back what's killing him--a task Tails and Knuckles will not leave unfinished. As they traverse the world, they acquire help from Sonic's many friends and rivals and encounter all kinds of surprises, but as Sonic deteriorates and emotions start running high, friendships will be tested and fears will be faced. Whether or not they can save their hero in time will depend on many things, none of which are in their control. Do all things really work together for good?

A/N: My personal pride and joy. I just woke up one morning with this delicious idea to torture Sonic more than I already had in the past, and this resulted. I think it's one of the best representations I have of my current writing capabilities, and although it's not particularly representative of what I normally write, I do love it, and I'd love to do something along the same lines again given the inspiration.

This one might be worked into the Ups and Downs canon. It would be easy, but I can't decide. It stands alone for the time being, but it would need no altering to fit the series. I guess we'll see!

Battle Cry

Rating: K-plus

Multi-chapter story; Sonic, Bernadette, Jules, Uncle Chuck; Family, Drama

Sonic is a fighter, never willing to back down even in the face of death itself. What he doesn't know is that he's literally always been this way. From his first breath, Sonic had to fight to survive, and it was by faith alone that he and his parents saw him through his first few months...

A/N: This was technically a spinoff to another fic of mine, an age regression fic (which may or may not make it up here...), but it kind of took its own turn, especially when my brain had the bright idea to include characters from the Archie comics at the time. Let me make this clear: I do not write in the Archie Sonic series without a good reason; I have my reasons why I don't believe the series lived up to what it could be, even though it was getting better toward the end of its run. However, Sonic needed both a mom and a dad to make this work, so I couldn't use Underground and make it canon. Technically, it doesn't quite follow the comic progression and world, either; it's more like it's set in the game world with Sonic's comic-parents as his... well, his parents. That's about as far as the comic influence goes, except for some slight foreshadowing to the original Robotnik backstory before that lawsuit changed up everything.

That said, if you appreciate straight-up drama and Sonic-torturing and cute babies, this one's for you.

Battle Cry: All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter (working title)

Rating: T

Multi-chapter story; Sonic, Dr. Robotnik, Jules, Bernadette, Uncle Chuck; Suspense, Drama, Family

All shall fall under the rule of one, whose iron footsteps shake the ground. But when the sun and moon cross each other twice, hope is reborn. The blue wind shall be above order and chaos, and he will rise as a golden angel.

A/N: Think of this one as the Hardcore Remix of the original Battle Cry. It's more of a war story than a dramatic, happy-ending story. It recounts the start of Eggman's takeover as it frames the premature birth of Sonic. It borrows some characters and elements from the Archie series, but the story is definitely darker and more adult-toned. This is a relatively new and very unfinished piece of mine, so I don't know how soon it will be out, but keep an eye out; hopefully, this will be worth it.

Our God is For Us

Rating: T

13 chapters; Tails, Sonic, Silver, Knuckles; Spiritual, Adventure, Drama

Miles “Tails” Prower has never seen a reason to believe in or love any sort of “guy upstairs,” especially when his best friends Sonic and Knuckles are acting so weird because of it. But when he finds himself living a false identity in a world that's not his own, he doesn't know that the adventure he's about to go on will change his life for good.

A/N: Well. I'm pretty well aware that this one won't attract the same base of viewers as usual when I do get around to posting this (probably not for a while). But I do hope everyone will give it a chance, if just for the adventure aspect. This is the one time I will openly display my beliefs as a Christian; they're much, much more subtle in my other works.

This one was born after reading author StarVix's series of similar stories; I asked her permission years ago to make my own version and she gave me her full blessing. I don't know if I could ever do the originals justice in terms of potency and random hilarity, but I sure tried, and I hope everyone can understand where I'm coming from with this, even if they choose not to read it.

Random One Shots

Double Lutz

Rating: K-plus

Not a crossover; Sonic and Amy; Friendship

Most things come naturally to Sonic, but figure skating has him frustrated and miserable. With only a month left until the Winter Olympics, and with his friends' faith in him diminishing every time he falls, Sonic has a long road ahead of him, but Amy won't let him travel it alone. /Oneshot, set before “Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games”/

Stars

Rating: K

Anniversary oneshot; Sonic and Tails; Friendship

Wonders never cease when you're three years old. In fact, they are contagious... On Sonic's eleventh birthday, his first shared with Tails, the boys stop to admire a meteor shower, and the heavens unleash deep thoughts from within our young heroes. /Anniversary fic/

Holiday One Shots

All I Really Want (2011)

Rating: K-plus

Sonic, Tails; Friendship

It's not easy celebrating Christmas when you have no one to share it with, especially when you're just a kid. Two orphans who just want families of their own have no idea what Santa plans to bring them regarding such a request. /Oneshot, based on “All I Really Want” by Steven Curtis Chapman/

Every Hedgehog Needs a Scarf (2014)

Rating: K-plus

Amy, Shadow, Sonic; Friendship

Amy's plans for Christmas shopping were effectively ruined when she drew Shadow's name for Secret Santa instead of Sonic's. She can't raise people from the dead, so what is she to do? Can she please the biggest Scrooge she knows?

Crossovers

What We Do Best

Rating: T

Mario/Sonic the Hedgehog crossover; multi-chapter fic; Sonic, Mario, Tails, Luigi, and pretty much everyone else involved in the Olympic games... games; Friendship, Adventure, Action

In a surprising change of plans, Mario and Sonic are forced to work together to save the city of London from strange foggy foes and preserve the Olympic Games. But as their situation worsens and it becomes hard to know who to trust, the boys must bury the hatchet before their age-old rivalry gets them all killed.

Really There

Rating: K-plus

Mario/Sonic the Hedgehog crossover; oneshot; Luigi, Sonic; Friendship

The Olympics have been anything but a peaceful competition, and softhearted Luigi has given up on having any fun or making amends with the members of Team Sonic. They're just too different to get along... or so he thinks.

And more to come! Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." - Proverbs 12:18