Hi there everybody.

Okay, so this is my first story here on this site. That doesn't mean it's my first story ever. Just on this site…

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic or any related characters, or the very beginning of the story. I only own the main plot. If it bears resemblance to any other story here or anywhere else, that is purely coincidental. Enjoy.

Chapter One

Sonic smirked as he ran down the corridor, smashing robots left, right and center. Cream had been captured by Dr. Eggman, as her distraught mother had tearfully told him, and now he was on something of a search-and-rescue mission as he had sped off before Tails could come up with an actual plan. And so far, this was proving to be very easy.

He smirked again as he swerved left through an open door, barely missing a robot's fist as it came crashing down upon him-not that he really noticed.

Too easy.

Meanwhile, Cream stood in her small, dome-shaped cell, watching Dr. Eggman grumble in annoyance as, behind him, several small monitors showed the blue hedgehog making his way to the center of the base. She held Cheese tightly as Sonic trashed another robot. Dr. Eggman pounded the control panel in frustration.

"Why does that cursed Sonic always get in my way?!" he roared. Cream decided it was time to speak up.

"He doesn't get in your way Dr. Eggman; Sonic just tries to stop you doing all the bad things you like to do." She said, putting on a brave face as he turned to look at her angrily.

"Chao chao!" Cheese cried, backing her up.

"Oh, is that so? Well he's too late to stop me this time!" he said happily. And above them, Rouge's eyes glittered as he held out the Red Chaos Emerald and continued and then finished his speech with, "He can't stop-!"

Suddenly, the door right behind him burst open, and Cream cried, "Sonic!"

"Sonic!" Mimicked Dr. Eggman, a little more resigned, before grinning. "Too late!" He inserted the Chaos Emerald into the machine behind him and started pressing buttons at a pace to rival Sonic's speed. Finally, he held up a button. "You'll never stop me now Sonic! All I have to do is push this button!" he laughed, thinking he had Sonic cornered. Sonic, however, smirked. "Yeah," he said, "If you can press it before I grab it!"

Dr. Eggman froze, then grinned again as another robot appeared behind Sonic. "Why don't you give it a try?" The robot started firing at Sonic. It missed. Then Sonic jumped in front of Dr. Eggman. "No, wait, hold your fire! Gah!" he ducked as a spray of bullets went over his head and hit the machine. It was then he realized that, in clenching his hand while covering himself, he'd already pushed the button. "Ha ha, here we go!" he cried, when suddenly, sparks started to fly. Literally.

He looked behind him.

And there was a flash of light.

Everyone in the room covered their eyes from the blinding light. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was really only a few seconds, the light started to fade away. The second it was gone, the door burst open, and Tails, Amy and Knuckles ran inside. They looked around wildly.

"Cream!" Amy cried, rushing over to the cage and hitting it with her hammer. The transparent material gave way after three hits, and she hugged little Cream and Cheese as they started to cry.

"H-he's-s g-gone, A-Amy," sobbed Cream. "G-gone…"

"Gone?" Amy frowned. "Who's gone? Where've they gone to? Cream, what are you talking about?" But Cream just kept repeating the words "He's gone, gone," again and again.

Tails looked around, then frowned. He rounded on Dr. Eggman, who was still standing in the same spot and trembling slightly.

"Where are they?" his voice was dangerously quiet. Knuckles glanced around, and then stood beside him, having noticed what was missing.

"Where are what?" Asked Amy, looking around the room as well, and taking a bit longer to grasp what was no longer there.

"I-I-I don't know!" Dr. Eggman burst out. "I was just activating my absolutely brilliant new machine, and he disappeared! And he took my Chaos Emeralds with him!"

"Oh, quit being such a crybaby over my Emeralds." Rouge swooped down from the ceiling and landed in front of him, her hands on her hips, scowling. "Darn, that's once more I have been denied them…"

"Rouge!" Knuckles, Tails and Amy cried in surprise. Cream and Cheese quieted down a bit to look up at the newcomer. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking what's mine, of course," She replied, striking a pose. "And having it stolen from right under my nose, again…" She muttered, annoyed.

"What's missing?" Amy asked, still in the dark.

Tails sighed and turned to confused pink hedgehog. "Look around Amy; what do you think?"

"Umm…The Chaos Emeralds?"

"Uhh…And?"

Amy looked around one more time. And then did a double-take.

Her expression went from confused, to surprised, to shocked, to angry, to flat out crazy in a matter of seconds.

She flew at Dr. Eggman, hammer in hand.

Knuckles leapt forward and caught her just as she was about to land the first blow. He held her back, straining slightly. She was strong.

"Where did he go?" Tails murmured to himself, walking to the smoking machine and examining it closely. "What did you build this for?"

"It doesn't look like much," Rouge remarked, standing beside him, Cream leaning against her and sobbing quietly with Cheese on her shoulder.

"This is Eggman you're talking about. You can just never tell with that guy." Knuckles half-pulled, half-dragged Amy over to them. "Though I doubt its effects were intentional."

"Then what is it?" Tails wondered, looking behind him. "Eggman?"

The space behind them was empty. He had snuck off while they'd had their backs turned.

Knuckles swore, and Amy started banging the ground with her hammer repeatedly.

And meanwhile, in a whole new world, eyes opened and blinked.

Ruby red eyes.

End of Chapter One.