This is another very long Chapter.. The theme "Nothing's Parfait" was the strangest of all. I use it without realized that "Parfait" was actually means "Perfect". Sorry for the crappy last chapter, it was more to hurry. I soon discovered that "Sonic and the Time Masters" happened to have the most complex and lots of plots. When I made the bas story of it, there's still long way to go.

There's stil about 4 or 5 chapter to go, and it soon to be the only story that wouldn't be happy ending...

--

"The more you know the shorter your life gets" (Spike, Cowboy Beebop series)

--

A glimpse of hell would be the best description on what her place was.

Little Miss Rose was in the middle of an open burning field.

Her forest eyes which usually we saw as full of hope and star gazing now was as dull as a lifeless doll's life.

Despite her lifeless spirit, her brain was still commended her legs to move.

Walk through the flames, it won't hurt you…a voice spoke

Walk…walk…walk…

Few corpse besides her, was it Tails?

No no don't think of that…

walk…walk…walk…walk…

Now that corpse looked Knuckles, and his side…would it be Rouge?

No…NONONONONO

skip…skip…

Few more familiar faces…

God, no… it's not Cream!! IT'S NOT!!

Run…run…

More screaming, don't listen to it cover your ears.

RUN, RUN, RUN!!

She stops…

There's another life form beside her

On the desert of dead corpse…

That creature was more to a semi-monster like

But what it seemed doing was worst than a monster…

"What's going on…?" Silver and Volt out of the oddities spoke on the same time while watching Amy wincing on her sleeps.

"Can't we do something?" Silver looked at his Cyborg partner. As much as he hates most of his idea, he concerned more to the girl.

"We can't…" he sighed, holding her palm for supporting, "This is what Mephiles wants."

"Wh…What do you mean?"

"We could only wait until it's over."

Silver could only silently only watching her palm being held by the Cyborg.

It was more like a savage beast, it just got a prey as it took something inside it.

It just pushed the prey like a ragdoll, now it was eating greedily on whatever thing he took from inside the prey.

Amy couldn't bear to watch, a nauseous on her stomach cause by her disgust with it.

The creature finally looked at her.

With the blazing yellow eyes…

She stunned when she realized who it is…

Shadow?

Gazing back to the prey again

No…Sonic…you couldn't

Not you…This isn't true!!

"NOOOOO!!"

That was hard enough to startled the Time Masters. It's not like every day you would watch over someone who would scream on her nightmare.

"This is getting worst." The albino hedgehog complained while still holding Amy on balance.

Volt just bit his lips. For rare occasion he would gladly take the blame and could sold his most precious items for exchanging Amy's consciousness. But all he could do was calming her while his mechanic palm holding her hand.

It was then he was about to examine more to her face in case there's some side effects. But instead, his wish was suddenly granted

…not on a wise way.

Amy Rose just blinked suddenly, out of nowhere she could only saw the same forest green eye that look like hers staring at her, along one with was red,

There are no flaming fields just some random place with an open blue sky…

No corpse… Just two hedgehog's was holding her…

wait…who are they…?

SLAM!!

Volt found himself suddenly slump with his face to the ground. After recovering on this sudden attack he raised his head to see Silver raised his hand on confusion. He saw Miss Rose out of nowhere a gigantic hammer on her hands, and she was trembling slightly. Obviously she was the one who gave the blow, while his albino partner was quick enough to avoid it.

"Who…who are you?" Her confusing made her to watch them both with quickly.

"Well Miss Rose." He dusted off himself while standing, "You probably already know Silver…"

"But not you…" she still raised it as a warning, "Who are you? Where's Sonic and Shadow? Where am I? Why are you taking me?"

"Here, let me take her hammer…" Silver offered.

"Permission is not granted." Volt grunted his hand snatched his parter's available hand, preventing any action he was about to took.

"But, I'll just take her hammer with my telekinesis. It won't hurt her!"

"Let me handle this…"Volt snarled, not by his partner's idea, but more to the pain on his head. While still ignored any Silver's suggestion, turning back to Amy "Miss Rose, all of your questions would be answered if you calm down…"

"No I won't calm down!! I want to go back to my friends!!" She still clutching at her hammer, not with fear trembling her body.

Volt's normal ear bent down, "I…cannot do that."

"Why?" She screamed neither it was a question or a denial.

Volt realized on her position, he forgot to tell her that this place was another top of a high building. She was close to the edge, but not realizing that because she was walking backwards.

"Miss…Rose…" his voice caught on his throat, unable to warn her.

Because that was least of his problems, a tentacle out of nowhere was reaching her feet, from the edge. The tentacle suddenly took her stomach, in instance Amy's whole body was pulled…

There was a slow motion, things went to fast that Amy forgot to scream. Her forest green eyes widened as she outstretched her arm. The Cyborg hedgehog didn't just stood silence. He quickly ran over the edge, shooting the monster's first. It quickly shown result as the monster's tentacles release Amy in the sky. Volt quickly took Amy's arm with his organic arm as they both fell. Amy found her voice finally, falling of few hundred feet of building is fair enough for her to fright.

However, mostly only during intense time that Volt came up within idea. There was a fertilization made of metal (which he relieved). His metallic arm sparked small amount of electricity, but it created quite enough large amount of magnetic field. In instanced, his arm was clamped to the metal fertilization. Their falling abruptly stopped with Amy hanging from his other arm.

He gave a sigh for relieved, he needed to calm down his nerve system for a second, same goes to Amy. Unfortunately the monster menace was stopped. He realized that Monster's size was far larger than he predicted. Sure, the monster was taken back from the blow he shot few seconds ago, but he'll soon recover. The monster taken shaped with Fish's mouth, it gladly showed off his rounded teeth as it try to take him and the girl like fish bait.

Volt realized it now.

Mephiles was sending lots of troops, it was scattered on the city just to find the girl.

There is fifty percent chance that they just took Amy alive, of course more percentage that they would kill her guardians. He looked down bewildered with the monster like Fish's mouth which was nearer, and some faint sound of screams of the people, car crashed, and fire, with more monsters scattering all over in down below.

"What's going on??" Amy's voice waking him.

"Hang on to my neck!!" He immediately yelled.

"Wha…" He didn't gave time for her to finished.

Just as the monster about to get them. He put Amy on his back, in instinct her arms clung to his neck. Piggy back riding Amy is not a wonderful thought which crossed to Volt. He was more concentrating on lighting small jets on his roller blades as he able to get back to the top again. He was succeeding in back on top of the building, greeted by confused Silver.

"What the…?"

"He's making a party search… RUN!!" He immediately taken Amy to the ground and handle her to Silver.

The Monster roared and to make it worse it called his friends. Both of the male hedgehogs took Amy's available arm and ran as fast as it could rival Sonic's speed. With no luck aside to them Volt was caught up by feet and collapsed. But he was immediately dodge back and defended himself.

"VOLT!!" Silver called in worry.

"Just take her and get away from here!!"

The albino hedgehog has a bit dilemma, but he then took Amy's available hand and ask her to continuing.

But she had no interest to fled…

Instead she ran back to the Cyborg ignoring Silver's denial, "AMY!!" When she get closed to the Cyborg hedgehog, she morphed her hammer as big as it was. Volt was surprised to see her sudden coming. She then jumped in high elevation, raising her gigantic hammer and slammed the Monster who caught him. Volt was stunned by her action, yet if her action is not strange enough, she faced him then offered her hand.

"They're aftering me, aren't they?"

The Cyborg nodded, took her arm and stood up.

"This is why you taken me away, isn't it?"

He nodded again. But deep inside he knew there's more reason than that.

"Please keep in mind that I may need protection. But I don't want to be underestimated. And if this mess ended…you will take me back…right?"

The Cyborg hedgehog then gave a soft grin, a sign of approval, "I promised…"

There was a sudden force field shielding them. The monster taken back, as the hedgehogs turned back to see the one who made that force field.

"Idiot!!' Silver yelled, but it was more to worry than insult.

"Well I think Miss Rose just wanted to join our team". Volt spoke with his grin crossed hi face again.

"But… but…!!' The albino gave a strange bewilderment expression.

"Remember…" The half indigo hedgehog gave a wink, "Protect the girl by our means. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't let her fight."

Silver gave a slight groan. It's not because he was injured but it was more to disagreement. Nevertheless, he then raised his head and smiled. The hedgehogs back up side by side, preparing for fight.

Oddly, the albino one introduced, "Miss Rose… I'd like you to meet my current Mentor, Volt the hedgehog."

"Nice to meet you, Ames!" Volt gave a salute.

To Amy's notice, Volt's grin was so much like Sonic. She smiled and positioned herself with her hammer.

Greeting the Monsters!!

"Boys… We've got some serious Monsters to be wiped out!!"

-

--

-

"We all interrupted this program for urgent News!!"

SLAM!!

One Monster is down.

"Out of nowhere, lots of monsters just appeared and bring chaos to our city"

BAM!!

More few monsters are beaten

"It was confirmed that some of the Monsters may looked like the incidents we have with Black Doom. However the mayor suggested not panicking, it seemed Sonic the hedgehog was taking this case along with his frie……"

BOOM!!

The reporter might regret for the news which was as cut off because the large monitor was broken by the monster which it was thrown in defeat.

The mist cleared showing two heroes aside.

"How come she didn't mention our names?"

"Oh shut it, Shadow. This is no time to talk about it…" Sonic's lime eyes rolled.

But Shadow knew better, the large amounts of the Monsters were keep appearing.

This fight could be never-ending…

"None of these stupid creatures had Rouge!!" he complained.

"I guess you're right. I'd better ask Tails… Gosh they keep coming." Sonic replied while dodging Mosnters.

"You think??"

"Sonic!!"

The azure hedgehog then caught a call from the sky. Tails was flying his famous airplane Tornado, along with Omega helped. Omega then rained bullets to shoot the flying aliens, resulting on more chance on victory.

Though the monsters seemed to be endless…

"The Monsters had very strong connection to the Chaos Emeralds!!"

"What?"

"Their main goal is not to chaotic the city. The Chaos Emeralds are their main goal. This "Volt" you spoken of, if he had the first Chaos Emeralds that means we have to search the second one. That means…"

"If we get the Chaos Emeralds the Monster would stop terrorizing the City…"

Shadow grinned in the middle of this situation. "I might know who held the second one…"

-

­­--

-

Rouge sighed…

This is something she wouldn't plan. But of course, her ambitions is blind her enough to see the consequences. If it's a jewel on her target, then there would be no stopping for her to get it.

It should be easy job. There's chaos emerald on a museum, her spy skills shouldn't be bother.

But… funny thing how suddenly one giant monster came.

Out of nowhere, that thing just killed the securities, she's the next target. The bat fled without thinking further. She realized it now; the monster was aftering the chaos emerald on her palms. On what is that monster and where it came from should be put aside. Her life is one what her head now. Like out of the lion's jaw into the crocodile's, she has nothing for defense, but somehow luck leaded her to some security room.

It was made of complex steel, and strong enough to be her barrier. However she was trapped indeed, outside was the monster…while inside there's nothing left for the room except some savings of the museum.

Ah, it's an ironic.

This is what her dream from her life…

Surrounded by jewels, which happened to be the museum's saving.

…and a chaos emerald on her hands…

But of course her life was about to last for few minutes.

She's wondering now, how are the others? Sonic would probably running around as usual.

Amy would still following her…the poor fool, she didn't know that Sonic has a feelings for her. The bat was about to tell her someday, but now that chance might be feeble.

Tails would be looking up with sky, unlike her he has more healthy and reasonable ambition.

Shadow was the one who close to her personality.

They both didn't have aiming, it's a very strange way to bond friendship. Unlikely, but she felt it's happening. Too bad he never had someone, and both know that she wasn't the one for that hedgehog. If only she had the chance to meet him again, she would say thank you for being my best friend. She never heard a thank you word from him, but sometimes small actions from him lead to more friendly side for her.

But Shadow the hedgehog would be fine without her, he didn't need her…

She only concerns on Omega, but he might wouldn't care if the bat who often never take the mission completely. Well, he's an independent robot, he would soon find another company, easily adaptable and took their commands if it's reasonable.

Now what would that Guardian up too? It must've been on those boring routinely jobs. As boring might be, but for some reason it was interesting if she watch him on every small detail of his life. When Knuckles took a slumber on a sunny afternoon, when his eyes watching carefully on the Master Emeralds, when he drinks fresh water from the fountains, when his laugh was something that was as rare as jewels…

Funny…why does on her last minutes of her life he would think that gullible echidna?

But time was short, she guessed nobody would save her.

…nobody need a pesky thief, life would be still going without Rouge the Bat…

…at least that what she thought.

A slight booming voice caught her ear's attention. This is not from the monster that chased her. The door was opened, and to her relieved, it wasn't the monster who opened it.

"I thought you were here…" A voice which was heard to her was too familiar.

Like him she never greeted anyone 'willingly'…

"So Shadow the hedgehog rescued me… again… Or is it just the Chaos Emeralds?"

The black hedgehog raised an eye brow. His crimson eyes observed the way Rouge raised her arm to surrender her emerald.

"You're an idiot…" He narrowed his eyes, in sarcasm

"What? Is it just because I get it first?"

"No, because you've tried to risk your life for that emeralds." He turned his back to her, "The situation is not safe. Those monsters are aftering the emeralds, and they will willingly kill anyone who gets in their way, I'll explain why later. You have to stick with us if you want to be saved. And just because the emeralds are important to us, it doesn't mean yours isn't considered…"

The bat blinked, it's not like everyday Shadow would tell you straight that he cared. Well he it's not really straight… But at least he cared.

"Yeah of course! We've been looking all over the city for you." Sonic chirped in and his grin crossed his face as usual.

"Rouge's status… health still comprehensive… Saved…" Omega's robotic voiced beeping.

Perhaps we don't exactly know how robots feels but he seemed to be content after he find out that Rouge is fine.

"Hate to admitted, but for the first time I'm glad you had the emeralds. Otherwise we probably can't detect your presence." Tails was the last one who spoke ended with smiled.

Those words may not be the directly word that says you're important.

But with the way they confessed it… Rouge think it was enough.

By the time she joined them… She smiled.

Nothing's perfect…

-

--

-

"Volt…" Silver started.

Munch! Munch! Munch! Munch!

"Slow down…" He continued feebly.

Munch! Munch! Munch! Munch!

"Please chew your food." He touched his own temples to calmed down.

Last minutes, Amy Rose and her guardians just defeated few of monsters that were sent by Mephiles.

And how do they celebrate it?

She just noticed that they took a fancy restaurant…

Munch! Munch! Munch! Munch!

The Cyborg hedgehog did have strange habits…and extreme appetite. She did ask why he picked this restaurant. The half indigo hedgehog gave her two reasons, the first one he need good food. She noticed that Volt was quite rich enough to buy any of their foods, only God knows how he got those…

The third reason? He said this restaurant known to sell good parfaits…

Munch! Munch! Munch! Munch!

"Why can't you maintain yourself?" Silver's mumbled again

Volt suddenly stopped his fast chewing. With force he raised a fork as is it was a weapon, "Dad says: if you're stressed...then eat!"

"You're stressed?"

"…being chased endlessly by monsters? Of course I am!!"

It seemed that the hedgehog who was really stressed was Silver. The albino hedgehog was never understood whenever his partner tried to rant something. For a happy go lucky type hedgehog, it seemed impossible that Volt was stressed.

The way he manage his stress is the proof that he was never being serious, eating his food vaguely greedily.

"Interesting…I had someone who had the same philosophy like yours."

And somehow the male hedgehogs were silent…

Both of them looked at Amy Rose with apprehension. For some reason they both knew whom the rose hedgehog meant.

"Uh… That was us… Boys? Hehehe… We couldn't help it when it comes to food."

"Oh yeah" Amy giggled, after that the boys sighed in relieved,

"Let's not forget deserts." The Cyborg hedgehog winked with his artificial eye.

"Parfaits…?" Amy assumed.

"Well… actually that was Silver's favorite…" He laughed, while nudging his albino partner.

Silver mumbled, "Ugh…there's no way that I…!!"

He stopped when Volt sled a parfait on a table near to him. After some silence he suddenly took it without hesitation and almost as greedily…gobbled the parfait.

"You're (gobble) evil (gobble) you know that?"

His partner smirked, "Heh, I know you as one of the greatest warriors of all time. But I don't know what will happen if one of your enemies knows if you could be bribed with parfaits."

Silver annoyed as Volt notice he grunted with some ice cream still left from his mouth.

"Poor you… You still don't know how to eat properly when it comes to Parfait… here let me wipe it off from you…"

"I can wipe it myself!!" He yelled as if it was some kind of defense.

"What is your favorite desert then?" Amy asked her voice was colored with small laughter.

"Actually I'm more into Apple Strudel… My mom made the best." He gave a thumb up.

"You had a mother…?" Amy's smile grew.

"Er…yeah?"

"What does she looked like?"

And then there's silent again…

Now both of her guardians were looking at Amy as if she was an alien.

"Is something wrong…?"

"N…no!! It's just we rarely talked about my family that's all…" Volt gave a nervous laugh.

Then he felt Silver's aura of anger warned him, the tension grew…

"…and it's kinda prohibited." The albino hedgehog spoke with his voice started to snarled, his amber eyes still glared at Volt.

"Oh sorry, I was just curious about how would your parents looked like since you're a Cyborg."

Volt gave a light laugh, "None of them are Robots that's for sure…" Silver's aura tensed again to him, "…er… She's a great Mother… That's all I could say."

Silver's aura suddenly calmed down.

Volt gave a sigh of relieved.

The Rose hedgehog gave a small smile, "I guess I could imagine that. I still wondered what she looked like…"

"Well, whatever the reason is. I'm glad so this restaurant survived the attack from Mephiles' minions."

"It seemed they retreated. Because of what they after is no longer in this city…"

"What do they after?"

"The Chaos Emerald…"

"Where is it now?"

"If you ask the first then it was with us now…" he extended his arms showed a Chaos Emerald, "The second one might be with Sonic's…"

"Ah… Then where's the third one?"

"They were…"

…In Floating Island.

-

--

-

Knuckles the Echidna took a long glance to the sky above the shrine. There was a storm in far away, but h could see some lightening lustrously between the dark clouds. He suddenly noticed the Master Emeralds was glowing brightly unstable.

He stepped closer to the Emerald and stroked its surface.

"Yes… I know..." he whispered as if the giant enchanted stone had its soul, "Something is coming…

"Something erroneous is coming…"

-

--

-

"Floating Island… Mission: Find the next Chaos Emeralds."

Omega's being voice broke the silence between the group.

So there's Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Rouge and Omega was walking along…that's a strange combination (AN: and Shadow would complain to me again why Sonic was the first).

None of the Mobians knew how they actually decided to go along. And they had no idea why they suddenly trust each other. It's not like they would get along right? But none of them seemed to be complaining. They didn't get friendly towards each other either…

…Just some darn silence…

"And why do we have to go to the island again?" Sonic then asked

Finally…someone talked after the strange silence.

"It's because the radar got the Chaos Emerald on the Floating Island."

The ebony hedgehog snorted, "This is probably the strangest fact I've heard…? As far the hunt for the emeralds…none of them are actually near the Master Emeralds."

"Knuckles got two of them for your information."

Shadow did saw Rouge's ear perked up. It was more to Tail's first word than the second.

"What? After all we've been through and you didn't tell us that Knuckles has two? Shadow and I could make a Time Gate if we had at least two of them to find Amy!"

"I would prefer on anything to find Amy first, Sonic… But Knuckles…he informed about he found those emeralds, and he said they were unstable, something was not right. He hid the Emeralds on one place, avoiding any contact with those."

The blue hedgehog goes silent.

"What happened with it? Shadow asked.

"I don't know… The Chaos Emeralds acting strange lately, he said."

"Enemies detected…"

"What?"

SLAM!!

Another Monster appeared...great…

This time it was a Giant Cyclopes made of Rock…this one must've have a good defence…

Without warning the group was separated from a giant arm which slapped them as if they were flies. Sonic and Shadow was dispersed in separated ways…but they both had hard time to dodging the sudden Monster attack. Omega immediately throws fires at it. Rouge goes tended Tails who temporarily fainted.

"Hey get someone your own size!!" She yelled.

The Rock monster suddenly grabbed her, she suddenly noticed he brought spear on his hands.

And then it happened again…

Her life flashes…

Sonic and Shadow screamed her name in worry…

Omega tried to get the Monster's attention…

…while her head flashes Knuckles the Echidna's face again…

…again?

The last thing she saw blood splashes…

--

Yes...another stupid cliffhanger, I suppose to have no right to kill any of the original characters but meh...

Next chapter:

"Why... Why did she affraid of me?" Sonic stood in silence.

Shadow can't spoke any word he felt he didn't know he answer... He also felt he ahd no right to answer it. He just stay stood in silence, watching Sonic with pity and hints of worry which he rarely shown.

"TELL ME WHY!!"