A/N: We get a bit more focused on Ermyl and Amy in this chapter. Hope you enjoy. And sorry it took almost a month to update this. I really am trying to be more consistent.

"So what do we do now?" Amy asked, looking across the huge body of water in front of her and Ermyl. "How are we going to get to Sonic? I mean, I guess we could swim to West Side Island, but it'd take way too long."

"That's exactly what we're going to do."

"What? You're joking, right?"

"Not at all," Ermyl said, pulling a strap out of one of her pockets and tying it around each end of her hammer's handle before throwing it over her back.

"That's going to take all night. You can't honestly expect us to swim the whole way."

"Unless you suddenly gain the ability to walk on water, you don't have much of a choice."

"Fine. But I'm not going to like it."

"You don't have to like it. Let's just do it and get it over with."

"Excuse me."

Surprised by the unknown voice, Ermyl whipped around, her hammer off her back and in her hands in seconds. "Who are you?"

"Whoa," the stranger said, putting up their hands defensively. They were wearing a dark robe with strange markings that covered most of their face and upper body, so it was difficult to see who it was without getting closer. From the sound of their voice though, it was clear they were a man. "Just put the hammer down and we can talk."

"Who are you?" Ermyl asked again.

"Mother," Amy said sharply.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," the stranger said. "I heard you and your daughter–––"

"This is the third and final time I ask you before I smash your head in. Who are you?"

"I'm just trying to help. Now do you want to get to West Side Island or not?"

"You've been following us, haven't you?" Ermyl asked, twirling her hammer as she advanced toward the stranger. "Admit it, someone sent you after me and my daughter. Right?"

Amy quickly grabbed Ermyl by the arm and pulled her back. "You need to relax. Big time. Look," she said turning to the stranger, "I don't know who you are, but if you can get us to West Side Island quickly, please do so. If it's money you want, we'll find some way to pay you. Whatever it costs, we'll do it. Just please help us."

"I will," the stranger said, "but there is a catch."

"I could take a wild guess what that would be," Ermyl said, her face expressing what could only be described as something between disgust and contempt.

"You," he said, pointing to Ermyl, "must apologize to me."

"What?" Ermyl nearly yelled. Her face twisted into a look of anger that one would have toward another without clear cause or reason other than that they deserved it.

"You heard me. Apologize for threatening to assault me and I will take you and your daughter to West Side Island."

"Then you can forget it. I will [I]never[/I] apologize to the likes of your kind."

"So be it."

"What are you doing?" Amy said to Ermyl, anxiety draping her every word. "Just apologize to him."

"I will not," Ermyl said. She looked away from Amy who at this point had tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

"Something serious is happening with Sonic. We have to get there as quickly as possible so we can help him."

"Amy…"

"There's a reason he ignored us before he left for West Side Island. I don't know what it is, but I do know that we need to be there to help him. Can you just apologize?"

"It's not that simple."

"Please, mom. Please."

Ermyl turned to the robed man who had his arms crossed and was wearing what Ermyl could only assume was sure was a smug grin.

"I'm sorry," she said in a plain tone.

The stranger didn't respond for several seconds; he seemed to be mulling over something.

"I said 'I'm sorry,' you wasted use of life."

"I heard what you said, but I don't think I accept that apology."

"What do you mean you don't accept it?" Ermyl asked, her nails straining against the palms of her hands. "I apologized, didn't I? Isn't that you wanted? Well? Isn't it?"

"It is. But I want to believe it. I want you to put some emotion into it. Show me you mean it and aren't just performing a lip service."

"I'll show you a lip service," Ermyl mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I said…" Before Ermyl could finish her sentence, Amy grabbed her arm. In her daughter's eyes, Ermyl could see a thousand words that didn't need to be said for her to understand them.

"I'm sorry," Ermyl said in a low voice. She turned her attention back to the robed stranger. "I'm sorry," she repeated, this time in a louder voice, "but not because I'm trying to kiss up to you or because you're telling me I should be. You can take us to West Side Island if you want to, but there's someone there who may be in trouble, someone we care about, and we need to get to him as soon as possible. So either help us out, or stop wasting our time."

"I always did appreciate your blunt and candid nature, Ermyl. And Amy looks even more beautiful than I could have ever hoped. It truly does make me happy to see my wife and daughter alive and well."

Before either Ermyl or Amy could react, everything turned black as if the sun itself had been blotted out. It was only for a moment, but by the time either could clearly see, they were standing outside a forest and the stranger was nowhere to be seen.

"That man," Amy said after a short time of complete silence. "Was he…my father?"

"No," Ermyl said coldly. She turned toward the trees that seemed to stretch on for miles. "From what Fang said about West Side Island, I'd say we made it."

"This isn't going away, mom. Who was that man?"

"I already told you, he isn't your father."

"But he had control over dark magic. Isn't that what you told me father practiced?"

"We need to get moving," Ermyl said, entering the forest. "Now."

"You told me he let it consume him," Amy said, following closely behind, "and that was why he left us."

"We don't have time to be debating this. Now pick up the pace."

"Did he really leave us because he didn't care about us? Or was that a lie?"

"Enough, Amy."

"Was it both of us he stopped caring about, or was it just you?"

Ermyl stopped in her tracks, almost causing Amy to run into her. She was silent for a few moments, save for the sound if her slowly breathing in and out. "Do you want to find Sonic or not?"

"Of course I do. Why would you even––"

"Because standing around here isn't going to get it done. If he really is in danger, talking about nonsense that has nothing to do with our current situation isn't going to save him. If anything, it will only ensure that he dies. So again I ask, do you really want to find Sonic or not?

"I do."

"Let's go find him then."