Lynkia, kimchi-tan, Amefloza13, Byrd3-13, SpeedsMyGame, starfiction123:

Hello one and all, welcome back~! I know it's been forever, I've gotten sidetracked with other projects in the interim. But re-reading over this one, I realized it's a great story and deserves a proper ending. So I put my time and energy into crafting a good one. Hope you guys enjoy it~!

Chapter 14 : Underground

I wondered who I'd be without Sonic, and the answer is - me. Strong, smart, capable, and a hero."

Third Dimension, AltSonic

Breathless. Cold. Darkness.

As the blinding light of the swap faded, Sonic blinked his eyes in rapid succession, trying to acclimate himself to the new world he found himself in. Even after a few seconds, he still sat in complete darkness, no light source nearby, and couldn't make out an inch on front of him.

Also - oxygen. He couldn't breathe, he was choking, Sonic desperately tried to inhale but found nothing able to enter his lungs. The space around him was empty, unbreathable. His lungs were suddenly burning, begging for air. He pushed himself into a ball and twirled in a circle, but wasn't sure which way to go. He felt resistance around him, and his nose was picking up a strong earthy scent.

Earth, dirt, dark, moisture - he was… underground?

Panic. Die, he was going to die if he didn't get air soon. His mind was growing more fuzzy by the moment. Spin, spin, spin to win, to get out. Which way was up? For all he knew his spindashes were just burying him deeper and deeper into the earth. But he had to focus and move quick. How to know which way to go? No light, no clues at all. What would Tails do? Something jogged his brain; Sonic uncurled from his ball for a second, took a fistful of dirt, and then let it fall from his hand. Gravity. He hurled himself the opposite direction, drilling through the earth at a speed and power that rivaled a Yellow Wisp.

Sonic burst through the surface, immediately taking in lungfuls of air at a time, gasping and panting in relief. He landed on the ground, face down, but cautiously took in his surroundings. His stomach immediately turned as he recognized where he was.

A graveyard.

The hedgehog lifted himself to his feet, his green eyes wide as he stared at the stone in front of him.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Friend, Brother, Hero

Went down with a fight, protecting those he loved

Now running laps around heaven

Surreal, absolutely insane. Sonic in this world really was dead, and RoboEggman hadn't been exaggerating. Sonic never thought he'd seen his own tombstone, but there it sat in front of him, jutting out of the earth he'd just fought his way out of. It was making sense now, that's why he'd spawned underground in this world. He'd been buried.

He hadn't thought much about death in his something-teen years alive. Always assumed he could outrun it, dodge it, avoid it. But it would come someday. He, too, would be buried in the earth, and wouldn't wake up to fight his way out. A chill washed over his body and he shuddered. Didn't want to think about it.

But looking away from his own tombstone only made him see the one next to it.

Miles "Tails" Prower

Friend, Brother, Hero

Always had a brilliant plan

Now building his dreams in heaven

Somehow this one hurt even worse. Tears began pricking at his eyes, but he violently wiped at them before they could form droplets.

"Little bro…"

Not his world, Sonic had to remind himself. Tails was still alive, and waiting for him back home. He'd heard the fox scream his name and beg him not to come here, but Sonic had to. And he'd just been reminded why. Amy was here, and Sonic had to find her. Maybe their less-dangerous Eggman had come here too, but he probably had a near infinite amount of resources and power, and Sonic couldn't let Amy try to fight him alone. Knowing her, she'd definitely try. He'd just have to get to her first.

With his speed, that shouldn't be a problem. Then again he had no idea where he was, let alone where Amy was. He'd just have to keep searching until he found her.

Original Dimension, OrAmy

The cottage sat in a peaceful quiet neighborhood, bordered by gardens and picket fences. But today, the normally manicured lawn had been overrun by badniks, windows were scarred with broken glass, and any animal friends had skipped their visit for the day. Amy gasped as she surveyed the scene, but didn't waste any time in rushing inside.

"Cream, Vanilla?" She called out. She had her hammer at the ready for any robot stragglers, but the house was eerily quiet, save for the floorboards creaking under her boots. It was also a wreck in here, certainly not up to the ultra-tidy standards the rabbits always kept it to. There'd been a struggle; but what had happened after she'd swapped everyone?

"Amy?"

Little Cream's voice! Amy made a beeline towards the sound, walking through the hallway into one of the back bedrooms. The rabbits sat huddled together on Vanilla's bed.

"Are you alright?" Amy asked, quickly rushing to their side. "Did they hurt you?"

"Thank you Amy, we're fine," Vanilla assured her.

"Somehow," Cream added. "The mean robots just disappeared a moment ago."

"Disappeared? How, what do you mean?" Amy asked, glancing around.

"They were here one moment, and then vanished the next," Vanilla said. "We didn't know what to think, so we've been staying safe here."

"That's weird," Amy said. "They didn't return to Eggman, they just - oh, wait!"

But before she could get another word out, a desk in the corner of the room vanished, forcing all the objects that had been sitting on it to crash to the ground. All three girls screamed, then stared at the empty space, flabbergasted.

"Momma, what's happening?" Cream asked, holding her mother close.

"Chao, chao," Cheese agreed, joining in on the hug.

Amy frowned and shook her head. "Tails said that something was sucking the energy out of this world, thanks to one of Dr. Eggman's latest schemes. He said objects are disappearing all over and he's trying to figure out how to stop it. I didn't realize it was this bad… it must be why those robots disappeared too."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Vanilla offered.

"Tails will figure it out," Cream said with a small smile.

A crash from the cottage entrance made all three of them jump once again. Amy brandished her hammer and brought one finger to her lips, urging them to be quiet. She tiptoed towards the hallway and peered down it. Nothing, just a sudden gust of wind.

"Ames?"

"Sonic!" She dropped her hammer with relief and hugged her boyfriend tightly. "Oh my gosh, you scared me!"

"Everything okay?" Sonic asked, hugging his girlfriend back softly.

"Cream and Vanilla are here, but the robots who were holding them captive aren't. They said they just disappeared. And we saw some furniture in their room disappear, too!"

Sonic crossed his arms. "Just straight up vanish, huh? Guess Tails was right. He better pick up the pace on that gadget he's working on." He poked his head in the bedroom and nodded at the rabbits. "Glad you two are okay. Just stay here until we can figure this out, 'kay?"

"Yes Mr. Sonic," Cream said.

Sonic and Amy took hands and walked towards the living room before sitting on the couch together. Sonic wrapped his arms around his girl, happy to have her back in his arms again. She'd only been gone a few minutes, he knew, but that had felt like an eternity to him.

"What's wrong, Sonic?" Amy asked, looking up at him with worried green eyes.

Ah. He'd forgotten she could pretty much read his mind now with those new powers of hers. Something he still wasn't happy about. He played with her quills and gently stroked her ears, trying to calm her as well as himself down.

"The other us, in the other world - they're in trouble. The Eggman that got swapped into their world is just pure evil, and he wiped out the communicator. We have no contact and I can't do anything to help them."

"Oh no…"

"So now we have no idea if they're even okay or not. And we have to worry about saving this world first. You know me, I'd rush over there and help them if I could, but I can't. I hate feeling helpless. It sucks."

Amy looked at him with concern. She'd never seen this side of Sonic before, his softer and emotional side. Usually he kept his heart of gold locked up and covered with his cocky persona, but now he was being vulnerable with her. She pulled out the pink sapphires, letting their power flow through her heart as she searched his eyes. She just wanted to get to know him better -

Sonic launched himself out of her arms, his back suddenly to her.

"Amy, don't use those on me. It's not fair."

Hurt, the girl put away the gemstones, already missing Sonic's arms around her. "What do you mean it's not fair?"

He just shook his head, his quills bouncing every which way. "This emotion stuff is bad enough when I can hide it from you, but when you can read my mind, I just feel so exposed. Like I'm naked."

Amy blushed, but chided herself for her thoughts. "I mean you already are - "

"That's not the point," he growled with impatience. "I dunno how to talk about stuff like this, and the moment I do, or at least try, you pull those out and make it so much worse."

She stood up and approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Sonic, but… if you don't know what to say, me using these means you don't have to talk, because I already know what you're feeling."

He shrugged off her hand and zipped to the other side of the room. "That is not reassuring."

"What are you trying to hide from me? I thought we were getting closer, I thought you weren't going to run from me anymore…"

Sonic let out an exasperated sigh and finally turned around. "Ames, you don't get it. I do like you. A lot. And I don't want to run from you. I just don't want you to use those on me and make me feel so violated. And for the record, I liked you before this whole sapphire thing happened. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of this new development."

Amy scowled at him. "That's not fair! You think I like everything about your abilities, Sonic? The fact that I know I'll never catch you, that you could run away at any moment, that you like to travel and don't want to settle down? That you could leave me in the dust and disappear and I'd never know where to find you? You know, everything I love about you is something that has broken my heart in one way or another over the years. But I'm not asking you to stop going fast for my sake, just to take me with you. Can't you see that my new abilities are a good thing for us? They'll just bring us closer, while what you can do just pushes us further away."

It was a fair point, but Sonic wasn't ready to concede. "On the other hand, everything I've come to know and love about you is what keeps us together, Ames. But this… just feels wrong to me."

Amy closed the gap between and wrapped her arms around Sonic's neck and gently kissed his nose. "This is a part of me now. For the longest time, my life was just about you, chasing you, obsessing over all of it... But meeting our other versions helped me realize I wasn't healthy or balanced. Now that I can see everyone's desires and wants it's made me reflect on my own. I still want to be with you, but this has made me a better have your world and your life and your hobbies without me, but I don't. Or at least I didn't, and now I do. And that'll be a good thing for both of us."

Sonic looked at the ground, but brought his hands to Amy's waist to hold her. "But did it have to be this? You reading people's minds and telling them what to want?"

Amy shook her head. "Don't think of it like that, it's not that at all. I don't tell people to change, I just help them discover the truth about themselves."

"Still can't say I'm too fond of it."

"Sonic, I… I can't be everything you want. I used to be that obsessive girl who did anything to get your attention… and you hated it. Don't you want me to be my own hedgehog? Don't you want a girl that's independent?"

He took a moment to think. It was true he was most romantically attracted to her when she'd been going after that other sapphire, telling him where to go, knowing just what she wanted. He loved that about her, she was so strong and pretty and determined and stubborn. Independence was certainly something he valued and wanted to encourage. He leaned forward to steal her lips for a quick kiss and smirked.

"You certainly have wisened up overnight."

"Well, I've had a lot to think about," Amy admitted. Her lips were still tingling from the kiss. "Talking to the other me, I just don't want to end up like they did. I don't want us to suffocate each other, and compromise is important. I want us to be happy and you to still be you, but… I have to be myself as well."

"Well…." Sonic drawled out, kicking his foot against the ground. "As long as you don't use your mind reading stuff on me, guess I'm cool with it."

Amy pouted playfully. "It's not mind reading. And for the record, you have a long history of using your powers on me, mister."

"Whoa, what?" Sonic pulled back from their embrace and frowned as if offended. "No I - okay, maybe I have a few times. And maybe those few times hurt you. But I agreed to stop because it was hurting you. Can't you do the same for me?"

Amy held out her hand in a handshake gesture. "I'm fine with that. It's fair."

Instead of shaking her hand, Sonic brought it up to his lips for a kiss. He then hooked his fingers in hers and smiled at her dreamily. "I'd say you're more fine than fair," he said with a wink.

She blushed and giggled at his antics, but quickly leaned in for another kiss. This one was more passionate and forceful as she pushed him down on the couch, kissing him deeply as she crawled on top of him. It was certainly the most intense kiss the couple had shared yet.

"Amy… the rabbits are still here…" Sonic said, blushing as she hovered over him. He loved the view but did not want to get caught.

She planted kisses all over his face. "Yeah, but they're in the backroom… we'll just have to be quiet... "

He really should push her off. Objects were disappearing and they should get back to Tails ASAP. But her lips started moving down his body, tracing his neck and his chest and it felt too good to resist.

"Amy," he moaned as quiet as he could.

"Shhhhhh," she teased him with both her words and her lips. He was nearly going limp under her as he enjoyed the pleasure. She loved that she could do this to him.

Unfortunately, the pleasure was short lived for both hedgehogs as the couch under them vanished, letting them both crash to the ground.

"Ow," Sonic complained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, that timing was pretty bad," Amy agreed, but she was still on top of him, and hugged him close. "But thanks for cushioning my fall, you're my hero."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go see if Tails has figured anything out. Or if we can hurry him along. Before anything else disappears under us."

Alternate Dimension, AltTails, 3rdAmy

"So, I'm open to ideas. How were you guys fighting against that RoboEggman in your world?" Tails asked as he began laying out his tools on the workbench.

The girl, the "third" version of Amy Rose, hadn't said much on their way back to his workshop. She was probably still in shock upon seeing him alive. But he had to pick her brain for ideas. With no version of Sonic left in this world, it would be up to the two of them to stop the evil doctor, who had upgraded himself with robotic parts. And this girl had presumably fought him before, so she must have some useful information.

She was still silent. Tails prompted her by speaking her name again.

She came to. "Oh, sorry. Just coming here, seeing the world so free and nice and natural, and your workshop, it's just bringing back memories." She let out a wistful sigh before continuing. "After Eggman roboticized himself and killed Sonic, we formed the Resistance. We fought him for a while, but with Sonic gone, his upgraded armies, and then you died... well, it turned from a war into survival. Hope is fading. There are only a handful of us that aren't under Eggman's grasp."

Tails narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Slaves. Eggman had machines to build his robots, and machines to maintain those machines, so I don't know what work he has them doing, but I'm sure it's not fun. Me and the other Resistance members freed some of them, but those small victories are all we can pull off. We don't have the equipment or the soldiers for an assault, so all we can do is try to keep part of our world free."

"Before he died, was the other me working on anything that might help?"

"Yes, actually. Now that you mention it. I haven't thought about it in a long time, we'd kinda given up hope on it. But, I remember him saying he wanted to build an EMP device. Something that could directly counter RoboEggman."

Tails snapped his fingers. "Of course! If Eggman has roboticized himself, he has to run on electricity, and if we can short him out with an EMP we can make quick work of him!"

Amy smiled a bit. "Yeah, Tails said nearly that exact same thing. But with him gone, and how hard parts are to come by, it seemed like a useless dream."

"Well, I'm here now!" Tails said with enthusiasm, and began twirling his tails as he flew around his workspace. "And I have plenty of parts. Let's see, I'm gonna need this… and this…" He began forming a pile and sketching down ideas.

Amy suddenly frowned again. "But even if you can build it, we'll still need someone who can get close enough to him, use it, and finish him off."

"You can, right?"

"Maybe. But not by myself. RoboEggman is really dangerous. It's not that I'm scared, just that I'm… experienced."

"You won't be alone, I'm sure we can get Knux to help," Tails said, still scurrying around gathering parts. "Actually, almost forgot… we should probably bring these Chaos Emeralds to him. I'll keep one to power the EMP but we shouldn't keep them all in one spot with just the two of us here."

Amy nodded and headed for the door. "Okay. I'll take the other six to him then, and fill him in." She stopped in the doorway. "Wow. I haven't seen Knuckles in a while, and for all I know he's dead - in my world he was captured a long time ago."

Tails smiled. "Well, you get to see him for now. Also, you'll need a way up to the island."

"Oh, right… it's still in the air here. That would make sense."

"Cream would probably be happy to take you."

"Cream? But she… she's alive here. Right. Wow, it's just…" Amy suddenly found herself fighting tears. "Tails you don't… know how good you have it here. I just wish that Sonic was here too… so I could see him one last time…"

Tails stopped his work to go and comfort the girl with a hug. "Amy, you don't need him to be a hero; you're one yourself. I'm sure you've done a lot of good since he passed. And he'd be proud of that. It's what he would've wanted."

"I know. He… he almost told me. That he loved me. I just wish I - " she swallowed, trying to get a grip on her emotions. She patted Tails on the back and then released him. "I'll be fine. I'll go get Cream and Knuckles and we'll end this. I still don't understand why I was brought here but if we can get rid of RoboEggman for good it'll all be worth. Come and find us when you're ready."

Tails watched with admiration as the hedgehog left. She had been broken, he could tell, but she'd obviously grown back much stronger for it. He'd help her by building this EMP, and then… then they'd figure out how to bring Sonic back. Somehow.

Third Dimension, AltAmy

The moment the light faded from Amy's eyes, she immediately surveyed her surroundings. She had no idea what to expect, if she'd be in danger, who would be with her, or anything. She hadn't thought too long and hard about coming here, just knew that she had to do this. The world depended on her getting a handle on these pink sapphires, and couldn't do that back home. Plus Sonic needed space, and she needed to prove to him, and herself, that she could do this.

All these thoughts raced through Amy's brain in the background as she analyzed her environment.

She was inside; the room resembled an office. A desk was pushed in the corner, with pens and papers were scattered all over it. Surely this couldn't be her office, as she'd keep things much tidier if she were in charge. Two computer monitors sat side by side, one with a series of maps and the other with an application that resembled a chatroom. Radar and communications. So they really were staying safe and keeping tabs on Eggman here. The room had only artificial light, and she couldn't see any windows nearby. Her first thought was that they were underground, perhaps both literally and figuratively.

Amy approached the desk, and after quickly scanning through the communications and seeing nothing alarming on the radar, she began shuffling through the folders of documents. Again, she was annoyed at how none of it seemed to be in anything resembling order, and knew she couldn't concentrate until it was at least organized. Not sure what half of this was, or what she was looking for, Amy resigned to just grouping it by color.

After lifting up the last pile of folders, a leather-bound journal resting underneath caught her eye. It certainly looked out of place, somewhat old fashioned amongst the messy documents. Perhaps they were just there to hide this? Amy flipped through the pages, discerning they were handwritten. Part of it was a ledger of sorts, with names, dates, locations - she turned to the very beginning and her heart nearly stopped. The very first name, written with perfect penmanship, with a small heart beside it.

"Sonic the Hedgehog - deceased."

Damn. He was really gone here; Eggman hadn't been bluffing. She traced his name with her fingertip. He couldn't have followed her then, she'd have to do this alone, to protect him on the other side.

She scanned through the other list of names, wondering who her allies could be. Tails - dead. Cream - dead. Knuckles - POW. Blaze - POW/MIA. Chaotix - all POW. Big - dead. Shadow - POW/MIA. Her heart sunk with every passing name. Who did that even leave? Rouge, and Silver if he was even here. The three of them could maybe take down the less scary version of Eggman. Maybe.

Reaching the end of the ledger, Amy noted several more pages of notes. She started by just skimming over the contents, but was soon engrossed in the account. If it hadn't been obvious who had written this journal, it was now.

…

"Today I woke up and finally spoke the words. He's gone. Espio said it'd be good for me to write down my thoughts so I'm trying. But lately I haven't felt much. We buried him last week but it still doesn't feel real. He left us before for months at a time, and I keep watching the door, hoping he'll show up. Hoping I'll hear that boom and know it's him. Hoping that he'll give us some more hope, because right now we don't have much. Tails says to be positive, he has a plan, but he's so broken up and won't let it show. I wish I didn't always carry my heart on my sleeve, and could be strong like him. He works and isolates himself to deal with it. And me? Still haven't dealt with it. At all.

...

Today I finally stopped crying. But today I also realized he's not coming back. He never will. He's in the ground, in heaven, but I'll never see him again. Never feel my heart soar from those green eyes, that confidence that everything would be okay. Sonic was hope. When he died, hope died too.

...

Today… is just another day. Knuckles was captured. Tails says he's working on something but no one ever sees him anymore. I think all he does in his workshop is cry; after all, we don't have parts for him to build anything. Today, or tomorrow, we may try to look for some. But what does it matter if Sonic is gone? What do I even have to live for anymore? I'd always wondered who I would be without Sonic, and the answer is an emotional wreck. Useless. Nothing. The Resistance needs me to handle communications and I do my best. With Knuckles gone now they need me even more. But I don't think I can do this. Some days I want to kill myself just to join all of those we lost.

…

Today, I'm finally writing in here again. I'd put this journal down and hid it away because it wasn't helping. But looking back on these old entries, I realize it did help me, more than I realized at the time. Yeah it all still hurt like hell, but I was getting out it of my heart, out of my head. I can't bring back Sonic, or Tails, or Knuckles, or Cream, but they wouldn't want me to stop trying to save everyone else. I don't know why I'm one of the last ones left. I'd always considered myself one of the weakest of the team, the annoying tagalong, but I outlived them. Rouge says that means I'm strong, stronger than I even knew, but I'm not sure. She also brought me some pink gemstones she found on her scouting mission. I don't know why, but I feel strangely attracted to them...

…

Today, those pink gemstones activated something within me. I heard a voice saying I was their new guardian and that I could discern individual's true desires. I tried them out on Silver, and it turns out he has feelings for me. Not sure how to feel about that. I tried them out on Rouge and her heart is surprisingly wholesome. Yes she wants jewels, but she also wants Knuckles back, more than anything. It's not that I can read minds, it's like I can peer into someone's heart and see their true motivation, their true wants. The voice told me I can also give someone what they truly want, but I know that's not the case. Because as much as I held onto those stones and wished and wished, Sonic never walked back through that door. If only he would. If I'd had these stones back then, I'd have looked into his eyes as he was dying, when he almost told me he loved me… if only I could know the truth… then again it hardly matters if he's dead. I have to move on.

….

Today, I realized the pink sapphires can actually give someone what they want. But it's pretty dramatic how it does so. It literally transports them to another world where that desire is true. It's more of a traveler's stone, so that's what we took to calling them. Not gonna lie, I considered using them on myself. Leaving this terrible world behind, and going to a place where Sonic is still alive. Maybe a younger me would have done that. But I know I can't leave this world. I have to stay and fight, free the prisoners who are still alive, and take back the planet. Eggman may have roboticized himself but he's not immortal, and we'll figure something out. I can't abandon Silver. I may have taken a liking to him. I know Sonic and Tails and Cream would want me, us, to be happy, and to not give up. So I fight on in their memory. I wondered who I'd be without Sonic, and the answer is - me. Strong, smart, capable, and a hero."

…

Amy closed the book, her heart pounding. She sniffed, and wiped away a few tears she just noticed. What powerful words - this version of her had been through hell. She'd also had the sapphires and unlocked their power, becoming the guardian here too. Amy reached into her own pockets and found the gemstones sitting safely in her dress. She pulled them out and stared at them, their glittering pink surfaces mesmerizing. And yet, no Super form like she'd seen on the other Amy. What was wrong with her? Why did the other two have it and she didn't?

A loud alarm from the computer made Amy jump from the surprise. She frantically looked at the screen, trying to make sense of the data and alerts.

"Amy, what do we have?" Silver suddenly poked his head through the door, then glided over to stand behind her, staring intently at the screen.

"Sounds like the radar alarm," Rouge flew in not soon after, huddling next to the hedgehogs, and confirming Amy's suspicion they were the only ones left.

"What is that thing?" Silver squinted at the radar. "Amy?"

"Uh," the girl hesitated, not eager to share she wasn't exactly who they thought she was. But the data on the screen made her stomach turn. No. No, it couldn't be. "It says it's a blue blur moving at supersonic speeds."

"Not Metal," Rouge said. "Please not him. If he finds this place we're toast."

"I'll hold him off," Silver activated his light blue swirls to levitate himself. "You two get to safety."

Rouge grabbed his shoulder. "Nice try, champ, but we don't split up, remember? Every time one of us tries to go solo, we end up captured. That's how the doc has been taking us out one by one. First Shadow, then Knuckie, then Blaze, and I can't lose you, too."

Silver looked at Amy, his golden eyes sad. "At least you get to safety, Amy?"

The girl blinked at him, unaccustomed to the tenderness in his expression. Towards her. That's right, according to the journal the two of them had a "thing" here. Oh boy.

"No, are you crazy? I'm fighting him, too."

The male hedgehog turned off his powers and landed next to her. He gently brought a hand up to her forehead to brush away her bangs. "I can't lose you…" he whispered, and closed his eyes as if about to kiss her.

Amy stared at him with wide eyes, awkwardly. Should she play along to not cause confusion? But she couldn't kiss Silver, he was a friend! Even if over here they were more than that! Luckily for Amy, a deep voice interrupted them.

"Hey, hands off my girl!"

The three of them turned to face the intruder, all looking equally horrified. A blue hedgehog, formerly dead and buried, now apparently alive and well, complete with his trademark smirk and arms crossed.

"What the f-"

Before Rouge could finish her vulgarity, Silver immediately grabbed Sonic's body with his powers. He violently threw him against the wall, paralyzing him from moving.

"Wait, Silver, stop!" Amy asked, and then ran over to Sonic, but she was cross. "Sonic, what are you doing here? You followed me!?"

"Had to," he replied as Silver loosened his psychokinetic grasp on him. He jumped back up. "I told you I couldn't let you go to another world by yourself."

"But you have no way back! You're trapped here!" Amy protested. "I told you to stay home!"

"We'll figure something out, we always do," he shrugged. "Happy I found you guys, but I have to say it was ridiculously easy - "

"Someone wanna tell us what the hell is going on?" Rouge demanded. "You're supposed to be dead. We buried you. Don't tell me you've been alive the whole time."

The hedgehogs turned to her.

"I just clawed my way out of a grave," Sonic said, scowling. "Don't be mad at me."

"You… what?" Silver was still stunned.

"What?" Amy echoed.

"Yeah. I used the Chaos Emeralds and those Sapphires to swap myself. I guess since I was dead here, the Emeralds resurrected my body on this side, and the sapphires swapped it, but I was still buried underground. Got out easily enough."

"You have the Chaos Emeralds?" Rouge asked, her eyes glowing.

"Really? You hear all that and that's the question you ask?" Silver shook his head. "I still don't understand what's going on."

"Long story short, we're from another dimension," Amy said and reached into her pocket. "It looks like here, I do have the Sapphires."

"No Emeralds for me, though, But we don't need 'em. You guys ready to kick Eggface's butt?" Sonic grinned at them.

"Wait, both of you aren't… real? You're from somewhere else? Then where is my Amy?" Silver asked.

"Your Amy?" Sonic narrowed his eyes at the gray hedgehog.

"Hey, you're supposed to be dead!"

"Forget all that," Rouge interjected. "You two can fight over Amy later. But we're not about to go fight Eggman. If you guys are from another dimension then you don't know how powerful he is here - "

Sonic yawned. "I just scouted the whole planet. I'd say I can get in and take out the doc, no problem. Especially if we can get everyone else together."

"Those who aren't dead are captured. Knuckles, Shadow, Blaze among them," Amy said.

Sonic gathered Amy in his arms bridal style and winked down at her. "Then it's time for a good old-fashioned jailbreak." He nodded at Silver and Rouge. "You two try and keep up."

He took off at top speed, and Amy held on tight. She wanted to be happy he was here, because with him defeating Eggman would be easier. But what about after that? The whole reason she came here was to protect him, and now they were both stuck. Even if they tracked down all the Emeralds in this world and she somehow mastered the sapphires, there was no physical body in their world to use to swap him. He'd simply vanished over there. And without Tails here to build a machine to travel through the worlds… she didn't see it happening.

"What's the matter, Ames?"

"I wish you weren't here," was all she said, avoiding his eyes.

Sonic was about to make a wisecrack, but actually thought better of it. "You know I had to."

"No you didn't."

"You're the one that came over here first, Ames. Remember. This was your plan. I said we could beat that robotic Egghead and you said no."

"He'd already killed you! I don't know why you're so confident. I saw the intelligence, Eggman has taken over this whole planet."

"You knew that coming in. What was your plan before, without me?"

Amy pulled out the cursed pink sapphires. "I'll use these. Or learn how."

"So you came all the way over here without a plan of what to do?"

"Oh please, Sonic, you do that all the time!"

"Yeah but I'm good at it. You're not!"

She didn't respond, and instead held him close. Sonic's voice softened.

"Amy, I… Coming out here, I realized that I can't lose you. I saw my grave out there, and Tails' too. I realized I won't live forever. So let's not wait to be together. I know I said I needed a break, but let's not wait until it's too late. I just realized if something happened to me, or you, and we hadn't lived our lives to the fullest, well - I'd regret it, and I'd always lived my life with no regrets. So I'm not leaving your side again. Okay?"

The girl nodded, happy he was opening up to her. She nuzzled the side of his face. "Sonic, you know I feel the same way. I found a diary that this Amy kept, of how she felt when she lost you and… I can't go through that either. She eventually realized she was strong without you, and I know I would be too, but I think I'm stronger with you. I just wanted to come here to show you, I can handle myself, didn't need you at my side always, and you could make your own decisions without me. I just didn't think your decision would be to follow me."

"I love you too much to do anything else."

They shared a quick kiss at supersonic speed.

"And don't you worry, Amy. We're gonna win this thing, and I'll get us home. I promise."