.

Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can't help

Falling in love with you

Chapter Two: Amy Rose

Amy heaved a heavy sigh, before looking up. It was a beautiful day, with a blue sky and only a few, white clouds floating about. This would have been a perfect day to visit any of her friends,go shopping or doing her favorite past-time - chasing after Sonic. Her mind was creating entire daydreams about said other activities

So why was she watering the plants in her front garden?

If she was honest with herself, she had no real reason. Something inside her had just told her to stay, a feeling or a voice in her head. Besides, her flowers needed watering every now and again. What she didn't like was how mundane the task was. It gave her mind too much room to drift into dangerous directions, most of them related to her last adventure. There was worrying if and how the planets that had their eggs stolen were recovering. She certainly didn't want to think about all the friends who had lost their lives. For one because thinking about the fact that they were gone forever hurt, but also because it made her thoughts drift towards Tails current suffering. It was hard to watch, especially after having gotten small tastes of that suffering. Aurora, all the times that Sonic got hurt, almost killed - it still nearly gave her heart attacks just thinking about it. She didn't have any other explanation for the swelling in her chest …

Amy let out another heavy sigh. She shouldn't have stayed home today.

The stream from her watering can died down. The hedgehog shook it a few times, as to evaluate how empty it actually was, before deciding that yes, it needed to be refilled. She ended up never getting the extra water, as three figures coming out the forest distracted her. One of those figures was a very familiar shade of blue.

"SONIC!" Amy screeched overjoyed. Oh how glad she was that she had stayed home today!

She threw aside the watering can and ran towards her beloved hero, but slowed down when she saw who was walking next to him. On his left was a purple hedgehog she had never seen before, but far more important was the orange two tailed fox to his right. Tails had refused to leave his house for weeks. Her breath hitched and her eyes started to water. Not able to wait for them to come to her, she started running towards them again.

"No, no, no, no, Amy, don't …" Sonic started, already in dashing stance should she come a little too close for comfort, only to find himself stupefied when she rushed right past and threw her arms around his best friend.

Tails was as surprised as Sonic, standing stock still and trying to find out what exactly was happening.

"I'm so glad", Amy hiccuped. "You wouldn't see any of us - hic - and we were all so worried!"

Tails looked down to the ground and the two other hedgehogs could see the flicker of guilt in his eyes, just before he closed them and returned Amy's embrace.

"I'm sorry", he whispered.

Amy just shook her head as an answer and nuzzled her nose deeper into her friends neck. Sonic couldn't help but smile at the little scene. It helped to be reminded every now and again that there was more to Amy than just her obsession for him.

Amy was still sniffling when she pulled away, but a smile now adorned her face and the relief on it was evident. She took Tails's face into her hands and ever so gently rested her forehead against his.

"I knew it would be only a matter of time until Sonic got you back on your feet", she half-whispered, closing her eyes in contentment. "I'm just sorry I couldn't do more for you."

Tails thought about the many untouched pastries she had left on his door, and all the dinners she had prepared in worry he was not eating enough. He thought about the letters she had written him, all of which he had torn without ever even opening them. He thought about how his garden would sometimes look just a tad different and his flowers healthier when he went back to tend for them after his latest nap and the many, many other things she had done for him before finally giving up. Amy had done everything in her power and more. So Tails closed his eyes as well and pressed his forehead back just as gently, hoping dearly that this small little gesture of appreciation would be noticed.

Then Amy opened her eyes and smiled, turning to the blue hedgehog. "I guess I should have known that you're the only one who could help him, Sonic. You really are the best!"

"Thanks for the flowers, but that's not actually my handiwork."

Sonic scratched the back of his neck and looked behind him, where Violett had patiently observed the happenings. Amy eyed the purple hedgehog curiously. She was a bit taller than herself, probably older too. The unreadable look on her face was a bit off putting, but if she had helped Tails come out of his hole, then she had to be a good person.

"Hi, I'm Amy Rose", Amy smiled and held out her hand.

Violett looked at the outstretched hand, not really seeming to know what to do with it.

"Violett", the purple hedgehog answered and curtsied instead, a gesture which made Amy's eyes bulge in excitement

"Are you a princess?" she asked, looking straight at the tiara on Violett's head.

"No",

"But you are a female hedgehog! I've never seen any other ones. Oh you must come in for some tea!"

"I …"

"No 'but's! It's least I can do after you helped Tails. Come on!"

Violett was downright dumbfounded at the girl's enthusiasm. She didn't even have any time to protest before firm hands on her back were stubbornly pushing her towards the small house she lived in.

"Just to make this clear", Amy whispered into Violett's ear, "I'm Sonic's girlfriend. He's taken, so don't try anything funny!"

Violett raised an eyebrow skeptically, being pretty sure that this 'relationship' was rather one-sided. Well, it wasn't like she was in any danger; a romance with anyone was the furthest thing on her mind. She had other things to worry about - like how to get to that dinner that the speedster promised. For the moment however, she was being pushed into the house and onto a surprisingly comfortable sofa. She wasn't entirely certain how to handle the overly enthusiastic girl, causing her to sit on the couch as still and stiff as a deer caught in headlights.

"Give me two minutes. I just dried some mint tea a few days ago. I'm sure you'll love it."

Violett opened her mouth to protest, but Amy was gone before she could even utter a word. Resigning to her fate, she instead decided to take on a slightly more refined - and comfortable - position on that sofa. Tails plopped down next to her and Sonic decided to lounge on the window sill next to the sofa.

"She's something, isn't she?" the blur laughed when he noticed Violett releasing a small sigh.

"Quite", was the flat answer he got. "She said her last name was Rose?"

"Yep", Sonic answered. "It's the only thing she knows about her family. All three of us have been orphans since long before we could remember."

"I see …"

There was no further inquiry, no 'I'm sorry', not even a flinch. Violett only looked at the hands folded in her lap, as if thinking about something and Sonic had to admit that he was curious as to what was going on in her mind. He had never met anyone quite as tight lipped and dismissive as her, and yet she had somehow managed to get through to Tails in what couldn't have been more than a twenty minute conversation.

"Here we go", Amy emerged out of the kitchen.

Careful not to spill anything; Amy made her way towards her small ensemble of couches and put the tablet down on the small living room table in the midst of said ensemble.

"I didn't know if you liked honey or sugar or both, so I just brought out everything. Oh, and I brought some home made biscuits too. I got the recipe from Vanilla, so they're bound to be good."

Amy seemed proud of her work and Violett had to admit that the tea smelled heavenly and the biscuits looked enticing. Over all, the entire put together of tea time looked like something out of a book. It was masterfully done. Perhaps Violett could enjoy some time at this girl's place after all.

"One spoonful of sugar and a small dash of milk please", Violett finally gave in to the flow.

"Yes ma'am! And two spoons of sugar no milk for you, right Tails?"

Tails nodded as Violett took her cup of tea out of Amy's had.

"Sonic?"

"I'm good, thanks."

The blue hedgehog was perfectly content bathing in the sun that shone on him through the window. He hadn't even opened his eyes when he had answered. Amy didn't seem to mind though, and happily poured a cup for herself after handing Tails his. She sat down on the couch and took a small sip of her tea. It was perfect. She then continued to reach for one of her biscuits, only to find that the bowl was already half empty, while Violett was nibbling on one. She straightened back up and giggled to herself; she had not expected such a quiet person to be a glutton.

"So where are you from?" Amy started a conversation.

"Far away", Violett answered vaguely in between biscuits.

"And what are you doing here? Did you move? Oh please say you're here to stay!" Amy was bouncing in her seat now.

"I'm here for business. I will make my stay as short as it can possibly be."

Amy's excitement dropped noticeably. "Oh … and where will you be going after?"

"Far away."

Amy's ears dropped. Was it at all possible to make small talk with this hedgehog? She heard Sonic snickered from his window sill and she shot him a dirty look to shut him up. It was effective.

"What kind of business are you here for?" Amy tried again.

At this Violett hesitated a bit, glancing over at Sonic. He had mentioned the queen of Mobius by name; as if familiar with her. Chances were high that all of these animas were familiar with them, so would it do any harm to tell them?

"I must retrieve an item from the royal family."

Amy stilled at this. The royal family included Sally and mention of her reminded Amy of the days when she and Sonic had been utterly and entirely enamored with each other. It wasn't like Amy couldn't understand why. Sally was nice and kind, firm if she had to be, intelligent and a natural leader, with a beautiful smile and gorgeous eyes. She was as perfect as any mortal would ever be, her only real flaws being the pride that would sometimes take over, as well as occasional bouts of utter bitchiness if she had a bad day. And Sonic … well, he was Sonic, handsome and heroic and mysterious and so damn evasive. Amy would never blame anyone for falling for him. Sally had made him very happy, and happy was almost all she wanted her hero to be (happy with her would be the only better thing), but seeing him with someone else, no less someone whom she could never hate because she was an honest to Aurora good person, still hurt.

"What kind of item?"Amy asked, sipping her tea and no longer being really invested in the conversation.

"The sword of Acorns."

Amy and Tails both spit out their tea and Sonic fell from his sill.

"The sword of Acorns?" they all shouted in unison.

"You know of it?" Violett seemed honestly surprised, though not quite as much as the rest of the room. The three friends looked at each other, before Sonic picked himself off the floor and sat down next to Amy.

"The sword of Acorns is the royal family's most sacred treasure," Amy began, "It's as powerful as it is dangerous and only the successor to the throne can wield it", she wouldn't mention how the sword had allowed Sonic to wield it every now and again. "It's been in the hands of the Acorns for longer than this world has records of. It's said to have been made out of the fabric of the very universe, whatever that means, and that it has a mind of its own. Because of that, it will kill anyone who tries to wield it, if it feels merciful. Otherwise, it will take over your mind and body and turn you into its slave. And it has power far beyond what even the royal family knows."

"There's no way they will ever give you the sword. It's too important and you will never be able to wield it", Sonic finished and Tails nodded in agreement. "What do you need it for anyways?"

"I don't", Violett answered.

She continued to sip on her tea, ignoring the confused stares for quite a while. It wasn't until Sonic opened his mouth that she interrupted him with a small sigh and put down her tea.

"I wish to protect it", she explained.

Sonic's ears perked up and a small grin made its way to his face. "From what?" he asked.

"A magician."

"Come on, give us a bit more! Is he strong? Fast? Dangerous?"

Violett picked up her cup again and continued sipping. It had been a mistake to engage in conversation about her objective. Sonic was quite obviously an adrenaline chaser, looking for excitement and adventure. She would have a hard time convincing him that he would be in over his head. And she was certain that wherever Sonic would go, Amy would follow.

"She is dangerous", Violett confirmed. "Too dangerous. And the less you know of her, the more likely you are to escape with your lives should you ever encounter her."

Sonic's grin got even wider, but Amy swallowed hard. She still had the 'adventure' with the Metarex fresh in her mind. People had died during that adventure and those who hadn't had come a little too close for comfort. She would rather not relive those days.

"And you can protect it?" Tails asked, breaking his silence.

Violett froze for only a split second, but both, Tails and Sonic picked up on it. This girl, however composed and in control and strong and otherworldly she was presenting herself to be, was in dire straits.

"I've no choice", she said, eyes locked to her tea. "At the very least, I must try."

"We can help!" Sonic said excitedly.

The only thing this lead to was another sigh from Violett, a flinch from Tails and an angry outburst from Amy.

"We can NOT!" she screeched. "The last time we helped a stranger it nearly got us all killed, you especially! And Shadow and Cosmo …"

The pink hedgehog stopped in mid-rant, realizing what she was about to say and in front of whom she was about to say it. She slowly turned her head to see if there was any saving, but the damage had been done. Next to Violett, Tails' empty cup was shaking in his hands and he was slowly curling in on himself. His breath was hitching, tears were gathering in his eyes, his ears were flat against his head, his two tails slowly wrapping around him like a protective barrier.

"I …" Amy reached out her hand, only to pull it back in. She had tried time and time again to get the young fox out of his shell the last few weeks, nothing had worked. No good words, no cooing, no gentle coercing, no hours of talking to a locked door, no fresh bouquet of flowers, no picnic invitations … nothing. She knew perfectly well that there was nothing she could say or do to help right now.

Violett, on the other hand, acted. As if about to accomplish an everyday, mundane task, she slowly put her now empty tea cup back on the table. Gently, she pried Tails' cup out of his hands and began petting his head with slow, gentle strokes.

"Breathe," was the only thing she said and Tails immediately made an effort to slow his breathing to the pace of Violett's caressing hand.

The longer this continued, the more Tails' shaking softened, until it was gone entirely. Once it was, he could feel Violett's fingers on his chin, gently commanding him to turn his face to her. There they were again, those misty blue eyes that were swirling with so much emotion. Tails relaxed almost immediately.

Feeling a lot better, though still in his curled up position, Tails leaned against Violett, finding comfort in her closeness for reasons that escaped him.

In front of them, Amy had taken to staring at the hands that were now in her lap and Sonic was longingly staring out the window. It tempted him to run away from this unsolvable problem, get some fresh air, make his blood pump through his system. But there was no way he would ever run from Tails.

"I'm sorry", Amy whispered.

Tails closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Unless you wish to lose any other friends, I suggest you not meddle any further. Amy?" Violett stood up abruptly, causing Amy to jump up as well. "Thank you for your hospitality. I must be on my way now."

The purple hedgehog strode towards the door, no sign of reluctance in her eyes. She was leaving and never returning to this odd bunch. After all, she had business to attend to. She made it all the way to the door, her hand almost on the doorknob when …

"What about dinner?" Sonic cried.

Violett's ears twitched and she froze. In her hesitation, the trio could almost see the inner battle she was fighting. She apparently lost it, because seconds later, she straightened herself slowly turned around face the trio. Sonic could have sworn he saw a small blush on her face.

"I suppose I could stay for dinner", she mumbled

"Mother, what is that?" a young Cream asked, pointing to the edge of the forest.

The mother rabbit stopped in her tracks to look towards the direction her daughter was pointing at, while a chao settled on top of the little rabbit's head. Quite a bit away, a dust cloud was forming, but from what was, at this point in time, uncertain.

"Hmm … my guess is as good as yours, dear", Vanilla answered.

Together, the trio continued staring towards the forest until they could finally make out what, or rather who, had created the dust cloud.

"CHAO!" the little chao cried and flew into the house as fast as he could.

"Oh my!" said Cream. "Looks like Sonic made Amy mad again."

Approaching fast was a blue hedgehog, looking profoundly distressed. Not too far behind was a rage induced pink hedgehog, swinging her hammer about wildly. Upon seeing this, Vanilla hastily secured the basket of apples that had been hanging on her arm. Not even twenty seconds later, Sonic had successfully hid behind Cream, his speed having brought a gust of unnatural wind with him.

"You have to help me Cream, you're the only one she listens to", Sonic pleaded.

"What did you do, Mr. Sonic?"

"Nothing mean, I swear. For some reason, she's just against me going on a new adventure."

This caught Cream's interest, but before she could say anything, Amy had reached them, hammer out and ready to be swung despite her heavy breathing. She looked positively livid and even Cream felt as if she was shrinking a few sizes in front of the enraged hedgehog.

"What's the matter, Sonic? Afraid of a little girl with a hammer?" she mocked. "How odd that you'd be so gung-ho about getting yourself killed when you can't even face me!"

Both rabbits and the blue hedgehog thought that would have been a really good argument if Amy wasn't so terrifying using that hammer of hers. If she were to ever get serious with it ...

"Amy, please calm down. I'm not sure what the situation is, but I'm certain that Mr. Sonic only had the very best of intentions."

Amy's murderous gaze turned to Cream and the little rabbit yelped at the intensity of it. For a few seconds, everybody froze, then Amy took a deep breath and finally relaxed. Her eyes drifted back to the blue hedgehog. There was a look on her face that Sonic very rarely saw, and it dawned on him that this was a little more serious than their usual 'why won't you marry me' squabbles.

"That's exactly the problem", Amy sighed in defeat.

During that little exchange, Violett and Tails had approached the house, walking at a leisurely pace. All eyes fell on them when they were close enough to capture attention and Sonic, assessing that he was no longer in danger of being squashed to death by an oversized hammer, turned to Vanilla.

"Are we in time for dinner?" he asked her.

"You're a little too soon", the grown rabbit answered with a smile, "but I could use some help. I was just about to make some apple pie for desert."

"Sweet", the blur exclaimed, continuing on when Violett and Tails had finally arrived at the house. "This is Violett. I promised her dinner as thanks for saving Tails from Eggman."

"Pleasure", Violett curtsied.

"No need for such formalities, dear. Any friend of Sonic's is a friend of ours. How are you in the kitchen?"

Violett blinked, a bit surprised by the question. It was certainly the last thing she had expected to be asked by anyone.

"I've never made an attempt at food, but I'm quite well versed at brewing magic potions", she answered.

Whatever answer Vanilla had expected, it was quite evident on her face that this was not it. Magic potions? Was she talking to a witch? Did such creatures even exist? Certainly, she had seen much in her life, but never had anything downright classified as magic.

"I … suppose that will do", Vanilla caught herself. "Then why don't you help me in the kitchen? Cream dear, Amy, I could use your help too. Tails, Sonic, would you mind putting up tables and chairs outside? It's such a lovely day, it would be a shame to spend it in the house."

"Yes ma'am", Sonic grinned and with a thankful smile, the women headed inside. Sonic could make out Cream asking if Violett was a princess, which was answered with the usual flat 'no', as well as Amy's mood going up when she found Cheese inside the house (there you are Cheese, I was wondering where you went).

Once they were out of sight, Sonic and Tails went to work, and two tables and six chairs were put up within minutes, as well as a large umbrella for some shade. Sonic also volunteered to put up china and silverware and soon, everything was nicely put up for supper. The meal itself took a bit longer and so, Sonic and Tails relaxed in the sun for a while.

"How you're doing, bro?" Sonic asked.

"I ... don't really know", he answered.

"That's fair, I guess. A lot's happened today, especially for you."

Tails didn't answer and Sonic didn't press any further. Leaving his home was a step in the right direction, but his brother's silence and his constant downward cast eyes were a constant reminder that he was far from being okay. It would be best not to press, not after all the pressing he's done so far had only served to push Tails away even further.

A few minutes later, Violett emerged from the kitchen with some beverages. While the two boys didn't budge, she herself sat down and allowed herself a drink. Her role in the kitchen was over and much like Sonic and Tails, she now had time to relax. Soon after, Amy appeared, also done in the kitchen, opting to lay down in the grass next to Sonic and enjoy the sun. Last but not least, Vanilla, Cream and Cheese came from the kitchen, bowls and platters in their hands and the scent of the food drew the three sunbathers towards the dining table. Vanilla had made fried salmon drenched in lemon with noodles and rice as sides and a buttery sauce with it. Two apple pies were currently getting ready in the oven.

"Please, help yourself", Vanilla gestured towards the food when she saw how wide Violett's eyes had gotten (and how the drool didn't quite manage to stay in her mouth).

Not needing to be told twice, the crew dived for the salmon. It was a good thing she had decided on two apple pies, as all her food was gone in a matter of minutes. She could have sworn she had made enough for at least ten people (she did enjoy making small meals out of leftovers whenever someone came to visit, though a group like today's deserved something fresh), and yet, both full sized apple pies had also somehow managed to disappear from the table entirely.

"May I ask", Cream started, Cheese resting on her head, "why were you two fighting earlier? It seemed … different than usual."

Sonic and Amy looked at each other, knowing perfectly well that they were the ones who were addressed, before Amy huffed and turned her head away in displeasure.

"Well you see, Violett here", Sonic gestured at the magician sitting next to Tails, "is on a quest. I was saying we should help, but Amy's strictly against it."

How odd. Amy was known for getting mad over trivial things and if anything, she would have gotten mad over Sonic going on an adventure and not taking her with him, but even for her, this was a new low. Adventure was basically Sonic's middle name, he went on them all the time and Amy had never seemed bothered by it. What was different now?

"Ms. Violett, what do you think of Mr. Sonic's proposal?" Cream asked the purple hedgehog next to her.

"Rejected."

Sonic let out a deep sigh and Amy a victorious smirk. Not having expected such a blunt refusal, Cream and Cheese shot a quizzical look towards Tails, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"She doesn't want anyone killed", he said.

"Your quest is that dangerous?" Cream exclaimed. "Then why do you go on it alone? Won't it be less dangerous if you had help?"

"I must agree with my daughter", Vanilla added. "Surely, some qualified assistance would lower the risks of … well … 'getting anyone killed', as Tails so wonderfully put it."

"Are you guys serious? You're trying to convince her to let Sonic go on a suicide mission with her. I will NOT allow that!"

"No, no!" Cream shook her head so wildly that Cheese fell of it with a small cry. The little rabbit caught her Chao just in time and with a small apology, set him down on the table. "You misunderstand, Amy. We were just saying that maybe it's dangerous to go alone."

"And of course Sonic should be the one to go with her, isn't that right?"

"Amy …"

While Cream continued her best to calm the upset female, Violett had put down her drink, staring at it with unfocused eyes that betrayed that she was lost in thoughts.

"Qualified assistance …" she muttered to herself, her voice being drowned in Amy's loud protests.

"Amy dear, I very much understand how you feel, but you're being unreasonable", Vanilla cut in.

Her usual motherly smile was gone, a clear indicator that she was not to be messed with unless you wanted the upcoming scolding to be even harsher. Amy promptly sat back down and shut her mouth.

"Have either Cream, Cheese or me explicitly stated that we want Sonic to accompany Violett?" she asked.

"... no."

"Then do not accuse us of saying or doing things you know perfectly well we didn't do. Neither your temper, nor your passion, nor any of your good will are excuses to unfairly lash out at someone. Do you understand?"

"... yes ma'am."

"As for your problem, I understand that you're only trying to protect Sonic, but his decisions are his to make, not yours."

"And there you have it", Sonic grinned, only to be met with a glare from Amy that instantly wiped it off his face.

"As for you Sonic!"

The hedgehog in question immediately stiffened.

"You cannot honestly believe that any decision you make, including going on a new adventure, will affect only you. Take into account the influence you have when making decisions. If you leave, you most likely will not leave alone and anything that happens from thereon out will be your responsibility. Therefore, if someone as close to you as Amy thinks that your idea is not a good one, then it is your duty to at least take that into consideration."

Sonic pouted, but did not answer otherwise.

"You heard her", Amy smiled triumphantly.

"And you didn't", Sonic shot back. "She said to think about the people who get roped up in my adventures all the time. Now who does that include, huh?"

"Amy, Cream, Cheese, Knuckles, Rouge, me and sometimes the chaotix", Tails mumbled.

Understanding where this was going, Amy clenched her teeth and her face started turning red in anger.

"That means they ALL get to speak. I say we do a majority vote, fair and square. What do you think?"

Amy clenched her fists.

"That sounds reasonable", Vanilla smiled and Cream and Cheese nodded enthusiastically.

Amy began to growl.

"Okay", Tails muttered.

Amy's face got even redder.

"Qualified assistance", Violett thought out loud again.

"Alright FINE!" Amy's shout pulled the purple hedgehog out her thoughts. "But if the majority says no, you're dropping the subject, or else your face says hello to my hammer!"

"Noted", Sonic agreed, trying to shuffle away. It was never pleasant to be nose to nose with an angry Amy.

"Cream, you contact the others. Tell them to meet up on Angel Island in a half hour. Sonic and I will help Vanilla clean up."

Sonic gulped heavily, but didn't dare go against the pink hedgehog's orders. With a 'thank you' from Vanilla, the two started stacking up dishes, before disappearing into the house.

The entire time, Sonic could feel Amy's angry glare on his back and understood that the reason she had singled the two of them out to clean up was because she wanted to talk about this in private. He let out a long sigh and stopped in his tracks before they left the house for the next stack of dishes.

"Spill it Amy, what is this really about?"

"It's just as I said. I don't agree with you getting yourself killed."

"Yeah, right! I'm not buying that. You might be overly clingy and a crazy fangirl and annoying and a bit of a stalker .."

"The point?"

"The point is, you're not one to say no to an adventure, let alone one to keep me from one."

"That was before the Metarex."

"What do the Metarex have to do with any of this?"

"EVERYTHING", Amy screeched, running out of whatever patience she had left. "You", she cried, her index finger pushing against Sonic's chest, "were always out there, risking your life playing hero. You have absolutely no idea how the rest of us feel, watching you getting beaten up. You have no idea how I felt every single time I had to patch you back up, how hard it is to see you hurt. There were so many times I thought you'd gotten yourself into a situation you'd never get out of alive." Her eyes were cast down now, her shoulders shaking and her hands clenched to fists. "If you get hurt again … or worse … I wouldn't know what to do …"

Ah. There it was again, the tightness in her chest. Just thinking of Sonic getting hurt made it hard to breathe, all while making her strangely lightheaded. And what was worse was that this time, it was happening right in front of the person in question, which seemed to magnify the effects, all while making her entire face heat up uncomfortably. It was suffocating.

So how did his hand on her head make it seem pleasant?

"Don't worry", Sonic smiled down on her. "I'll just make extra sure not to get hurt."

Amy closed her eyes and gave in. It was such a Sonic thing to say, and she was certain that not long ago, these words alone would have calmed all her worries. Now however, she just clasped her hands together, praying that Sonic would be fine as he walked away from her. He wanted action, who was she to deny him this?

Head hanging low, she slowly trotted after the blur.

Hello again. Yes it's been a while, yes this fic is updating slowly, yes I did warn you about this last chapter and no, that's not gonna change. I wanna take this little section here to thank my two reviews; NeckBreak and Goku the Carrot. Also, the biggest of thanks to Alysa, my faithful beta-reader who never goes easy on me and to anyone who favorited and followed Limits.

Other than that, there's not much to say. I've started working on a huge original project, that I might tell you more of next time I post since it's only in the beginning stages. Since it directly helps me with improving at university (I'm an animation student, if anyone's intersted), it WILL take priority. Fear not, though. Chapter three IS in the works, though it may take a while since Alyse pointed out quite a few fundamental flaws that will need fixing. Don't worry about Limits being abandoned, though. 9 chapters are written at this point, chapter 10 is in process. Once again, if you want to know what happens next, go to my page and read "Dimensional Travels", the OG version of it (disclaimer; it's awful).

Please review. They are the life and blood of us authors. Constructive criticism is especially welcome, questions will be answered next chapter so long as there are no spoiler and flames will be ignored. Thank you so much for tuning in, a HUGE thank to Alysa and I'll see you all next chapter.

Preview:

"Wait a minute", Amy thought out loud. "If the Master Emerald is whole again, shouldn't that mean that Angel Island should be lifted back up into the sky?"

Everybody who was not disoriented looked at Amy as if she had just prophesied the apocalypse.

"Oh oh", said Sonic.