Chapter 2 – A Clear Present

The sun was rising the next day when a small pink figure slowly approached the side of a lake. The figure knelt down and took a drink before looking up. There high above was Little Planet. Her prediction had been right as usual but would the rest turn out to be right. Would she finally meet her parents? Amy sighed, she didn't even know what she was doing here. She had left Knothole the previous night and had walked all night to get here. She was tired, nervous and a little scared. Not only that but she was worried about Tails too. She should have met him last night but instead she had left without even telling him. She sighed again. It was too late to turn back now though. She walked around the lake a bit more until she came to a small piece of land that stuck out into the lake. At the end was a small pedicel. She walked up to it and placed her hand on its centre and slowly ran a small chant through her head.

Suddenly she was enveloped in a bright light and seconds later she was standing on the surface of Little Planet near the Palmtree Panic area. This had been the area she had grown up in. She gazed around at its beauty. She had forgotten all about Little Planet in recent years and was sorry to have done so. She started to walk down a little path over hung by trees. The dappled light of the Mobian sun shone down on her. She closed her eyes for a second as she walked, taking in the new smells of the area. She passed a large peach tree and stopped. There was a branch hanging low over the path. She reached up and grabbed it, bending it down and pulling a peach from the branch. She looked at it and smiled as she sat down under the tree. She sunk her teeth into the peach. It was incredible juicy and she had to be careful not to get any on her skirt. She looked up at the sky and slowly fell asleep.

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"So then he said 'Yeah but that's a plant pot!'." said Sonic through his laughter.

Knuckles couldn't stand it. He fell off his log backwards and collapsed in a heap laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Man what a dope!" he said.

"Yep I'd say."

They were sitting on the edge of the main lake on the Floating Island fishing. They hadn't caught anything yet but it was more the talking they both wanted. They hadn't seen each other since the first year celebration of Snively's defeat and they had a lot to catch up on.

"Hey Knuckles, I think you got a bite!"

Knuckles leapt up and grabbed his rod just before it disappeared into the lake. He pulled hard at it, reeling it in a bit.

"God this is a biggy." he said through gritted teeth and gave another hard pull.

This fish must have got the same idea because as soon as Knuckles stopped pulling the fish did, sending the rod and Knuckles flying into the lake. Sonic keeled over with laughter as Knuckles finally appeared again and dragged himself out of the lake.

"Oh so you think that was funny?" he said nearly laughing himself.

"Oh sorry Knuckles, couldn't help myself." replied Sonic, trying to covering his mouth with his hand.

"Well I hope you don't do it again." he said in a strict voice.

There was a moment of silence and then they both burst into laughter again. Finally they stopped.

"Damn I'm hungry." said Sonic.

"Well let's head on back to the Palace. We got lots of stu…."

Just then there was a slight rumbling sound and the island shook a bit.

"Err……Knuckles? What's going on?"

"I don't know. The Master Emerald is fine, the island shouldn't be doing this. It must be some outside force."

"Like what?"

"I don't know but maybe we should fin……"

There was suddenly a glint on the horizon and a blue spec shot across the island and behind the mountain leaving a large trail of smoke behind it. Sonic and Knuckles hit the deck as it shot overhead.

"What was that?" said Knuckles getting off the floor.

"I think…" started Sonic as the object emerged from the other side of the mountain going a lot slower, "…..that it's Tails. Come on."

The pair of them started running towards the airstrip.

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Tails landed the Tornado 2 on the runway and trundled to a halt. Sonic and Knuckles were already there as he got out.

"Hey Tails. What's up?" asked Sonic.

"We got trouble. Amy has gone missing." said Tails in a hurry.

"What? What do you mean missing?"

"She's just disappeared. We think she's gone to Little Planet."

Sonic thought for a minute.

"Soooooo why not just go and find her?" he asked.

"Well it's a bit weird. She never told anyone where she was going. She just left. I only think she went to Little Planet because her old tarot cards were all over her room."

"So in other words you don't know. Great! So much for a quiet vacation." said Sonic with a slight hint of annoyance. That girl was a real pain even when she wasn't following him around!

"Sonic we need your help. You can cover much more ground than the rest of us." urged Tails.

"Sonic, go." said Knuckles, "You can always come back later."

"Yeah ok." said Sonic, "So where do we start?"

"Well everyone else is currently checking the area around Knothole and Mobotropolis at the moment, just in case she hasn't gone far. I think we should go back to Knothole and try and work out what happened."

"Good idea Tails. What about the Tornado?"

"Leave her here for now. We can take the Tornado 2. It's quicker."

"Ok then." said Sonic as he turned to Knuckles, "Well I'll see you once this is sorted out."

"Ok Sonic. Have fun." he joked.

"Funny. Real funny!" said Sonic as he climbed into the Tornado 2's spare cockpit.

Tails pressed a button and the glass dome shut tight over the pair of them. He turned the plane around and lined up.

"Hold on Sonic." he said and pressed another button activating the afterburners, leaving a large scorch mark behind them as they took off.

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The figure approached the altar in the Palmtree Panic. Like the previous five, there was a small glowing stone on it.

"Just one left after this." said the figure, "Finally I will have my revenge."

He walked towards the altar and reached out his claw. It started to close around the stone until he was thrown back against the far wall by a massive force. The figure picked himself up and charged at the altar, again being thrown back. Again he picked himself up and stared at the altar, his eyes glowed red.

"Cure you stupid altar! Give me that stone!"

The figure growled and then turned from the altar. His jet engine roared into life and he flew from the altar room and into the sky.

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Tails landed the Tornado 2 just outside of Knothole and he and Sonic walked into the village. Bunnie met them on the outskirts.

"Oh hi Bunnie. Any luck finding her?" asked Sonic.

"'Fraid not sugah hog. We've looked everywhere."

Tails blinked slowly and hung his head.

"Ah don't worry sugah. We'll find her."

"What if she's in trouble?" he asked.

"Look sugah." said Bunnie kneeling down and putting both her hands on his shoulders, "Amy is a capable girl. Ah'm sure she ok."

"So any clue as to where she's gone?" asked Sonic.

"Not unless you can read tarot cards!" said Bunnie standing up, "There are loads of them set out all over her bed."

"I may be able to help you there." said Sonic with a smile.

"What?! You can read tarot cards?!" said Bunnie in astonishment.

"Not very well but Amy showed me a few things in the past. I may be able to find a rough meaning. Come on." said Sonic as he set off towards Amy and Tails' hut.

As they arrived Sally came out to meet them.

"Oh Sonic I'm glad your back. We're going to need your help."

"So I hear." he said as he passed her and entered the hut.

The room was just as it had been before Amy disappearance. Sonic looked at the cards scattered across he bed. This was going to be tricky. He walked over to them and looked at them. Tails, Bunnie and Sally were now standing in the doorway watching. Sonic finally got it.

"Ah ha!" he cried.

"You figured it out?" asked Tails.

"No but I know where she started now." replied Sonic pointing at a row of 5 cards on the bed, "All these other cards are pointless. These are the 5 she used. Now let's see…"

He sat and stared at the cards, mumbling to himself for a while. The group in the doorway was getting a little bored now.

"Sonic?" said Sally with a bit of irritation.

"Just a sec Sal. Almost there."

"Finally."

A few minutes later Sonic stood up hanging his head. He turned and looked at the others.

"We got trouble." he said.

"What is it?" asked Sally.

"Basically what these cards say is, if I got this right that is, is that Little Planet has reappeared again as it does and that Amy will meet her parents there."

"What hasn't she met them before?" asked Bunnie.

Tails turned around and looked at her.

"Well actually she never knew her parents, at all. She grew up as an orphan from the beginning of her life. Kinda like me. That's probably why we get on so well. She has often wondered about them and what happened to them. She also told me once that she wonders why they left her. She's a bit sensitive about the whole thing."

"Oh sorry, ah didn't know." said Bunnie, looking a bit ashamed.

"But that's not all that bad. We know where she is now. We can just go and find her." said Sally with relief.

"Not exactly Sal. It's a bit more complicated then that."

"What do you mean?" asked Sally turning to face him.

"Well I don't know if she read this last card properly or at all. It looks like she drew it but dashed off before reading it."

"What does it mean?" asked Tails.

"Well I'm not that good at this but," he drew a breath, "it means that there is an old enemy there on Little Planet and great danger for everyone."

The group looked at him and finally Sally spoke.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know myself. I said I wasn't that good at this. But I think we should start by going to Little Planet."

"Good idea Sonic. I'll get a group ready." said Sally as she left the hut.

Tails looked around the room and then at Sonic.

"She'll be alright, won't she?"

"I'm sure Tails. She's a strong person. She won't give up no matter what happens." replied Sonic.

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Amy walked out into the Palmtree Panic area of Little Planet. Since Sonic had defeated Robotnik all those years ago the place had once again returned to a pleasant area covered in trees, bushes and bright colourful flowers. She happily skipped along, brushing her hand across various flowers. High above her a figure hovered in the air.

"So little Amielle Rose has come back to Little Planet. This is just what I need. Now how to use it."

Amy walked on through the zone. With no badniks around she didn't need her hammer. She eventually arrived at a small building. She had never been here before. She nervously looked around for her parents. Where could they be? Could she have read the cards wrong? Were her parents even here? She sighed heavily and entered the building. Inside there was a long corridor. She walked down it slowly, brushing cobwebs to the side as she went. She began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. As she drew nearer she heard voices. She quickly hid in a corner and listened.

"….and there it is." said a male voice.

"Yes, we have waited so long." said a female voice, "I just wish Amy was here."

Amy suddenly pricked up her ears. That voice had just mentioned her name. Could it be?

"Yes dear but after we lost her in the time of this place we have never heard of her."

Could that be her father?

"I know. But now we may finally be able to find her. Amy we are coming for you."

Amy couldn't stand it. She crept from her hiding place and looked around the corner. There in the room was a blue and a pink hedgehog. Amy couldn't believe it. Were those her parents? She had to find out. She plucked up her courage and stepped out into the room. The two adults in the room suddenly turned and stared at her.

"He….he….hello." said Amy nervously, "Are you my parents?"

The couple looked at her before the women spoke.

"Amy? Is that you?"

"MOTHER!" cried Amy as she flung herself at the women.

The lady didn't have much time think as Amy started to hug her.

"Amy? Is it you?"

"Yes it is mother. Your little Amy Rose!"

"You haven't changed a bit." said the blue hedgehog.

Amy looked down at herself. She had forgotten she was still wearing her old clothes.

"Father." she cried and hugged him too.

"My, it's like a dream." said the pink hedgehog, "Where have you been? We have been searching for so long."

"I was on here until I was 8, but then Robotnik came and he he he…." stuttered Amy, "…and then Sonic rescued me and I've been living on Mobius since then. I thought you were dead!"

"So did we." said her mother, "But we are together again now and will be for ever more."

"What do you mean?" asked Amy.

"We are going to use the time stone," said her father, indicating towards the pedicel, "to make our lives eternal and forever be together. We were going to use it to go back in time and find you."

"Oh dad." said Amy hugging him again, "Thank you."

"Amielle would you be a dear and bring it to us?"

"Of course mother." said Amy.

She turned towards the altar and walked towards it. She couldn't believe it. She had found her parents. Her real parents and would now spend all of eternity with them. She found herself not caring about anything else in her life. It was all a distraction. She reached forwards and took the stone from the pedicel. She looked at it as she turned around. It was a light blue in colour and glowed with a soft white light. She walked back over to her parents.

"Here it is." she said.

"Thank you Amielle I knew you wouldn't fail me!" said her father his voice turning cold and metallic as he spoke.

Amy was shocked.

"What do you mean daddy?"

"Let me show you."

Slowly there was a blur around her father. It distorted the light around it and suddenly her father's image faded and there stood a metal robot. A BLUE METAL ROBOT! METAL SONIC! Amy almost screamed but held it in.

"Mother?"

"Oh she isn't even real." said the Metal Sonic as her mother's image faded away into nothingness.

Amy was now shaking in fear and shock over what had just happened. She still clutched the Time Stone in her hands.

"Now be a good girl and hand over the stone." continued the robot.

"Never!" yelled Amy, filled with rage at what he had just done to her.

"Oh I think you will." said Metal Sonic as he rose his arm.

Amy just manages to jump to one side as a laser bolt shot past her. She picked herself up off the floor and ran out of the room.

"Oh so you want to play hard to get. Ok let's play."

Metal Sonic raised his arm again and pointed it down the corridor after the fleeing hedgehog. A small opening appeared and a missile dropped out and shot after her.

Amy raced out of the building still clutching the Time Stone as the missile gained on her. She ran into a clump of trees and drew her mallet. As she exited the trees she looked back and threw the mallet at the pursuing missile. It was right on target for a hit but at the last minute the missile rose sharply into the air avoiding the mallet which hit a nearby tree and fell to the floor. Amy turned and continued to run as the missile shot out of the sky and hit the ground just behind her. The explosion caused a large crater and flung Amy into the air causing her to collide with a tree. She slumped to the floor blood oozing from several wounds across her body.

Metal Sonic landed near to her and picked up the fallen Time Stone.

"Well thank you Miss Rose. I just have to visit the Stardust Speedway and then all will be done. Thank you again and have a pleasant death."

With that he took off into the sky and Amy fell unconscious.