A/N: Apologies for the lack of updates. Life's been downright crazy! Job interviews, driver's license stuff, final exams…. Need I go on? Anyway, sincerest apologies.

This chapter is dedicated to Shadow Stalkr for a.i.m.-ing me the other night, telling me to finally update my story.

Chapter 18: Memory Found, Paradise Lost

She awoke to find a heap of rubble. Where was she? Her surroundings were unfamiliar to her… what was going on?

Dice slowly crept to her feet to notice how much taller she was. How odd. The warrior must have grown a good several feet in less than a few hours. What did Dr. Robotnik do to her anyway?

"Dr. Robotnik!" She suddenly remembered. The giant laboratory followed by all the screaming… and the sparks, the pain… and where was she? Gazing at her surroundings, she discovered a field of bodies and smoldering ash. Step after slow step, she approached the fantasy world uncasing her. This had to be a fantasy.

Suddenly she stepped on a loose rock or person, making her trip backwards. On the blackened earth, she suddenly caught a glimpse of her body.

Her bloody pants stretched across a pair of legs. But it wasn't her blood… and two limbs which were alien to her. Far longer and leaner than her legs were. Slight panting came from her lips as Dice gazed at her trembling hands. They were larger as well, with each finger wrapped around with muscle. What happened to her baby fat? Or the nimble flimsy sticks of fingers? The panic in her throat was growing. Distraught, she jumped to her feet, feeling every part of her body. Breasts. Hips… since when?

She was older.

There was no other answer to such a radical change. Reconsidering her environment, a dull pain surfaced from within. Memories flew at her with so much speed. It was like trying to collect water into a glass from a fire hose. All the flashing memories… it was coming back to her. Six years? This was far too odd. They seemed like someone else's rather than hers. Far and distant, but at the same time it possessed a keener familiar sting. How could she grow so drastically and do such crimes without the slightest sensation of experiencing them?

"Slice?" came an all too familiar voice from insider her ear. She erratically reached upwards to find a small earpiece. "Did you succeed? Is the base destroyed?"

The warrior remained silent, listening and spying for any other information, but nothing came. Instead she crushed the metal bauble into tiny pieces.

A dark pain was surfacing in her chest, trying to smother her and in pure terror, she began to run. Run through the city of the dead.

It was not long before she tripped over a little boy. His bloody panting was softer than hers, which was saying a lot. Twitching, she crawled to the bat child. A fear was in his eyes.

"What happened here?" She whispered. The boy refused to answer. The fear was transforming to a hatred which struck horror within Dice.

"You… killed them all." He gasped, holding his breath to speak clearly. Dice opened her mouth to respond but found that words failed her. "You murderer…"

"Wha- But I didn't… I would never…I…"

The boy sensed a hint of truth at the tips of her voice. His face softened, thinking of a certain black and red hedgehog. His response was more sympathetic, "But you did… and my sister is gone." Each word brought him more physical pain; he could not sustain this precision of speech.

Dice felt her eyes grow wet and soften, despite a cruel sensation deep within her, throbbing and pulsing. Suddenly a silhouette appeared on the horizon, and she was too afraid to approach the person. The warrior disappeared into the night, running desperately away.

Meanwhile Sonic watched upon an edifice nearby. That was what happened? He gazed at the real Dice nearby, clutching the chaos emerald. Even in a trance, he could see the awakened pain.

The blue hero released his grip from the emerald, and the vision slowly dissipated.

She opened her eyes with a new sense of understanding. "Well take it," she beseeched.

"But… the vision… is that what happened?"

Her face was calm with twitches of sadness. "I wouldn't know what you saw. When you touched the emerald I saw your memories and you, mine… and," she sighed earnestly, "I cannot help you Sonic."

The hedgehog was taken back. A few moments ago she refused to admit he was even related to Sonic, let alone him. However, he decided not to open old wounds.

"But... Shadow, Knuckles, and I need you to help get Eggman. I don't understand. If you saw my past just as I did yours, then wouldn't you agree to help me?"

"All it's shown to me is how tainted I've made this world become." Her eyes were glazed with sorrow but no longer with crazed suicidal notions. "Here. Use the emerald to teleport to Tails. He needs you more than ever."

"Wait a sec—"

"Recruit Amy and Tails. With you protecting the emerald, he'll come to you. I don't know what he's planning but know it has something to do with the emeralds. He said something about testing it here before actually going out with his plan." she shrugged. In astonishment at her willingness, Sonic did not bother to fight against her. He accepted the emerald from her hands.

"Well…"

Dice turned and began to walk away.

"Wait! I won't force you to help us, but…" The hedgehog was at a loss for words. Letting her leave was not the smartest idea. "Just know that if you need Shadow, Knux, or I… then we'll be there. And hopefully you'll do the same for us."

A smile crawled on her face but was hidden from Sonic. Her back facing him, Dice raised her palm as a sign of acknowledgement. Slowly changing into a sprint, she ran off.

Sonic merely watched her transform into a dot on the horizon. With the look on her face, he sensed that she was not endangering herself anymore. Besides, it probably would not be best for her to join up with everyone else.

He smirked to himself, "She'll show up when we need her most. Just wait and see." With that, he yelled 'chaos control' and was off to meet with Knuckles and Shadow.

A/N: Ok, so it was shorter than it usually was, but I figured I'd take Shadow Stalkr's advice. Is this much better? Just curious… I'll try to improve for later chapters, but speaking of which, that probably won't be for a good deal of time. Things as I said before have been hectic, and to be honest, I don't know when they'll calm down. So, I'll update as soon as I get the chance.