A/N: I know, I know! I get it! Thank you for your patience... or impatience, depending on who you are (cough, cough). Chapter's really, really, really short, I know. I GET IT!

Character Ages

Sonic: 23

Amy: 20

Tails: 16

Cream: 14

Eggman: Unknown

Metal Sonic: Unknown

Knuckles: 24

Rouge: 26

Shadow: Older than I'll ever live to be...

Disclaimer: Don't own. If I did, I'd update alot more than this.
"Sonic," Amy whispered as she stared up at his grinning face.

"Hey…" his eyes seemed to soften… or was it her imagination? "I've missed you." He drew her in for a hug.

Amy felt herself falling into his warm embrace. How long had she waited for this? For Sonic to make the first move? For him to hug her first? "Sonic…" she whispered again as she burrowed her head into his cream-coloured chest. "Oh, Sonic!" she cried muffled sobs into his fur. "I thought I lost you forever…"

"Don't be silly," he said into her hair. "I said that I'll always be there for you…" his voice seemed soothing… almost hypnotic. "Have I ever broken a promise?"

'Has he ever broken a promise…?' Oh, what did she care? Sonic was back, and he was normal. Now, nothing will ever take them apart ever again… almost dreamily, she felt herself nod.

"See?" he whispered, gently smoothing her hair with his hand. As his hand passed through her hair, she felt the strange sensation of her mind being gently wiped blank.

"Sonic…" she heard her own, hollow voice speaking. "We will be together forever, right?"

"Of course," he replied. "We'll never be apart again. We will be together… always. That's a promise." Then, his voice seemed to turn menacing again. "I will never let you go."

Amy felt his grip on her tighten, almost unbearably tight. But she didn't struggle. She felt too tired… maybe she'll just close her eyes and let everything go… after all; she is falling asleep in Sonic's arms…

"Don't worry…" his voice seemed to come through fog. "When you're awake, all the pain will be gone…"

A bright, blue light shone around them, almost like it was lifting them up. She closed her eyes. The last thing Amy thought she heard was a voice calling out her name.

"NO! AMY!"

'What is wrong with the Chaos Emerald?' wondered a confused, black hedgehog for the umpteenth time that night.

The full moon in the sky shone down on the face of Shadow the hedgehog, gazing down on a yellow Chaos Emerald clenched tightly in his hands. It was pulsing steadily, sending off small waves of energy. Small they were, but very powerful.

'Ugh… this is getting really tiresome…' he thought, irritated. About 4 days ago, it had begun pulsing. Normally, he would've dismissed it as another strange working of the Emeralds, and wait for something to happen. The strange thing was, it had suddenly stopped it's pulsing, catching him completely off guard. For the past couple of days, it would pulse very slowly, or erratically, or sometimes even stop altogether.

'Well… at least it hasn't stopped pulsing yet.' He had found out later that sometimes, as he approached a specific location, it would pulse very quickly, but if he didn't make it fast enough, it would stop. So far, he hadn't caught whatever the Emerald was so attracted to.

Speeding along, he dodged branch after branch in the dark night, sometimes missing them only by inches. 'I can't even Chaos Control when this stupid thing is pulsing like this,' he thought to himself, annoying himself even further.

A rather good-sized looking warehouse. The Emerald's pulse began to speed up, like a runner nearing a finish line. 'This is it!' his mind shouted. With all his speed, he crashed through the door, only to have his eyes meet a blinding flash of light, andhis ears meet a scream of "NO! AMY!"

A/N: (sighs) Ok, I'm sorry. BTW, can anyone tell me what the hell Tails's workshop looks like? I don't know what it looks like... I wasn't that into Sonic back then. (slaps self in face). I can't believe that I used to not like Sonikku that much... wait, did I just say "Sonikku?" The end must be near...

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