'W-where am I?'

"Your own mind Sonic."

"Tikal?"

The scene around him changed from the pure black to a large room. The Master Emerald was floating above it's pedestal while the seven smaller Chaos Emeralds floated on their smaller ones around it.

It was an old looking room like the one where he had seen the prophecy of Super Sonic and Dr. Robotnik fighting on Angel Island.

Floating gently in front of him was a light orange echidna with light blue eyes and a green skirt with white diamonds and a white shirt.

"Hello Sonic."

He looked around for a few seconds before gesturing to around them, "W-what happened? How did I get here?"

Tikal gave him a small smile and pressed her hand to his forehead. Immediately the memories came rushing back, training with Shadow, almost hitting him with a wind spear, the strange light, and then Shadow's promise.

Tikal gave him a sad smile, "Right now you're passed out in a small village getting treated for any wounds you had. You're in another world right now, and I need you to do something…"

"What is it?" His head tilted to the side while his ears perked up in curiosity.

Tikal giggled, understanding why so many people underestimated him as a fighter. "You need to try to pretend to be the other Sonic. I'll stay around so I can help you out once in a while. Now you need to wake up."

Slowly the room changed from the old pyramid to the ceiling of a house.

Carefully he sat up and was relieved when he didn't get dizzy or feel pain. Turning his head from right to left he looked around.

The house was simple, a couple cots were on either side of his empty, and like the plain ceiling the floor and walls had not been painted so they were still their natural brown color. On one of the walls was a small cupboard that was open to reveal simple medical supplies and a sink beneath. Sitting in a chair at the opposite wall was a pink hedgehog that reminded him very much of his friend Amy Rose.

She had the same pink quills and even hairband, but she was wearing different clothes, instead of the bright red dress she was wearing a white t-shirt with a pink heart on the front and a pair of blue jeans.

"Hello?" He tried as his voice came out barely above a whisper.

Apparently it was enough to get her attention because the hedgehog stirred before opening her eyes. Jade green eyes widened as she saw the blue and peach hedgehog awake and she stumbled over her own feet tripping as she tried to get up quickly.

Instead of meeting the ground hands wrapped around her upper arms and pulled her to a standing position. Sonic stood in front of her smiling with a twinkle in her emerald green eyes.

"Careful there. One hurt hedgehog's enough I think."

"R-right I'm sorry. I d-didn't see, I didn't mean…"

"Calm down." Sonic said as his smile turned softer, "There's no need to apologize. You tripped, it happens to everyone."

The pink hedgehog smiled though she now looked confused, "Thank you Prince Sonic. You are very forgiving."

His mind froze for a few seconds as he heard the word 'prince' connected to his name before remembering that Tikal had said to pretend to be this world's Sonic.

"No problem. What's your name?"

"Amanda Rose, though most call me Amy. It's an honor to meet you Prince Sonic."

Sonic wrinkled his nose for a second at the title, "You can just call me Sonic ya know. Anyways can you tell me what happened?"

"You were found unconscious in the middle of dark forest hidden under the roots of a tree. You were only found because one of the scouts tripped over your leg. Speaking of which how are you felling?"

"Besides like I just woke up? Fine. Is it okay if I go for a walk?"

Amy blinked, surprised at being asked a question by someone she considered above her, "Of course. It's your decision."

"Maybe so." Sonic said as he rummaged underneath the bed searching for his shoes, he felt weird without them on. "But you're the doctor and I don't wanna make ya mad or myself worse if I'm not completely well."

Amy smiled as Sonic pulled on his shoes, "You are fine. Everyone in the village is glad you've returned from your journey. Especially your brother and sister."

Sonic froze and Amy could only watch as the completely well, should be fine, hedgehog collapsed to the floor in a faint.

XXxxXX

Miles away in a large castle a black and red hedgehog had just woken up as well. He'd noticed how everyone around him was always nervous and skittish, rushing off as soon as possible, but had attributed that to a regular occurrence. Back home everyone except for Sonic and his small group of friends had been terrified of him.

Silently he studied the scene outside of the window in front of him. Below the castle a small village lived that looked poor and dirty from what he could see. A large dark forest seemed to be creeping towards the edge of the village.

Hearing the door open and close he turned around angrily with his red eyes fixed into a glare only to stop when he saw the last thing he was expecting. A black hedgehog with darker red stripes and maroon colored eyes wearing a black cape with a crown on top of his head had just entered the room.

He smiled at the hedgehog by the window and Shadow noticed that the other was taller than him.

"Shadow, my son, I am pleased you are all right. I was rather worried when a guard brought you home." He paused and gave another small smile, "I really am sorry. I forgot that you probably don't remember anything. The doctor explained to me that you managed to get amnesia."

Shadow nodded firmly seeing a way to find out everything he could about this world, having decided he'd been transferred to another dimension when no one had demanded to know who he was.

"Come with me and I'll explain everything to you then."

Shadow followed the other hedgehog as he left the room and began walking down a long hall. It was rather dark and dreary with wooden boards as stairs whenever they came to them was the only change from the dark rock that made up the palace.

"I am Black Doom, your father, named after your grandfather. I am half alien which makes you a fourth alien, a species called Black Arms. When you were young, to keep you out of the war, I had sent you away to a family friend of ours, the Robotniks. There Gerald Robotnik and his granddaughter Maria Robotnik took care of you. One year ago when you turned fifteen you were sent back here to assist in the war."

"May I ask what war you're talking about?"

Black Doom gave a small smile, "My apologies. We are against war against another country called Mobodoon. Truthfully my father started it, but by the time he passed away we were already too deep to turn back. Queen Aleena continued the fight in her father's place; she has two children that have been assisting her in the fight ever since their father left. A rumor has been going around that there was a child that was born chosen by Chaos that is returning to assist them in the war. You had left to find out if the rumor was true."

Shadow nodded, most of the story actually made sense to him.

"By the way. One of the guards was able to find your other cuff."

Shadow took the golden cuff from the other hedgehog's hand with a sinking heart. Was it possible that he had actually gotten amnesia and to make up for the missing space his mind had come up with a story?

His hopes were bolstered up when the cuff didn't gleam as it snapped on; it wasn't his.

XXxxXX

Sonic had woken up again and managed to get out the door without anymore shocking news. Silently he cursed his surprise.

He'd fought Chaos, been turned into a werehog, traversed other dimensions, been sucked into storybooks, for Chaos-sake he'd been killed by a shadow! And yet the idea of having a family had shocked him.

Ever since he could remember he'd been alone, having woken up hidden underneath a tree and fending for himself, until he'd found his own family, meaning a young two-year-old kit that he raised and an echidna with anger issues that had tried to kill them multiple times.

Shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts he saw a small fox with two tails sitting away from the other kids.

Silently he walked over and watched as the boy attempted to carve into a black of wood. He looked exactly like his younger brother Tails. Suddenly a small hand slipped and the tool went shooting towards his other hand.

Quickly Sonic's hand shot around a thin wrist and stopped both the hand and tool in their flight path, "Careful." He mumbled to the other as he adjusted the tool, "If you damage your hand this early you'll have a hard time doing stuff like this."

The fox looked up with shocked blue eyes, "T-thanks mister."

Sonic smiled, this reminded him of first meeting his brother, "My name's Sonic. What's your's?"

"My name is Miles Prower… Wait a minute Sonic… You're Prince Sonic! I'm so sorry I didn't know."

Sonic chuckled and rolled his eyes before plopping down next to the panicking boy, "Calm down and enough with that prince junk. Just call me Sonic." After getting a nod he continued, "Do you need some help? No offense meant but you don't know what you're doing."

Miles blushed and looked at his hand, "I'm trying to learn, but no one ever taught me."

Sonic grinned as he carefully adjusted the sharp tool in the fox's grasp, "Well than I'll teach ya. Now what do you want to carve?"

Miles blushed harder as he grew embarrassed, "It's just a dumb idea I had. Most people can't fly and I wanted to make something so that they can." Saying this he pulled a piece of bark towards them and showed the blue hedgehog.

Sonic grinned as he looked at the picture. A very good diagram of the plane he had made as a kid was staring back at him, the tornado.

"Well then kid you're gonna need some help. How 'bout I help ya build this thing."

Miles smiled towards him, "I'd like that. Thank you… Sonic."

Sonic chuckled as he helped the fox, "Sure thing. Now what you wanna do is keep your other hand out of the way at all times in case you slip again…"