The Story of Amy Rose: The Capture

by Fallen Violet Rose

After three years physically and mentally healing, Amy Rose has found herself returning to the side of her friends after separating herself, although she was never alone. But at the first reunion, the team is attacked, the offender responsible claiming they came for the princess. Chaos ensues and the guys find themselves on a rescue mission to save their better halves.

7. Procession on Aumoris

In third person

Oh and…

Italics = thoughts/ emphases

Bold = flashback

Bold and italics = a higher being speaking in the head of one of our heroes ^-^

Chapter 6: Procession on Aumoris

The dark space that entrapped the heroines of Mobius seemed smaller than it had initially. They seemed to suffocate as a grim reality set in the spaces between them.

They all seemed to hold their breath.

"No… it's not… true," Cream whispered.

Her eyes glittered as Rouge leaned against her, pushing her to the bed to sit. She did would she could to comfort her with her body warmth, as her hands were still restrained.

Amy walked to sit next to them in a daze. The window could not have betrayed her anymore than it had. The single medium in the room that allowed the hope of escape had displayed the destruction of their rescue and continued to display the immensity of the space time continuum, mocking them as the stars moved and marked the distance from their home.

Before she could suppress a cry, the doors let out a breath and came open. At the center stood the dark prince, Riven as Amy recalled, and two soldiers. They walked forward, stopping just in front of the three.

The sound of light clothing hitting the ground brought them all to their present situation.

"Now that the threat has been eradicated, it is time to continue to our first order of business."

Amy was the first to look up, eyes glistening with fresh tears. She made eye contact with the prince. He had a frown that indicated his impatience.

"I understand that it has been at least ten some odd years since you last basked in the presence of your home, Princess, but I assure you, all is under control. I regret to inform you that your family has all passed and have left you as the only heir."

The confusion left Amy scatterbrained, as she looked at the dresses the soldiers had stiffly dropped on the floor. She shook her head and composed herself the best she could.

"I'm sorry to say, but you've got the wrong person. I'm not royalty in any way."

Her voice wavered momentarily, but held its confidence. Her determined glare held a small fire of defiance. Even if she were royalty and her parents, whom she had no recollection of, had relied on her to take over their rulings, she'd never take it.

Even so, the prince smirked.

"The brand of Aumorian royalty on the back of your ear does not lie, Princess."

The blood drained from Amy's face and her ears went back in distaste.

"H-how did you… I ... I don't understand. There must be a mistake. I have no memory of this place. This kingdom of yours."

The dark prince motioned to the soldiers, whom undid the bindings that held the girls steadfast and then promptly marched to the door and exited. With a look back at the rose, the prince flashed a lavender glow of his eyes, seeming to demand her submission before he spoke.

"Do not worry. I have been… entrusted with the fate of Aumoris. As your kingdom is the most developed and respected, the influence it relays to the other kingdoms of the continent of Audia must be properly… maintained."

Amy was suspicious of his tone. She had the hunch that he was only telling half of the truth.

"Why have you captured me and my friends?"

He chucked, leaning closer and brushing her bangs aside.

"It is not capture, but rescue, my dear. I wish to bring happiness to you and your people with your return."

Amy shuddered, but held his gaze.

"I'm sorry to say, but I'm no good to you if I can't even remember the place. Not to mention I have no experience running a kingdom of any sort."

Riven rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

"Do not worry yourself so, my princess. My guidance alone should suffice in rehabilitating your memory and the development of your former royal skill set. Rest assured that your presence alone would put your people at ease, as the passing of your remaining family has caused a crucial unrest. For now, I ask that you dress yourself accordingly and follow my lead," he encouraged, stepping away and straightening his armor.

He turned, walking slowly to the door, pushing a few buttons on the pad near the door. Dim candlelight flicked to life about them, having been hidden in the dark.

Amy deliberated a moment, looking around the room and then to Cream and Rouge. Cream's eyes were watered over, but she had heard it all, as the wheels seemed to be turning in her head. Rouge looked at her with a deep and guarded gaze, trust for her and suspicion for the prince evident. She looked to the prince, nearly shivering when her eyes met his taut back muscles. Everything about him screamed lethal.

"And what if I… don't want to follow your lead?"

The prince stopped his ministrations. He gave her the profile of his face, one glowing eye penetrating her, watching her.

"Then I will find other ways to get you to cooperate, princess," he turned his head to the opened door, "although I cannot address the reasoning to your resistance. I am doing you a miraculous favor in returning you to your rightful home and I have even offered to restore your rule and trust over an entire civilization. Do you not desire this?"

His stance did not waver as his hands came to rest at the small of his back.

"No, I do not. My home is not this Aumoris place and none of this can be right. If you really want to do me a favor, you'll take me and my friends back to Mobius."

The rose was hopeful of his silence, until the prince's hands clenched in their hold of each other at the small of his back. She couldn't see his face, but she imagined it was contorted with rage.

"I'm afraid I cannot grant that request, princess. Your home is the planet Iredel, on the continent of Audia and your duty is to the people of the kingdom of Aumoris. You would do well to accept this and act upon it."

The conversation held finality as the prince stepped into the hall.

"We will proceed with my initial plans for your return. Please make it known to me if you will no longer cooperate, for I am not fond of surprises."

The door came shut behind him.

Cream's voice rang out in the tense silence before them. With their hands unbound, the older girls held and rubbed the bunny rabbit, trying to quail her distressed and frantic call. She clutched them in return, allowing their presence to calm her.

Amy looked over at Rouge and wish she hadn't. The bat looked to be in physical pain and under her breath, she muttered a hushed "Knuckles" before closing her eyes and allowing the tears to treacherously overflow from her pent up eyelids. This and Creams heartbreaking sobs for her boyfriend reminded Amy of her own loss.

If I knew any better, my guess would be that Shadow was also on that ship.

"S-Shadow."

And with that, the rose could not keep her composure. A wet sob escaped and the rush of tears fell without remorse, staining her nightgown.

It seemed an hour had passed, before the distraught females moved.

The shipped rumbled and rocked.

"What do we do?"

Cream's question rang about the room, desperate and feeble.

Amy rubbed her back, head resting atop Cream's ruffled curls, dried tears hardening her face as she stared straight ahead.

"Be brave."

Cream straightened, shifting to look into the eyes of the rose.

"We are heroes of Mobius. Our first duty is to the citizens that reside there, wherever we are or however we feel about that duty. Even if all this were true, even if I were somehow a princess and needed to return to take over in my parent's stead, I would not take it, because Mobius needs me first," Amy began, standing up to look over her comrades.

Rouge stood as well, eyes solemn as they bore into Amy's own emerald jems.

"Even with the progress we've made so far, Mobius still fights for her eternal freedom and until Mobius is clear of every enemy, we cannot not stop trying to return to her. This is part of the promise we made as Freedom Fighters long before," Rouge agreed.

Amy nodded.

"You want us to try to go back," Cream muttered. It wasn't a question.

Amy picked up one of the dresses from the floor. She fiddled with the material.

"I know that it's… it's going to be hard for us to live without the most precious part of our team, but we became Freedom Fighters, knowing very well that not every hero lives. We've been blessed so far, but this is our reality. We fight, we survive and we… move on…" Amy's voice wavered, but she held.

Cream stifled a cry as she attempted to put herself together like her older comrades. Cream was soft and the least likely to ever become a fighter, but she managed this long, she could learn to take hardship in the face, just like her friends.

"We'll follow the prince's rules and when he isn't looking, we'll make progress on our escape. If they have a ship like this, then surely there will be countless more. The knight from before seemed nice enough. With his help, we could hijack a ship and make way back to Mobius, given we can navigate using whatever technology they have. Maybe we could take the knight with us," Amy mused.

Cream stood, rubbing her eyes with her forearm and taking in a huge breath of oxygen, in and out. She gave a feeble smile.

"We find any way to escape, to get home," Cream agreed.

Amy smiled, taking her hand.

"Or we die trying."

~aAa~

Red jems seemed to pierce into the center console as he leaned into it, watching. A stray dribble of blood from the gash across the ebony's head brought his eyes back into focus, back to reality. Tails reached into the opening he'd created in the center console, messing with wires and welding things together, a sweat on his head. He sighed, wiping his forehead and sliding off his gloves, typing away at the tablet attached to the flickering console.

The lights were out, but Sally held a flashlight to the console, standing on the other side of the kitsune, opposite of Shadow.

"Status report," Tails muttered.

All three looked to the screen, seeing a projection of the outside of the ship, where Sonic and Knuckles floated in the immensity of space, attached by a safety line. Around them, debris from the side of the ship that received the brunt of the damaged flew amiably. Knuckles spoke as the blue blur continued to hold his position, holding a light to a damaged set of wires.

"No sparks. Yellow and red are fine. Blue is severed. Don't know if it'll stay put if we weld it back together," Knuckles stern voice came out of a speaker, scratchy and muffled, from his red space suit.

Tails sighed.

"Try again. If it doesn't hold, I'll bring you a new set and we'll start from there."

Knuckles proceeded with the tool he was given as flashes and sparks went flying from the screen before the three in the ship. Tails monitored the progress, tapping onto his tablet and shoving his hand into the console opening every once in a while, humming to himself, and then trying again.

"Shadow, can you pass me the wrench."

He grunted, passing the tool to the kitsune. As the kitsune's hand passed his, the ebony's mind flicked back to the moment that landed them here, in the middle of space, vacant of power and propulsion, and half destroyed.

Flashback

Shadow could see Knuckles through the window, a red dot latched onto the side of the main enemy ship. As foot soldiers bled from the docking area, the red dot leapt right into them. After a moment, the soldiers that had gone to extinguish the red dot were shoved in all directions, their armor coming apart as the red dot made way to the entrance from which they originated.

As Shadow waited for the mini enemy ships to catch up to them, a message was intercepted from the echidna.

"Tails. The door has some sort of barrier. Did you equip this suit with something that can take it out?"

A sweat appeared on Tails forehead, as he turned the ship a bit, watching as the other ships began to approach.

"I don't think so, Knuckles. The suits are still in development as well."

"The old fashion way will have to work then. Raa!"

The last they heard was the sound of metal crunching before Knuckles communicator shut off momentarily as he worked to break through.

"Here they come, Sonic muttered, excitement in his eyes.

The ships returned, shooting and zipping about. Sonic and Shadow worked to take them out. Tails flipped a switch. The ship shook a bit as both of the hedgehog's looked at him questionably.

"What's that noise, Tails?" Sonic inquired.

Tails smirked.

"It's this." He pressed a large blue button.

A glowing blast came form their ship, slamming right into the main conglomeration of the mini enemy ships. It grew silent for a moment as more ships came to replace the mass majority of ships that had been eradicated.

"Wow, what was that?!" Sonic was standing up at this point in his excitement.

"It's a powerful blast, created by the chaos emeralds. Not as potent as I wanted it to be, but it's extending the time for Knuckles, so it will have to do. It has a charge time of two minutes, sadly."

"That was wicked, buddy! I swear, you never cease to amaze me!"

Tails blushed a bit, scratching the back of his head.

The silence came to an end, as the ships were easily replaced by two times the amount of ships that had appeared previously.

"Man, these guys just won't let up!" Sonic began to shoot rapidly. Shadow followed suit.

As they tried to hold them off, it seemed this wave of enemies began to overwhelm them.

As this happened, the ebony's sensitive hearing picked up a light cracking noise as the ships aimed for the barrier.

"Miles, I think the barrier is coming undone," Shadow informed the kitsune.

Tails looked out into horde, seeing the faintest of cracks forming at the edge of their protective shield.

"Dammit. We need to retreat!"

Another blast from the small purple ships caused the barrier to break. As the sound of glass cracking rang about, those on the ship went into frenzy.

"Knuckles! Get out of there as fast as you can and we'll pull you up! We need to move!" Tails shouted through the intercom at his console.

"Understood!"

As the ship shook and jerked, Sally ran from the deployment room, trying to keep her balance.

"What do we do?"

As the ship shook and the lights flickered, Tails began pushing various buttons. Without looking her way, he responded.

"Buckle up! I'm ganna get us out of here. Stay seated in the deployment room so you can pull Knuckles up and bring him in once we're a safe distance away."

Sally hurried back into the room as Sonic buckled in. The small ships zipped about them like buzzing bees, shooting at the haul, going for the kill.

An alarm went off about the ship. A hue of red throbbed about them.

As the horde enveloped them and kept them from escaping, one of the mini ships had a large canon attached to the top of it. It began to glow with charge.

"Not good. Sonic, bring the cannons in! They're taking damage and will fall loose if we don't retract them quickly!"

Sonic started to push buttons, but only contributed to the chaos when the ship gave a noise of disapproval at the hedgehog's actions.

"It won't budge, Tails!"

"What?! Try the button next to it! It should override -"

Sally came back around the corner, shouting at the two.

"Knuckles is being over run! He won't make it back in one piece if we don't -"

Shadow looked in between everyone. He took in everything, the lights flickering, the shaking and coming apart of the ship and the shouting. As Tails shouted his orders above the couple, he began to steer the ship away from the coming blast being charged, aimed and ready to destroy them at any second.

As the ebony's ruby eyes looked between them again, his patience was about to come undone, when his eyes came across his duffle bag, tossed on the floor from the attack around it, slightly open. The ebony muted the noise around him, as an idea solidified. He was unsure for a moment but he did not have time to hesitate.

As time began to move once again, Shadow unbuckled himself, using his momentum to reach his bag in one leap. As he landed on his hands and knees, he shoved his hand into his duffle.

"Shadow!"

"Shads, what are you doing?!"

His fingers grazed the sleek edge of the desired object within his duffle. With his other hand on the ground of the ship, he closed his eyes, using his senses to reach everything he wanted, touching Sonic, Sally, Tails, the ship, and Knuckles connected only by the thin lifeline wrapped around his waist.

"Chaos -"

The ship lurched to the side as light enveloped them.

And then, the light was gone and all was silent.

End flashback

Yes, Shadow had chaos controlled them away, saving their lives, but the cost had yet to seem worth it. They were now floating in space, with barely an ounce of backup power, and a gapping hole on the side of their ship. Not only that, but they had no idea where they were in relation to the enemy ship or the ship's destination. With the weight of this information, the team had skipped tending to their wounds and had dived right into repairs.

Shadow was brought back from his trance by the two on the screen, making conversation in the tense atmosphere.

"I hope we aren't too far from them. Only Chaos knows what'll happen to them in the time it takes us to get to them," Sonic muttered, holding the large light, staring intensely at the place where Knuckles was working.

As Sonic said this, Knuckles seemed to work faster.

"We'll get them back. No matter the cost."

As Shadow watched the screen of the two, his brow furrowed. It was then he realized how limited his powers seemed. This would have been easier if he'd been captured as well. He could just chaos control them home, since it was a place he'd been, a place he'd seen. He was of no help here. Knowing this, he probably chaos controlled them farther back, closer to Mobius. He could not confirm this until the ship was back online of course. The stars all looked the same from their position. Mobius could be near any of the glowing balls of gas in the distance.

"This is just a minor setback, Sonic. We'll make it in time, just like always," Sally assured her fiancé.

Sonic scoffed, looking away from Knuckles work.

"Seems pretty major to me," Sonic grumbled, frustrated.

"Sonic!" Sally reprimanded, but he ignored her.

As Knuckles seemed to finish his line of work, the ship made a reassuring whirring, the lights returning and the navigation ghosting onto the screen. Tails sighed and replaced the panel to close the opened center console.

"Great work. Now Sonic, Knuckles, I need you two to line up the panels nicely. I'll have Shadow come out there and secure them.

Both creature nodded and moved quickly to finish their repairs.

~aAa~

The soles of her coral flats made the faintest of echoes as Amy marched down the darkened main aisle of the ship. She had trouble lifting her dress from dragging in front of her and tripping her, as her hands were locked in front of her by a metal contraption. Her dress was a simple cream color, with not a strap in sight to keep it up. As a bit of lace graced the fabric that dipped lightly into her cleavage, the top fit to her curves, then abruptly billowed outward at the hip and below. As she walked and the dress swayed gracefully about her feet, she stood with her shoulders square and chin held up. With her face straight and fists clenched, she remembered how she'd defiantly ripped her hair from its braid, feeling controlled and confined with it in place. Now, her hair fell freely about her shoulders and down her back, wavy and untamed. She hoped the prince could feel her defiance, for she would not be so easily tamed again.

At her flanks were soldiers, how many she had not bother to count, but she knew that if she were to try to make a run for it, she would be fighting a losing battle. In front of her, Cream and Rouge march forward in the near pitch-black hall. Rouge's dress was lavender and came of the shoulder on both sides, seeming to squeeze them together. It was quarter sleeved and had a purposeful hole in the middle where her cleavage was obviously the centerpiece. At the hip, the dress was cut, revealing her rounded thighs and legs and triangulated at the back and front, giving the dress a diamond shape at the bottom. Cream's dress was strapless and made a diamond shape at the top, the tip of the fabric stopping at her collarbone. A brown string tied around her middle contrasted with the baby blue dress as it came loose below the hip, not billowing, but seeming to never end. Cream was surely too small for the clothing.

Rouge had made a remark before that Amy's dress was for royalty, but their dresses were fit for slaves. Amy hadn't taken that as a joke as she was still brainstorming all the possibilities.

A light at the end of the hall made the three blink profusely as they were thrust into the unknown.

A rush of continuous wind disturbed the tranquility of their hair and dresses and Cream gasped and Rouge voiced a light "Oh my."

Amy blinked to clear the light from her eyes. Her eyes were as large as saucers when she glimpsed the world before her. It's as if her eyes were not big enough to take it all in as she moved between her companions to stand in front.

Grass as long and as soft as the finest of silk fibers graced the land, seeming to sparkle with dew, moving in a lavender heap as far as the eye could see. As it seemed they have landed on a hill, overlooking a developed village and fortress centered at the far end of the place. The land was speckled with trees with white and pink leaves, and these tress gathered further behind the fortress in the distance, on the opposite of their landing spot. The fortress ahead seemed to be made of a cream colored stone and parts of the fortress floated around the tips of the various towers of the place. The only familiar thing was the blue of the sky, as the atmosphere above held a sun, four moons and planets that neighbored their own.

As Amy tried to grasp what was happening and the civilization they were about to uncover, a body fell behind her. As she looked back, Cream was on her knees, tears glittering her awe struck eyes. Rouge rubbed her eyes, blinking and unbelieving. As Amy observed her friends, a knight came by Rouge, grabbing her arm roughly.

"Hey, what are you—Ahh!"

"Rouge!"

Amy rushed forward, kneeling near the downed Rouge. She had seen the knight use a strange object on Rouge's wing, but did not expect him to hurt her.

"Rouge! Are you okay?" Cream asked as she crawled to her aid as best she could.

Amy looked at her wing. A disturbed look came across her face as a bloodied hole had been pierced into the bat's wing.

"All precautions must be taken princess. As aforementioned, I am not fond of surprises."

Amy turned her head in a rage and saw the prince, standing where she had stood on the edge of the hill. In the light, Amy could now see the grey of his fur and the lynx-like ears poking out of his uneven hair that fell daintily to his shoulders. On the left side, the longer side of his hair, a black band held a few strands of fur together, and a chain was wrapped around his head, three black gems falling from shorter chains onto his forehead. As his hair covered his face, his eyes began to glow that eerie purple. All he wore was a sleeveless, black undershirt of some sort that came to his neck, gauze across his torso, brown gloves and bracers, a belt, tights and boots graced with intricate designs.

"I have also confiscated this," the prince continued, as Amy's signature hammer materialized in his hands.

Amy's eyes widened, as she stood to rush the prince. The moment she stood, the hammer disappeared.

"Why are you doing this? If you were simply returning me to my home, I'd like to think you wouldn't make us feel like prisoners."

The prince sighed dramatically.

"You're right princess. Excuse my lack of manners."

With a snap, the restraints on their arms came loose and fell to the grass. With their arms free, Amy and Cream helped Rouge up. The bat clutched the arm near the injured winged, gasping a bit. She muttered a feeble "I'm fine" and moved to stand on her own.

"Now, I will ask this only once, are you willing to cooperate, Princess Amelia Rose?"

Amy felt heavy. As she swallowed, glaring at the prince, her nerves going haywire, she looked to her left. She hadn't noticed the knights from before had made their way out of the ship and pooled about them, but there was one knight that stood out to her. His physique, his stance, the way he stood at attention with his hands behind his back. Why had she recognized him? He was fully armored like the rest.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the white tassel at the end of his sword hilt, and eyed the knight knowingly. She looked back at the prince, defeat glistening in her emerald orbs.

"Yes, Prince Riven, I will cooperate for the good of my… kingdom."

An ugly grin crawled across the prince's face, making him look wild.

"Excellent. Just follow my lead. We will progress thought the city as a procession to announce you return."

With a gesture unknown to them, the prince walked down the hill, the knights walking in an orderly line around the females as the ones behind them pushed them forward. The females kept with the pace, as the distant city grew closer than before. The trek was filled with the marching of armor feet onto the grass.

~aAa~

"No, you don't understand! Every time you say that, it just shows you don't care in the least."

Sally slammed her cup of water on the counter of the kitchen, located at the back of the ship.

"Sal, I get that you're mad, and I understand, I really do, but is it necessary to fight now?"

Sonic stood on the other end of the kitchen, the marble island separating them. Sally had her back to him, as she glared at the counter, seething. The moment where Sonic had been a pessimist about the whole situation had lit a fire in Sally and caused her to lash out at him after the ship had finally began to continue in it's pursuit of the captors.

As Sally was finally treating Sonic's wounds and bruises only moments ago, he'd asked her why she was angry. As she stormed away to the kitchen, he'd followed, leaving Shadow, Tails and Knuckles to make preparations for the coming landing. They had eight hours to go until they reached the planet where the girls were being held and they needed to be ready for anything.

"I don't want to fight, Sonic, but your attitude is just… ugh! I shouldn't have to explain this to you! You already know where I'm going to go with this."

"And where exactly is this going, Sally, tell me! Since I'm such an idiot, give it to me in laymen's terms!"

She whipped around to face him, seeming taller as she glared down into his soul, her blue eyes on fire.

"All you care about is her! Ever since I found you again and we decided to have a future together, for three years and coming, all you can talk about is her!"

Sonic froze, staring at his fiancé in shock.

"Sal, it's not what you thi-"

"Shut it! I'm not done!"

She clutched the island in front of her seeming to shake.

"When we talk about life, you're happy until you start talking about how you regret leaving Amy in the snow on that day, the day I came back to you. When we're enjoying each other's presence, you bring up how we should include Amy in activities so she can feel included. When you sleep, for chaos sake, you dream about her, muttering her name and soothing her, like she's some damsel in distress. And when you see her?! Don't get me started on that!"

"Sal.." Sonic seemed to deflate as he whispered to her, holding out his hand to touch her.

Her head was down as she began to crumble, tears falling.

"And I love Amy to death, Sonic. She's like family. Yet, the way you think about her, it… it hinders our relationship, Sonic, and if you can't see what kind of position that puts me in, how inadequate it makes me feel, then maybe we shouldn't be-" Sally was quieted by a blue blur enveloping her in a bone crushing hug.

"Don't say that, Sal. You deserve everything, and I want to be the one to give that to you. Amy's like a sister to me and I can't just ignore her when she's in distress. Those three years she went missing broke me, especially since it was my fault. And now that she's back and someone has taken her from right under me, I can't rest until she's safe again."

Sally sniffled, pushing away to look into his eyes.

"But she's not a damsel in distress anymore, Sonic. She's a grown woman and can handle herself. You've seen it with your own eyes, for chaos sake. She can take care of herself in and out of battle. The depression she went through was a phase and she's healing. You don't have to worry like she's your girlfriend anymore. I'm your girlfriend, you fiancé for chaos sake, you bride-to-be. All I want is you to replace Amy with me in your mind, not forget her entirely. She's still a freedom fighter, like Rouge and Cream and the other females in our group. Just treat her like the independent woman that she is now and stop blaming everything that happens to her on yourself," Sally explained, sobs quailed.

"Sally, you know I can't do that. I understand your concern, but Amy… she's important to me, just like you."

As he went to kiss her forehead, she stopped him, pushing roughly out of his hold.

"No, you don't understand. You won't understand until you step into my shoes and feel what it's like to be second place to someone else for three some odd years," she muttered as she walked to the exit of the kitchen.

"Sal, wait. Don't be like this."

She stopped with her palm on the door.

"Do you know why I wear my engagement ring on a chain around my neck?"

Sonic saw the ring, glistening in the kitchen light, hanging from her neck, rocking gently.

"Sal, please don't-" he began, but she interrupted him.

"Because I won't put it on my finger until I know for sure it's me you're actually engaged to."

"Sally, wait!"

For once, he wasn't quick enough. As he dashed to her, all he caught was the door flying open. As he look forward, he saw her red hair above the seat she was sitting in. As he sighed, he walked back into the main room, passing by her new seat in the back of the two rows of seats. She sat straight, regal and hostile all at once, reading a book.

He made way to the front, sitting next behind Shadow's seat, which was positioned next to Tails seat at the center. Tails was in his seat, but the ebony was not in his. As he looked around, he found the black hedgehog, crouching near a bag. He saw him pull out a green chaos emerald, then a gun of some sort, ammunition, and a set of clothes. The clothes were evidently not his, for the colors were to pastel and vibrant.

Knuckles came from the room next to the kitchen, depositing his bag next to Shadow's, as he began rummaging through his things as well.

"Tails, do we have a specified plan of action yet?" Knuckles voiced.

As the ship moved forward on the screen in front of the kitsune, he tapped away at the keyboard in front of him. As the ship zipped by varying planets in autopilot, Tails had pulled up their destination, a coral planet that ghosted the screen. As the kitsune examined the graphs, he sighed.

"There's limited information in these databases on this planet. It looks like anyone that's ever visited this planet either left too quickly to have anything to contribute or never left. I can see where they have landed, but I can't even get a lay of the land yet."

The kit moved from his perch, grabbing the communication device from before out of his pack near him.

He fiddled with it, pressing a button.

"Cream, do you copy? Cream, can you hear me?"

He tried this over and over as the group around him looked to the desperate fox sadly.

With the lack of response, the kitsune's ears fell flat.

"Cream, if you can hear me, but are unable to speak, It's Tails. We survived the attack and we're on our way to get you. Hold out for as long as you can and if possible, let us know that you're safe."

With that, the kit shut it off. He sighed heavily.

"The plan is as mentioned before. We'll land a distance from their location and stay away from detection. We get a lay of the land and we use stealth to invade wherever their being held and split up if we have to. We all have communication devices and they should be used accordingly. I'll have someone stay with the ship in case back up is needed and once we have the girls, we make a beeline for the ship and take off. We should limit fighting and confrontation. The longer we're stalled and the more people we set off, the bigger the consequence in the end. Besides, morals say we should keep from disturbing life on other planets." The kit turned to them.

"That's all I have until we land. Prepare all weapons and gear for the mission and we'll make all tactical moves when we're on the ground."

"Understood."

Shadow nodded as he cocked his gun. The word Rose glinted of the edge.

Wait for me.

~aAa~

At the start of the city, Amy had marveled at the cobblestone pathways and buildings adorned with vegetation and flowering pleasantries. If she could compare what she was seeing to anywhere, she would compare it to France or Italy, the countries she'd seen on Earth in her time there. The lavish homes of the civilians looked new and built with fresh stones and everything was filled with a sense of community as the homes were built on top of one another and towered close together. Food stands and opened doors contributed to this homey feeling.

Oddly enough, the civilians did not contribute to this atmosphere.

As the people made way in the streets, a lingering fear fell around the procession. It felt as if everyone was holding their breath and watched their every move with such anxiety and anticipation, that Amy was sure if she'd dropped a pen, everyone would scattered into their holes like spooked mice. It did not help that cloud cover had eclipsed the sun and darkened the sky a bit. Maybe a storm was brewing. All that was heard were faint whispers and the echo of hard footsteps across the city.

Not only this, but the civilians looked homely. In contrast to their beautifully developed and flourishing city, the people wore limp dresses, held together by crooked corsets and stained cloth. Children ran about, fussing and terrorizing one another, but halted in fear when they saw the soldiers. They gasped and ran through the thin alleyways, hiding behind the buildings and fixture of the town.

The people not only seemed afraid, but their stares were marked with disbelief.

Maybe they hadn't thought the prince would return?

But as she thought this, Amy noticed the stares were focused one her. That's when her questions became troubled.

Maybe they think I'm their princess and didn't think I would return?

Their eyes were not only awe struck, but also guilt ridden and sorrowful, as if Amy was walking to her death. That was something she could believe. This feeling twisted in her gut as she swallowed, walking up to the prince to march beside him. She hoped she wasn't crossing a line.

"Excuse me, your highness, if I'm not bothering you, may I ask a few questions."

The prince's ear twitched, but he did not turn to acknowledge her. He had a lingering smirk on his face.

"Ask away, my dear. I will answer your questions, granted they are relevant."

Amy shivered, but continued.

"You mentioned that you had come looking for me, but never gave a reason as to why you capture the two of my friends behind me. Are they royalty too?

The prince let out a chuckle, continuing his whispering chat with the rose.

"Oh no, they are far from royalty, princess. You see, in my instructions for your rescue, I informed my men to take no prisoners, unless they are females that can be detained. Those two seemed to fit the description."

As he spoke without looking at her, she had her doubts about these "instructions." In the fight, she remembered Sally being down for the count and Mina being an easy target to detain. It didn't make sense. If what the prince was saying were his true intentions, why hadn't they captured more of them?

"And why are you taking female prisoners?"

The prince paused.

"Since you're about to be thrust into a new set of politics, princess, I should inform you now that it is crucial that we keep positive relations with the planets neighboring us," he explained as he pointed upward. Amy once again glanced at the four planets in sight, orbiting near by.

"The two nearest to us, Onecea and Ramenscaw, they are ruled by ruthless individuals and in keeping the peace, their culture requires that all allies send a peace offering each year."

Amy's eye's widened as she connected the dots.

"You're sending my friends away as… offerings? What if they're abused harassed or killed?! How do you know these people are civilized and sane?"

The prince frowned, looking at her with one eye, barely turning to look at her.

"What they do with their offering is not my business, but those who are sent are loved by Aumoris for their sacrifice. Whatever keeps the peace, as they commoners say."

"But my friends aren't from here. How can they be grateful when you aren't sending your own people as offerings? Sure, take two girls from different planets to keep the peace in another, that's not selfish at all," Amy huffed.

The prince sighed.

"You have a mind of your own, princess. You may find that troublesome in the world you are about to be presented to."

Amy looked away, marching heatedly. She needed to calm herself and stay focused. Her vision caught sight of the knight with the white tassel. She had to be patient. Once she was alone and could locate the knight with the special tassel, then she could worry about their safety. For now, she needed to "cooperate."

"Right, offerings. I guess if it's necessary."

The prince smiled.

"Good, you're coming around nicely, Princess. Keep this up, and you'll be the princess Aumoris has been waiting ages to see."

Coming around to what? Acting like a puppet and being manipulated? I thought this only happened in fantasy books?

"You had another question, princess? We are nearing the fortress, so maybe you'd like to wait?"

"No, I…" Amy hesitated as the fortress grew in clarity and size, making her feel like an ant.

She cleared her throat.

"I noticed that you said you had taken over for my family after their passing. Since my memory is frazzled, I was hopping you could enlighten me on exactly who you are and where you are from, if I'm not asking too much."

The prince looked at her sideways with a frown. With a sigh, he explained.

"I am from a deteriorating civilization from the east, princess. I lived in a society of controlled and non-living individuals. My father and I are the only living and we kept our civilization intact by guiding these non-living creatures," the prince began, looking about him.

"My father is a family friend and in my youth, it was destined that I would come to your kingdom in search of a way to join our lands to alleviate the weight of our deteriorating civilization. When I came to save your family from a threat from the west that killed them, your father requested that I find you, bring you home and help bring back your royal skill set so that you may rule I his absence, as I have mentioned before. As his closest advisor no longer exists, I was next in line to assist you, princess. Do not doubt this."

"Thank you. I'm glad to have gotten to know you a bit more."

He smiled.

"Of course, princess. We are near the fortress. Please walk at your leisure and enjoy the remainder of the procession."

Amy nodded, losing pace with the prince and walking in the middle of Cream and Rouge.

"Amy, do you think the prince is plotting something evil? I don't think he has our best interest in mind," Cream asked.

Amy shook her head, whispering.

"I don't think so Cream. We'll have to be careful not to be too hasty with this guy."

Cream nodded as Amy looked at Rouge. She had a small sweat and her breathing looked labored, but she held.

"Rouge, are you going to make it?"

Rouge nodded.

"I just wish they'd been nice enough to wrap my injured wing, those jerks."

"We'll get you medical attention as soon as we're inside."

At this, the procession came to a stop.

Around the fortress was mote. They had stopped right in front of the bridge across. As Amy and company stopped in front of the prince, the knights around her continued across. A few knights stayed behind, standing about them as protection. Behind them, the townspeople that had followed the procession gathered before them. The prince turned to address the crowd, standing on the highest point of the bridge.

"People of Aumoris! I allow you to rest your destitute eyes on your lost princess, Amelia Rose! She has returned to save you from your plight and assume the thrown as her father had wished in his passing!" the prince wailed, arms above him to obtain attention. He gestured to Amy for a moment.

The rose looked back at the furiously whispering people in between the gaps of the knights behind her, some afraid, others shook for whatever reason. Amy caught eyes with someone. The look in their eyes was that of utter disappointment. She blushed and turned to look back at the shouting prince.

"I am pleased to announce that in this, she will unite with I, Prince Riven of Adrelis, in an act of marriage, binding our lands and our hearts."

"What!" Amy shouted, but she could not be heard.

The crowd began shouting in disapproval and denial. Some of he women began crying and falling to their knees.

Amy looked back at the people, eyebrows upturned. Did they not want this for her?

"Who does this punk think he is? A force marriage?" Rouge scoffed, hands on her hips.

"No, that's not fair! You don't even know him, Amy!" Cream wailed.

Amy glanced up at the prince, looking into his eyes, but he was looking at he helpless crowd, arms raised.

"Silence! The marriage will commence in a few days, once all diplomatic matters are settled and the princess begins adjusting herself to her former home! In the meantime, rest assured, my people, that we will take care of you and your future will be filled with quality, decree and control. I will make sure of it!"

With that, the prince turned, continuing to the massive doors ahead. They were already opening.

"Wait!" Amy shouted as she picked up her dress and stumbled after the prince. Cream and Rouge followed suit.

As a shadow cast over her, she slowed to a walk, shivering as she looked up at he massive doors. When her feet made contact with the tile of the foyer, she looked in front of her, just in time to feel the doors shut behind her with a booming thud.

The knights from before had dissipated in the instant she'd looked about the room. The inside was cool and lit only by the light from outside falling through from the windows on either side of the massive doors, a light that was dampened by the cloud cover. To her left and right were two sets of stairs. As she followed one of the staircases up with her eyes, she became dizzy, as it seem they went up into an eternity of stone. As she looked up the other set of stairs, she noticed a woman, a hedgehog if she had to guess, clad in a white and blue dress, come briskly down the steps. As the woman stopped in front of the dark prince, Amy took note of the door in the center, right in front of the prince that had his back to her, and above this door, on the wall, was a stained glass formation. It seemed the light from the room before it made the glass glow.

As Amy squinted to examine the odd fixture, she made out what looked to be a white, feminine creature in a billowing dress, her arms outstretched. Below her was a white flower and behind her, the arms of a man came around her. Above her head was the face of the pink man with his eyes closed as he embraced her. Where they gods of some sort?

"Send message to The Core Seven. I will meet with them momentarily to discuss the arrangements. Oh, and do make haste. The Seven will already have my head for taking this long, no need to prolong the slaughter," The prince uttered to one of his knights. Without a response, the knight marched up the steps on the right.

As this exchange was occurring, the four knights around him began to strip the prince of his bracers and boots. Before Amy could shield her eyes, a cape came flying around his backside and hid the remainder of his stripping. As his change came to a close, the prince turned to the three females with a whip of his cape to the side. His attire was similar to that of before, but he wore more armor this time, looking more like a tyrant overlord. His cape fell more like a cloak over his shoulders, covering his arms and the majority of his body as his hands came to his sides. All of his armor was grey with wisps of black and purple.

"Welcome to Fortress Vidonia, Princess Amelia, your birthplace and the base of operations of those of Aumorian gentry and nobility. I know it is quiet, but there are countless servants waiting to aid you, should you need anything," the prince announced.

He moved a hand to the woman next to him. She bowed with her arms across her chest in a submissive manner.

"She will lead you to your rooms. You should rest. I'm sure the journey has exhausted you. While you rest, I will meet with my advisors and others of importance. I'm afraid if you are in need of my presence, I will be attending various meeting for the remainder of the daylight, so I will not be available. If it is an emergency, I will do my best to excuse myself and come to your aid, but please leave all trivial matters to the servants. I will see you tonight, alone, Amelia, for a special dinner."

As the prince dismissed the four knights about him and the woman, he turned to follow the other knight to the set of steps on the right, when Amy called to him.

"Wait!"

He looked to her, eyes half open, a frown in place.

"Yes, my princess?"

Amy looked stern.

"This is my home, is it not? Forcing me to stay in my room while you take care of things makes me seem like a prisoner, don't you think?"

The prince sighed, looking up the steps. When he spoke next, his voice seemed to come from behind clenched teeth.

"I did not mean to imprison you in your room, princess, only suggested that you regain your strength, for you will need it for the coming events."

"I feel just fine, thank you."

The prince took a breath, calming himself. He rubbed his face.

"Very well. The fortress is your home and you may explore it at your leisure."

Amy moved forward a bit, crossing a boundary she didn't know was there.

"And what about outside the fortress? I'm sure the townspeople would like to see their lost princess, no?"

The prince looked frustrated as he began to glare at her.

"You may… traverse the city as you please, princess."

The prince suddenly smirked.

"But beware. The people are littered with differing tales and rumors of your past, your present and your destiny. I cannot assure that you will be safe among them if you are to mingle with the commoners. Take ample protection with you, a knight if you will, to keep you from falling into the hands of those lying savages you call townspeople," the prince said, continuing up the steps at a snails pace.

Amy clenched her fists.

"How can you call them savages? They're your loyal subjects."

The prince dismissed her with his hand, his back to her at this point.

"They are what they are, princess. You would do well to acknowledge this and treat them as such. Good day, my dear."

And with that, the prince became no more than a speck floating in the dampened light of the fortress walls.

Amy huffed, turning to look at the woman she assumed was a maid. Her long, purple braided quills suited her, but her bangs covered her eyes. She bowed again, looking to Amy and her friends through her bangs like a frightened child, humbled to the bone. She motioned to the steps on the left, opposite of the prince.

"This way, you royal highness."

The three followed the maid up the steps, a path that seemed endless in its guidance. The silence was daunting and became further apparent as all they could hear were their own footsteps as they traversed.

They stopped at the fifth hall in succession and were lead past various doors, windows made of glass showing the city on their left.

"The city seems so… helpless and feeble from this height," Rouge muttered.

Cream paid her no mind as she walked closest to the maid.

"Excuse me, what's your name?" Cream asked happily.

The maid seemed frightened by her question, shook her head, and jogged to get ahead and away from the rabbit.

Cream looked between Amy and Rouge questioningly.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Maybe she's not allowed to have a name as decreed by the prince," Rouge mused, rolling her eyes.

Amy chuckled sourly.

"Or she's been ordered not to talk to nobility in her leisure, as she's a lowly maid, or a savage as the prince said before," Amy muttered, disgusted with the dark prince.

As they caught up with her, they stopped at a door, which she proceeded to open.

"This is the room for the… offerings. Please step in and there will be someone to assist you with your wounds and help clean and prepare you," the maid whispered without making eye contact.

"Offerings?" Rouge muttered.

"We're being separated?! But, I don't want to leave Amy," Cream panicked.

Amy looked between them, calming them.

"It's okay. I'll find a way to meet with you two later. I'll also explain what I found out so far. Just go, behave and we'll make plans later," She uttered, ushering them into the room. As the door closed, all she remembered was the look of desperation in Cream's eyes.

"This way, your highness."

Amy was lead up a special set of steps not to far away into what seemed like a tower. At the top, there was only one door. The maid opened it.

"Please enter, your highness. I will return with a cloth and a bowl of water with soaps so you may clean yourself. Everything has been kept in the order it was before you disappeared, with a few added cloths, so do not worry so."

As Amy stepped inside, she was lead into a trance at the lighted room. It was so bright and familiar. The room had a scent she could not put her finger on, but she remembered it somehow. She turned to the door to regard the maid.

"Thank you. I-" Amy began, but the door was shut and the maid was gone. Amy deflated, turning to explore the room.

She took a step forward and stopped, hesitant. The room was beautiful.

It was covered in pure white stones. In front of the door, at the center and perpendicular to the left wall was a bed with a canopy, adorned with white and pink sheets and blankets. In from of the bed, on the floor, was a white rug of sorts, made of a material she'd never seen before. The room continued to her right, as the door was positioned on the far left of the room. To her right was a vanity on the wall where the door was placed, a pearly white and adorned with perfumes, combs and hair ornaments. There was a small pot, with an interesting white flower, fresh with morning dew. On the far right wall, directly across from the bed, was a closet, covering the entire wall, opened and displaying various clothing. In front of the closet was a platform and steps that lead up to this fixture. Below it, a mini couch as white as swans feathers was placed. Diagonal to the door, a tall clear class double set of doors lead to what Amy could see was an enormous balcony. Pink curtains fell across the doors, but let in the light, as did the few windows on that wall, the only source of light.

Amy walked closer to the double doors, marveling at the height of the ceiling. The room was the size of her whole house, she was sure, and it was then she made note of a glorious chandelier above her, farther from reach than she thought possible. The spacious and bright room reminded her of something and a flickering memory flitted through her, but she could not grasp it. She furrowed her brow as she stood in the middle of the room, blinking profusely.

"Dammit. What was that?"

A knock interrupted her.

"Um… come in?" she muttered.

The door cracked to reveal the head of the maid.

"I am sorry to interrupt you, but are you in the mood for some company, your highness?"

This was an odd question and she almost didn't know how to respond, but then a thought crossed the rose's mind.

"Please, I would appreciate it."

As she waited in anticipation for the visitor to enter, she felt her hands grip her dress. She tried to calm herself as the visitor walked through the door like a dramatic entrance in a movie.

Her eyes were graced with the presence of the knight with the white tassel. He was fully covered in his armor and helmet and he stood at attention across from her, in front of the vanity.

The door shut at his entrance.

They looked to one another, not seeming to breathe, for a long while. Amy could hear an imaginary clock tick in her mind as she tried to find the right words to say to this mysterious man who wished to save her. Was he entirely good? Could she trust him entirely, or was he another pawn of the dark prince? But he had been the one to warn her of Riven's intentions, so maybe he was innocent.

"Please, can you… remove your helmet? I want to see your face, sir knight," Amy said in the tone of a hushed mother.

Slowly, the knight bowed his head, getting on one knee. As he lifted the helmet from his head, lush brown locks of quills fell and covered his downturned face. As he placed his helmet on the floor, he stood, his brown locks turning a flawless white. He lifted his head, opening his eyelids to reveal bright, icy blue orbs.

He smiled a solemn and desolate smile, dazzling in all its sadness.

"It has been too long, my sister."

Amy let go of a breath she did not know she'd been holding, backing up a bit. His accent was elegant and quaint. She'd never heard anything like it before.

"S-ssister? There has to be some mistake. I .. I'm not the lost princess. I'm sure I just look like her. You've got the wrong girl."

He sighed sadly and went to unwrap the gauze on his left arm. The gauze fell to the floor and he unwrapped another layer of material she did not know the name of. After that fell to the floor as well, he blew on his forearm, a pink dust flying off is arm. He lifted the arm to show her what was imprinted on his arm. The rose shook her head, taking another step back.

"That… that heart shaped birthmark.. it's…" Amy stuttered.

"The same as the one located behind your right ear. The Aumorian mark of royalty and a mystifying brand given to those conceived through our family line, Amelia."

"It looks the so similar," she muttered in a trance. She did not notice the man walking to her, towering over her until the last moment. All she had time to do was back herself into the wall behind her, which was one of the massive double glass doors. She looked up to him as one arm came to the side of her face, caging her and the other brushed her bangs to the side. Her ears went back.

Amy began to breathe heavily and immediately wished she hadn't. He smelled intoxicating. She couldn't put her finger on this scent either, but it was tantalizing.

He chuckled, interrupting her thoughts.

"No need to fear, dear sister. We will be reunited with our mother and father in due time. Just continue to act as Riven's betrothed for a little while longer and when the time is right, we will release them from their prison below the kingdom," he assured her, running his fingers through her hair.

The rose blinked, but relaxed at his touch. He didn't seem dangerous, but he was confusing the hell out of her.

"Who are you and why do you keep calling me sister?"

The knight looked heart broken for a moment, but sighed. He closed his eyes.

"You really don't remember us, do you, Amelia?"

Amy looked down, feeling guilty for some reason.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I just… this whole situation is hard to believe. And.. my friends…I…" Amy began to quiver and her tears began to form as she relived the moment Tails ship exploded in her head.

The knight looked away.

"I am sorry for your loss, my sister. Any friends of yours are guests and highly respected allies of the kingdom. Those who are still breathing, that is." He bowed slightly in front of her.

Amy composed herself. This was no time to mourn.

"Thank you. I have an idea on what's going on here. I just don't know what to believe."

He backed away from her, pacing about the room, deliberating.

"So far you are aware that this is the Kingdom of Aumoris, your country of origin, and it is located on a planet far from the one Prince Riven found you on. You are also aware that the dark prince is in charge now and wishes to marry you as soon as possible to ascertain his role as the king and ruler of Aumoris, is this so?"

Amy nodded.

"Mostly. I've run through the possibilities on why he'd want to marry me, being the only heir. But if you're my brother, shouldn't you be ruling in our parent's stead? And if our parents are locked away, why aren't they ruling? He said all of my blood relations were dead. Your story and the Prince's don't add up. Why is that?" she questioned.

He sighed, stopping at her vanity to pick up one of the flowers from her small pot. The morning dew fell from a petal to the floor.

My name is Prince Argentine Taranese Rose, son of Amelius Loris Rose and Argentina Mae Rose, former king and queen of Aumoris. You are my younger sister, Amelia Lorae Rose. They ruled with love and compassion during their reign, and with the diplomatic relations to match, they were unstoppable. We were created from their love, me first and then you, their beloved daughter. We were to be raised like any other children, destined to reign in our parents stead after their passing. That was what our father had thought."

He twirled the rose, a sadness coming about him.

"You were not born when we were attacked by King Morrir of Adrelis, Riven's father. We held neutral relations with them before, but Morrir's jealousy and rage lead him to attack our father in an attempt at the throne. This was long before I could hold a sword, let alone fight. King Morrir wanted the throne of the living, not of the controlled forces he was cursed to lead. Our father fended him off, and banished him from the country, severing relations with Adrelis for good."

"Controlled people and non-living? The prince told me about his homeland, but he said he came looking for good relations between our lands in hopes he could join them," Amy responded.

The white prince shook his head.

"There were none such relations, my sister. Aumoris and Adrelis have been at odds with one another since the beginning of time it seems. Even the Oracle says as such."

"Oracle?"

Argentine stepped toward her bed, smoothing the sheets.

"You see, Amelia, there is a prophecy, one that the Oracle made clear to our father at your birth. I was five and could barely grasp the philosophies the Oracle spouted, but now, I understand clearly."

He locked their eyes.

"The Oracle, a creature everlasting since the days of old, came to our father, seeking to tell him of his dreaded future. The prophecy stated that Prince Riven and his father, Morrir, would come to Aumoris again with an army of thirty thousand men and conquer our territories. Our father was destined to kill Morrir, but in this, Riven would gain his fathers power and become unstoppable."

Argentine looked out the window.

"Riven was destined to win, sending our mother and father into a slumber encased in blue, quiet bliss for eternity, but us, the children of the king and queen were destined to escape Riven's plight and hide away from his tyranny. Where we were destined to escape to, the Oracle did not specify, so our father, knowing this was inevitable, decided to take fate into his own hands, as much as he could."

Argentine took Amy's hand. How had he gotten to her so quickly?

"On the day of the attack, our father, faked my death in battle and sent me to hide away within the townspeople, stripping me of my identity by giving me the means to hide my birth mark and the enchantment to change my fur. The townspeople knew of my father's wishes and protected my identity. In return, I joined the Aumorian army as an apprentice knight so I could keep an eye on the dark prince. I also knew of the last bit of the prophecy, so I made sure the dark prince was behaving in a manner that would not hinder this."

Amy blinked, another memory flitting across her vision.

"And what was the last bit of the prophecy?" she asked.

He smiled, kissing the back of her hand.

"It stated that after twelve years in hiding, you, my dear sister, would rise again, returning with the power to free our mother and father from their prison. It does not state with what power or how you will free them, but in a few days, when the time is right, you will let them go."

He squeezed her hand a bit.

"Our father decided to send you far away. Since you were our lands saving grace, he had to take all precautions to ensure the prince could not get to you. He sent you to a planet with the last of his power before the fight with Morrir and Riven. You were only five. Our hearts went with you, for we did not want the youngest member of our family to mature and grow without us. We were heartbroken. I … I dreamt about you every night in my youth, praying that you were all right. I did not know how you would return to us, but I had faith in the oracle and the prophecy, knowing that no matter how far you went, you'd make your way back home in due time."

He let go of the rose's hand, running his own hands through his quills.

Amy's vision fuzzed momentarily and she saw a short, chubby boy hedgehog, his fur as white as snow and tears in his eyes. A woman next to him, not so clear in her memory, but with white fur and dazzling emerald eyes. On the other side, a man, pink and eyes glazed over with tears, glittering blue. Amy blinked. Argentine came into her view, erasing the memory.

The prince growled.

"I do not think our father took into account that you might lose your memory of Aumoris and your life before your escape. No matter, you are here now and the time to release our family is only a night or so away."

Amy blinked away the tears she did not know had formed. Had that memory been real? And why did it make her feel some type of way?

"How did Riven know where to find me?" she asked, beginning to believe this insane story. It made sense in her timeline. She never knew her family before. She was found an orphan by Sonic, living off of the scraps she found on her little planet near Mobius.

"He didn't. As I had said before, I became an apprentice to watch over the prince's actions and ensure he would not find you before it was time. It seemed the prince had caught wind of the prophecy, years later, and made arrangements to traverse the galaxy in search of you. He had his hunches on where our father would hide you, but the possibilities were too great. He sent party after party to retrieve you and eventually, he decided to go himself when each party came empty handed. I joined his party so the prince would not find you too early or late. I thought if our father could manipulate the prophecy, so could I. We found you exactly when we should."

The prince reached into his pocket and pulled out the heart shaped pendant. It began to glow.

"These were also part of the prophecy. Riven found these after researching the prophecy and used this and the other pendants to find you and your friends. It is stated that the princess would return with two female allies, the yellow rabbit and the white bat, and together you three would thwart all of Riven's plans for good, using the power within you. These pendants, when activated, would be drawn to you, no matter where you were. It was Riven's last resort, as the time of reckoning grew closer. This is why Riven has captured your friends as well and has decided to separate you three by sending them off as offerings. The planets near by are warring planets and he's hoping they will be dead by tomorrow morning when he sends them of later tonight."

Amy reached for the pendant, twisting it in her palm.

"Is there more to this story?"

He shook his head.

"Now Riven has you. Knowing your memory is warped, he wishes to use that to coerce you into marrying him to finalize his rule. The marriage is irreversible and even after your death he will be the rightful ruler, if you agree to unite with him. But Riven thinks me dead and he does not know I have given you this information. We should act in secret and release our parents when the time comes, so they will assume their rule. In the meantime, you will continue your obedience to the prince and I will ready our men for the change of power."

"Our men?" she asked

He took her by her arms, a pride taking over him.

"Only half of the soldiers in this fortress are Riven's men from Adrelis. The other half of our men, those loyal to Amelius and Argentina, still live. They surrendered to Riven as directed by our father before his defeat, promising them he would return to save them. They also know of my hidden identity and they have been raising and protecting me ever since I became an apprentice."

He backed away.

"They have deemed me their general and as soon as we get our home back, I will lead them into war against Adrelis once and for all. I have gained their trust, respect and loyalty and they are excited to meet you. I will have to find a moment to bring you to our headquarters when the prince is not looking."

Amy stared at him, blinking occasionally, unmoving. The prince deflated, looking defeated.

"Even after such explanations, you still don't believe me, do you?"

Amy scratched the back of her head, laughing a bit.

"It's … a bit much."

Argentine looked down, nearly ready to give up.

"But something in me thinks that all of this could maybe be true, knowing that the stories match what's happening and this slight familiarity… it's something I can't shake."

"What are you saying?"

She smiled, hands behind her back.

"What I'm saying is… I believe you… Argentine."

In the blink of an eye, the prince had her wrapped up in a hug worth priceless gold. He twirled her, to her surprise, and set her down near her vanity.

"Yes! Now that you are home, you surely won't regret what's happening next! We will destroy Riven, you will get your crown, you will get to choose whom you marry, and we'll be a family again! The townspeople will have their gentle princess back and I will ensure their protection. Our father will extend aid to other territories and mother? Oh she will use her mystical powers to rebuild the economy our destitute town has been-" Amy interrupted his rant.

"Whoa, hold on there. I never said I would stay. My friends can't stay here and neither can I. We have a duty to Mobius. And I'm not ready to get married! I'm way to young!"

He laughed.

"On the contrary, sister, you are nearing the age where you are no longer eligible to be married. The planet you were on must have had it backwards."

Amy pouted, feeling somehow inadequate.

"Whatever. I'm not marrying anyone, especially not that prince. I need to find my friends right now and explain to them everything you just told me. Then, with your help, we will plan a way to hijack a ship from Riven's forces and escape this planet."

"You wish to leave. Why? The day of reckoning is near and you will have your old family back. Do you not want this?"

Amy withered a bit.

"It's not that I don't. All of this sounds so crazy and wonderful. Family I didn't know I had… it sounds amazing, but my friends are hours away from being sent away as offerings and I can't risk that. We have to escape soon or die trying. If I can manage to save my family as well as my friend somehow, some other way, I will gladly try, but for now, my loyalty lies with my friends first, then, my family."

The white prince sighed, walking to the door. He chuckled a bit.

"Even though you've been away for so long, you have the mind of a true princess, with decrees of loyalties and such, no matter where they lie."

Amy shrugged, walking to the knight by the door. He put his helmet on.

"I will take you too your friends and help make a plan for your escape, but in return, will you first come with me past the city to see the oracle? You friends may join us."

She nodded.

"It's the least I could do."

"Marvelous.

They headed through the hall and down the darkened steps. It seemed the clouds were covering everything.

They stopped at the familiar door. He knocked.

"Come in."

As Argentine opened the door, a pillow came flying, hitting the prince. It did not move him, but it did throw him off a bit. With a yell, a figure jumped on him. It was Rouge.

"Go now, Cream! I think Amy is up the stairs on the left!"

"Got it!"

Cream came running out of the room and ran face first into a figure. As it held her fast, she pounded on its chest, screaming.

"No, let me go!"

"Cream, it's me."

The rabbit ceased her struggle and smiled.

"Amy!" She was nearly crying. She hugged the rose.

Amy patted her head and slowly led the rabbit back into the room.

"Amy, how did you escape?"

The prince had gotten Rouge down from atop his head and had her arms in his hold. He let them go, taking his helmet off as the door locked behind them.

"Fear not, for I am here to aid you," the prince added.

"Uh huh, sure thing, buddy," Rouge responded, eyeing him oddly. She stepped to the bed taking a seat. Cream did the same.

"You can trust him. It's a long story and I'll try to make it short. We don't have a lot of time, " Amy explained.

As an hour passed and the skies darkened with promise of rain, the facial expressions of her companions changed from that of shock, to terror, to anger, to sadness throughout the tale. Argentine added his bits as he felt necessary, but the rose covered everything. In her explanation, she felt bits of her memory solidify, marking the beginnings of her forgotten timeline.

"And that's where we're at right now. The prince wants to marry me to gain full control of this territory and I have the power to free my parents at the given time and stop all of this madness."

"Wow, that's amazing! I knew you were special, Amy!" Cream shouted, clasping her hands together.

"Sounds like an adventure with lots of benefits in the end. I hear nobility have loads of money, clothes and cute knights at there disposal, no matter what realm they're from. So when do we save your parents?" Rouge asked.

Amy looked away.

"We don't," she muttered simply.

"What?!" her companions shouted in unison.

"Look, Prince Riven is planning on sending you guys off to the neighboring planets tonight and I need to get you guys away from here before that happens. Once you're gone, it's all over. I'll have lost you and my chastity. I can't escape to Mobius alone! If I make it back by myself, how will I explain or even live with all of your deaths?"

Her companions deflated. She sighed.

"Look, if there's a way to save my parents without sending you guys away to your deaths, then I will do it, but for now, we have to escape. Mobius needs us."

Amy walked to the small closet, sifting through until she found a few cloaks. She tossed them to her friends.

"I promised Argentine I'd visit the Oracle on the edge of town. Apparently she wants to meet me. After that, we will act on our escape."

They hooked the cloaks onto them and nodded. They stood and made way for the exit.

"Stay quiet and do not make eye contact with the knights with the purple and grey armor and tassels. They are Riven's knights and they will smell our suspicion before we have time to act if you do," Argentine instructed.

They passed through the halls normally, but on high alert. They exited the fortress through the large door for which they had come, walking with intention until they faded into the crowd of civilians.

~aAa~

"We're getting closer to their orbit of their moons. Once we pass the last moon, it's a fifteen minute trip straight down."

He kitsune was beyond determined. He could feel Cream's presence at this point, wanted her in his space, safe and sound. He couldn't sleep, even when Sonic had suggest he nap and let the plane fly on it's own. No, he let the ship go into autopilot, but he kept looking for information on the planet in his database, a map, some statistics, anything. He needed to know what they were getting themselves into.

Knuckles touched his shoulder. The kitsune did not look up from his work.

"Tails, we're almost there. If you stare at that tablet anymore then you have for the past hour, you're going to go blind, man."

The kit sighed.

"We need to be prepared for anything, Knuckles. We can't fail. Their lives are at risk."

The ebony sat up from his seat, being careful not to wake the sleeping princess and the blue blur.

"Yes, Tails, but you are of no use to them if you are distracted by your lack of information or your failed vision. You need all of your focus and strength when we land. You will lead us. Our lives are in your hands as well," the ebony added.

Tails sighed and closed his tablet.

"You guys are right. I should rest while I can."

He sat back and basked in the silence as Knuckles sat back in his seat next to him. All that lit the room was the light of the stars.

Have faith, Cream.

~aAa~

They neared the edge of the city, moving with the flow of the commoners. Horse drawn carriages flitted by and women and children stared as they passed. Amy could faintly hear people whisper about the prophecy. She had been hearing that nearly the whole way.

A light shower had forced them to lift their cloaks.

"I guess the prophecy isn't much of a secret, huh?" Amy whispered to Argentine.

"Everyone knows the prophecy. Riven knows this, but to thwart that, Riven believes that if he changes bits and pieces of the present, he can change the future. A futile attempt at control, really, but he does not care about who knows the prophecy because of this confidence he has."

Amy nodded, following him into a crowd of bushes. He pulled them back, gesturing them in first.

They followed a short path into a forested area. A stone wall littered with golden, glowing swirls greeted them.

As Amy touched the wall, a voice called to her.

You have arrived, child…

"What?" Amy voiced, but the voice was in her head.

Now, I bid you entrance…

"How? There isn't even a hole in this wall."

"Amy, who are you talking to?" Cream asked concerned.

"The Oracle," Argentine whispered.

Come, child.

"But I-"

COME.

And with a strange force, Amy ghosted through the wall with a tug on her dress. She did not have time to scream, but she could hear the faded screams of her friends call for her as she disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a cave, on the other side of the wall. It was dark and the light of the golden swirls about the damp cave walls lit the space. In front of her, a creature covered in a brown robe, about half her size, waited. All she could see beyond the hood was one, blue eye of some sort.

"You're the Oracle."

Yes, child. I will keep this short as the night draws near. Follow me.

The swirls began to light a path further down the back of the cave. Even in the dark, Amy could see the Oracle seemed to glide across the stone floor, not a foot in sight.

"Why did you tell my father about the prophecy? Are you an ally of Aumoris?" Amy asked, disliking the silence.

I am an immortal being, child. I have existed for as long as this planet has orbited this sun. Yet, I am not invincible. The actions of the world around me either benefit me or kill me.

A sleeve lifted from her robe and a pattern lit up beside them on the wall as they continued. The swirls seemed to form other little oracles with vague little shapes.

In the event that I am killed, I am reincarnated, but my previous life is forgotten, resetting my memory, forcing me to relearn the histories and rules of this world all over again.

Amy began to count the many oracles. After losing count, the final oracle was shaped out at the end of that hall. They turned the corner, continuing on.

I guess you could say I am an ally to your father, but I only give him my visions because it will keep my current body alive. You see, child, an oracle is given visions of importance from the Higher Beings. These visions directly affect the life of the Oracle in existence. In return, the Oracle in existence is suppose to use the information to avoid whatever disaster so that they may continue living.

Amy deliberated a moment.

"So you don't care what happens to Aumoris, but if it were to be destroyed or if it were to fall into the hands of someone like Prince Riven…" Amy began aloud.

Then my life would be at risk. The prince would use my legendary power for his own gain, which would inevitably lead to my death. I have kept this existence for far too long to start over, child. This prophecy I was given has been the biggest event foreseen by the Higher Beings in the past few millennial, child, it will go as planned. If you are killed during this event or struck down, my life will be forfeit, and it will be another decade before a knowledgeable, new oracle is smart and experienced enough to aid you, princess.

As she said this, the hall came to an end, and in the new cave room, the swirls lit the room, showing a beautiful mural. The swirls shaped what looked like Cream, Rouge and herself. Amy stood in the middle, with a weapon of some sort, a bow and arrow she guessed. Cream held a staff and Rouge a set of daggers.

The three saviors of Aumoris, led by their very own princess. This prophecy has been in the makings for as long as I've been given the strongest of visions. Even after you save you father and mother from their hold, your land will still need saving, and you will be the one to do it, child.

Amy shook her head.

"No, I can't. I have to leave the fortress tonight. My friends are in danger if we stay. If I have to wait to save my parents, then I can't do it."

You certainly have a mind of your own.

The rose became instantly frustrated. The dark prince had said the same thing.

"Why have you brought me here?"

At this, the heart pendant began to float out of her dress pocket. It levitated to the Oracle, who turned and viewed it. It began to glow.

I wanted to see if you had taken care of my creations. This pendant is an antique, child, don't abuse it.

Amy sighed, slouching in defeat.

Really? That's it?

Also…

The pendant returned to Amy. She cupped it in her hands, but she was not prepared for what the Oracle screamed in her mind.

YOU WILL RELEASE YOUR PARENTS FROM THEIR HOLD AND AFTER, YOU WILL FIGHT RIVEN AND HIS FORCES AND YOU WILL BE THERE TO HELP SLAY THE PRINCE ONCE AND FOR ALL. DO YOU HEAR ME?

Amy blinked in surprised as an imaginary force pushed her back. The Oracle became smaller.

THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO. IF YOU TRY TO ESCAPE, YOU WILL INEVITABLY COME BACK AND RELEASE YOUR FAMILY. AND IF YOU TRY TO LEAVE THEN, YOU WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO FIGHT, CHILD, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE. A FIGHTER.

Amy was pushed back again, back against a wall. Her heart was in her throat, hair a mess. The Oracle was going to kill her if she yelled again, she was sure of it.

Now get out of my sight, you defiant little thing.

And with a shot of vertigo, Amy was tugged once again. When she opened her eyes, she was standing with her hand on the stone wall from outside. Her hair felt frazzled and frizzy, like she'd been shocked by lightning. She breathed heavy, trying to focus.

"Amy!"

Her friends came to her aid, but she shook her head.

"I'm fine. The Oracle, she… we just had a little chat."

As Amy turned, her brother stood at the end of the path, gazing at her longingly. Amy looked to him and felt that guilt again.

"Come, we must make haste to the fortress," he called solemnly, leading the way.

When they reached the covering of bushes, the town was shrouded in twilight.

"We must hurry if you wish to plan your…escape," Argentine whispered. They walked briskly through the thickening townspeople that scrambling for dinner items and refuge.

~aAa~

The ship had landed gracefully, thanks to the skilled, two-tailed pilot. As the main door came down, leaving a ramp for exit, the echidna stepped out, stretching and popping his knuckles.

With a communicator on his wrist and a look of determination in his violet orbs, he looked down to the dim glowing city before him. They had landed on a hill, he observed. The wind took his dreads into an embrace of nature-smell and a retreating storm.

I'm here, Rouge. You don't have to wait any longer.

A/N I know it's a lot, but if you've made it this far, I commend your endurance ^-^.