Chapter 13

Hello, dear reader!

I hope you are well. I'm sorry I took longer to post this chapter than I originally intended. I didn't have much inspiration to write for some time, but then it came to me! Please let me know in the reviews what you think once you've read this chapter. We're nearly there!

:D

'Well?'

'Well, what?'

'Did you tell her?'

Sonic stood in the meeting room of Resistance HQ beside Tails, waiting for Knuckles to finish eating his breakfast of eggs and fruits in the next room. The blue hero was scanning the map of Prison Island on the large computer screen, looking for anything that would give them a clue as to where the cats were hiding.

They had a long day ahead of them, and Sonic hoped today would be the day that he and Knuckles would finally catch those cats and retrieve the Chaos Emeralds to heal Amy. He wanted to focus on their route, but Tails had something else on his mind.

'Tails, I can't tell her unless I know what she feels about me. I told you so last night, didn't I? I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable.' Sonic told him as he squinted at a spot on the map.

'But Sonic, you already know what Amy feels about you. You've known it for a long time!' The bright young fox argued.

Tails has been feeling very excited ever since Sonic admitted to him and Knuckles the previous night that he had feelings for Amy. Even though he had agreed to give Sonic some time, he was worried that his best friend would eventually choose never to reveal them. The thought only came to him after Sonic left for the hospital last night, and he couldn't help thinking there was a possibility of it happening.

After all, Sonic was never one to dwell on something for long. He was always on the move, never letting anyone or anything distract him or stand in his way— especially if it slowed him down. The young fox knew that was one of the reasons why Sonic had never committed himself to a relationship with anyone in the past, and Tails wondered if he would move on from Amy one of these days.

It's way too cheesy for my style, Tails. Sonic had once told him long ago when he had casually teased him about it. Besides, I can't let Egghead mess with my motives if he finds out I like somebody, so it's better to stay out of it.

But it's not the same now. Tails reasoned.

This was, in fact, their first real adventure since the Death Egg incident a year ago, and Eggman was not active now like he once used to be, so there was no risk of him using Amy to hurt or trigger Sonic. The blue hero no longer had to be on the move all the time either, so he didn't have a reason to cite that excuse, too, to stay out of a relationship.

Sonic could now finally slow down and take things as they came, which was something Tails liked although it made him feel annoyed at seeing Sonic lazing around at times. During times such as those, he longed for something new and different to come into his big brother's life—or someone like Amy Rose. The young fox knew that being with Amy would lead Sonic on a new, uniquely beautiful adventure unlike any he had experienced before.

Tails eagerly hoped to see Sonic and Amy together once all of this was over. But for that to happen, the two-tailed fox had to give Sonic a gentle push.

'Besides, it's not like Amy has never had feelings for you.' Tails added with a chuckle, remembering all the times in the past when Amy chased Sonic. 'I'm sure she'd be delighted if you tell her how you feel, Sonic.'

'Tails, I...' Sonic began but let out a tired sigh.

Although Tails tried his best, little did he know what was going through his big brother's heart, for although Sonic admitted that he liked Amy, he had yet to understand it completely. After all, he was still confused about how and why he started developing feelings for her after all these years. It was easy for him to tell Tails and Knuckles—or anyone else—that he liked her, but if they were to ask him why, he wouldn't have an answer to give them, not yet—and that was what bothered the hero and made him wait before confessing to Amy.

For if even Amy were to ask him why, Sonic wanted to give her an answer—an honest, heartfelt answer that he felt she deserved after years of being ignored by him.

It surprised the speedy hedgehog that he was taking his time as much as it surprised Tails as he never liked waiting. Nevertheless, he knew that in this case, waiting was the right thing to do, and for the first time in his life he didn't mind doing it.

This shows how much Sonic cares about Amy's feelings, and although he didn't realize it at the time, it proved the genuineness of his feelings for her. He didn't want to act quickly just for the sake of satisfying his friends and experiencing being in a relationship—only to end up breaking things off with her later because his feelings weren't true and he got what he wanted.

Sonic knew he had broken her heart countless times in the past, and although he didn't want to admit it, what Knuckles said was right—he had played with her heart many times. He didn't want to do that again.

Besides, over the last few years, seeing Amy not pursuing him anymore made him wonder if she still had any feelings for him.

What if she has moved on? What if it was just him and not her? How would that turn out? Did she truly still like him like Tails said she did?

Sonic felt oddly unsettled that for the first time, he was craving Amy's love and attention despite having received it so frequently in the past. He wished he had paid more attention to her back then, but he knew he had many things that kept him busy—going on adventures, having enemies to fight and lives to save. During those days, he simply never considered settling down someday.

For all the speedy hero knew, he never thought his life of adventure would come to a plateau. He had always seen himself running around fighting evil robots and goons all his life and being the hero he was known to be ever since he was a child, living life his way—his own way. For the free-spirited hero that he was, paying attention to the romantic outbursts of his pink teammate was the very last thing on his mind.

And yet here he was many years later—wanting Amy's love and attention again; he didn't want it from anyone else but her.

Sonic knew that having the love of Amy would mean he could still be himself, as she already knew him so well. It meant he could continue going on runs, fighting bad guys, and saving the world—all while having Amy by his side to support and love him; having Amy to protect and always come home to at the end of each day.

The thought warmed his heart, but the fear of rejection stung. He wondered if he could move on as easily as he hoped if she turned him down, and how he would come to terms with the missed opportunities he had with her in the past.

Sonic sighed.

'I just don't know, buddy.' Sonic said in a soft voice as he looked down at Tails with a tired smile. 'I know you told me last night that she still likes me, but I don't see that in her now like I used to, so I don't wanna make a move yet.' The last thing he wanted was to be rejected by Amy, so he wanted to be sure of what she felt beforehand.

'But, Sonic, that doesn't mean she's stopped having feelings for you.' Tails told him. 'Even if she isn't as open as she once was, I'm sure she still likes you. It's clear from how she asks about you every time I visit.'

Tails made a mental note to pay attention to his conversations with Amy more carefully from now on so he could see how she reacted whenever they mentioned Sonic. He wanted to reassure his big brother and best friend.

Sonic didn't appear to be listening, however. He got distracted and was now looking at the screen again, marking out a few locations on the map. Once he was done, he pressed 'Print'.

'Sorry, Tails, what was that again?' He leaned back and stretched before patting his stomach. 'Boy, I could sure do with a chili dog right about now.'

'I was saying that—'

Tails was interrupted by a loud belch. Knuckles walked into the meeting room just then, looking satisfied from his breakfast. 'Why don't we get started, Sonic? I could do with some cat pummeling right about now.' He bumped his large knuckled fists together. 'Those cat brains won't know what hit 'em.'

'Totally, Knuckles. I got us a printed map of Prison Island with some key locations we need to search.' Sonic waved the paper he just collected from the printing machine. 'We gotta go fast or else we'll lose 'em again.'

'Perfect. Tails, you stay here and work on that emerald while keeping an eye on our girl Amy.'

Tails nodded. 'You can count on me!' He decided convincing Sonic could wait for now. There were more important things that mattered at present.

Sonic chuckled and patted his head. He knew their conversation was interrupted, so he made a mental note to catch up once he got the chance. 'We always will, little bro. How is it coming along?'

Tails sighed. 'Well, it is coming along fine. I think we can still use it in case of an emergency but with caution. Like I said—it can only handle a certain amount of negative Chaos energy. We need a more stable source.'

Knuckles looked grim. 'Well, if that's all we've got for now then we'll use it. Let's hope we snatch back those emeralds before things get worse.'

Sonic nodded. 'Right, then let's get moving. We haven't got any time to lose.'

Knuckles grunted in agreement and waved at Tails before leaving the room. Sonic stayed behind for a moment and looked at his young best friend who was like a little brother.

'Tails? Please take good care of Amy, buddy—for us.' He then hesitated before adding, '...and for me.'

Tails' eyes shone with gladness and he couldn't help but tear up a little. 'I'll do everything I can, Sonic.'

The blue hero smiled at him warmly before leaving the HQ in a blue blur after Knuckles.

-xxx -

The day was bright and cloudy as Sonic and Knuckles headed for Prison Island. They reached the outskirts of the Mobian Forest and skidded to a stop. Just past the large expanse of tall trees was a tiny stretch of water beyond which lay the island. In the far distance, Angel Island floated mid-air, and they could vaguely make out the Master Emerald's glow from the light of the morning sun. Knuckles wondered if Rouge was all right up there.

Whenever Sonic thought of Prison Island, he recalled the time when he was mistakenly imprisoned on the deeply forested island by G.U.N. many years ago, until Tails and Amy rescued him. The blue speedster didn't have many fond memories of the place, and as much as he didn't want to go back, he knew he had to this time.

Prison Island was no longer the formidable facility it once was—a high-security prison and research base operated by G.U.N. It was also where Shadow had been held in a cryogenic pod for fifty years until he was freed by Doctor Eggman.

However, after being blown up by Eggman, Shadow, and Rouge, the island has since been largely abandoned except for a few overgrown paths and prison cells still used by G.U.N. Although risky, it served as a touchpoint for those who wanted to travel further to the new Prison Island founded by the Guardian Unit of Nations—the very same island where Doctor Eggman was now being held prisoner at one of their higher levels of security. Since Sonic and Knuckles now knew the cats were seeking to free the Doctor, they figured they were headed there.

'You ready, Sonic?' Knuckles asked.

'Ready? You don't have to ask me twice.' Sonic grinned and raced into the forest. Knuckles chuckled and ran into the forest after him.

The forest was surprisingly quiet that morning, and the only sound came from the rapid scraping of shoes as the two friends made their way past the tall clustered trees. It didn't take long for Sonic to find the stillness distracting. It almost felt like the forest was holding its breath in anticipation as the two friends went on their mission to save a hurting friend. He stopped.

'This seems off-key. Knuckles, do you hear anything?'

'I only have ears for those canine brats; nothing else.' Knuckles bared his teeth and raised his fists, but when he saw the confused look on Sonic's face, he dropped his hands and looked around him. 'You're right. It is quiet.'

The two watched and waited awhile, straining their ears for any sound around them. All they heard was a distant chirping of birds and the sound of wind rustling the leaves above them. Other than that, it was mostly still.

'Huh, strange.' Sonic muttered.

In the quietness of the forest, however, they felt relaxed. A gentle breeze blew by and the two sidekicks took a good whiff of the scent of honey and flowers that came along with it. They heard the roar of a distant waterfall somewhere too, and when Sonic glanced up at the bright blue sky above him, he felt free. As for Knuckles, he felt close to home.

Sonic soon felt his thoughts float toward Amy. The events and the conversation from that morning came back to his mind.

He smiled.

The charming blue hedgehog had loved waking up to the sound of Amy's sweet voice, and he had found her morning appearance to be cute—what with her disheveled quills and fur, along with the brightness of her beautiful jade eyes. He had found it a pleasant experience while making her bed for her, and as he knew she loved the sunshine, he had made sure to open the window wide so more light could come in along with the cool summer breeze he knew worked well for her health.

Sonic didn't know why exactly he did those things, but he knew he cared about her. He knew he wanted her to feel comfortable. He wanted to make her feel safe just as Shadow did.

Shadow…

He sighed, wondering how his ebony counterpart felt about his pink friend. Did Shadow like Amy too? But Sonic knew Shadow was never the kind to fall in love; but he, too, had been that way for a long time, hadn't he? Could Shadow's feelings have changed just like his?

The Mobian hero felt worry seep through his heart. What if Shadow captures Amy's attention and love this time? After all, she had given him his chance for a long time which he had ignored. He knew it would be well-deserved if she chose to move on from him and have someone else to love instead.

He even dreaded the possibility that Shadow—if he had any feelings for Amy—might confess to her before he had the chance. Sonic felt a growing sense of urgency and desperation.

I should tell Ames…

'Did she say anything that gave a hint, blue?'

Knuckles' deep voice broke through his thoughts and Sonic blinked and looked at the echidna guardian who was now looking up at the sky. He sighed in relief at the distraction and shook his head. 'No. Not really…'

Knuckles turned his gaze toward him, raising an eye ridge. Although he hadn't been in the room when Sonic and Tails talked earlier, he could faintly hear all that was being said. He could tell what Sonic was concerned about.

'Really?' He asked. 'Nothing that gave anything away? I'm sure she might have said or done something that hinted at her feelings for you, Sonic.'

Sonic tapped his chin as he thought. He couldn't remember anything in particular that Amy might have said. He only recalled seeing her blush, and his heart broke at the memory of her crying. But why did she cry?

Does she…care about me?

The hero closed his eyes with a sigh and shook his head. There he was—making assumptions. He figured that Amy cried because she was afraid of what might happen to him, just as she would have if it had been anyone else.

And when he recalled seeing her blush, he couldn't deny feeling hopeful and even glad at the time. But he had grown used to seeing most females blush out of shyness whenever he said something encouraging to them, so it didn't cross his mind to consider it a sign of the sort he was looking for—which was something more direct.

'Nothing comes to mind.' Sonic finally told Knuckles after a moment. 'It was just a chill conversation as always.'

Yet even after Sonic said that he couldn't deny that the conversations he's been having with Amy lately were deep and intimate, for they were no longer like the short, quick words they exchanged in the past. He felt like talking to her for longer now, and although he secretly missed her energetic displays of affection, he was glad they didn't stop him from spending time with her as they used to in the past. He smiled at how often he used to run away from her whenever she chased him back in the old days. And Sonic now knew that if she were to do so again, he would stand still and let her run towards him.

Someday, Sonic hoped Amy would truly be his Rose—his very own Rose.

Knuckles nodded. 'All in due time, blue.'

Sonic smiled at him, and the two friends grew quiet as thoughts of Amy remained on their minds. They each recalled their memories of her and they had the same foreboding thought of what would happen if they failed to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds on time. They knew they had to act quickly and fast before the cats got away again.

'Let's get going.' Knuckles voiced his final thought.

Sonic took a deep breath and nodded as they continued through the forest. They were starting to hear a few more sounds around them now, and it wasn't long before one of them found something.

'Knuckles, look!'

Sonic picked up a worn red glove from the ground just as Knuckles caught up with him. 'Huh, pretty sure I've seen this somewhere.'

'Grrr! It belongs to those cats!'

'Yikes!' Sonic yelped and dropped it. 'Talk about contaminating evidence. Phew!' He then noticed a light trail of footprints down on the sandy ground right next to the glove. It looked like it had been left intentionally for them to follow. 'They could still be around here.' He surmised.

'Or it could be a trap!' Knuckles remarked. 'A clue here when I found nothing on Angel Island after they stole the Chaos Emeralds? I don't trust it.'

'But hey, it's worth a try.' Sonic pointed out. 'If it turns out to be a trap like you say it is, I bet we can take 'em on with style just as always, Knuckles.'

Knuckles growled but nodded. 'Fine! If it means I get to pummel them, then so be it.'

And with that, they took off in the direction of the trail.

-xxx-

Amy sat on the rooftop of Memorial Hospital while sipping a soothing green tea. She had a shawl wrapped around her slender frame for it was a cool, summer day. She had been feeling well that morning, but as soon as Sonic left, she felt deeply exhausted. She could barely get up to have her breakfast on the tray one of the nurses left for her, and she had to shyly ring the bell for assistance when she wanted to use the washroom. It was only much later that she started to feel at least a little better.

What's happening…?

Amy had been strong and capable enough to battle Eggman robots and rescue fellow Mobians all her life, so she wasn't used to feeling so weak and helpless. However, Tails had warned her this would happen, and she had been feeling weaker since that intense pain occurred nearly two weeks ago. Ever since then, it was a downward spiral that slowly diminished her strength and caused her to feel tired even after taking just a few steps.

Only when she stepped outside on the rooftop did she feel better as the feeling of being outdoors invigorated her and brought back memories of her adventures in the past. It was a welcome distraction that she yearned for each day, especially during the times when she was alone in her assigned hospital room.

The only concern Amy had now was the occasional sharp pain that shot across her stomach that crippled her. She shuddered at the thought of it recurring again for it has been more frequent lately, and the last thing she wanted was to see Shadow or Sonic giving her their positive Chaos energy and feeling drained in the process. She sincerely hoped the fake Chaos emerald would work well enough so they didn't have to step in.

'Amy?'

A sweet, kind voice broke into her thoughts and the delicate rose turned to find Vanilla standing behind her, smiling at her kindly while holding a tin of biscuits. 'I brought you some honey biscuits from the pantry as requested.'

Amy beamed and thanked her as Vanilla took a seat next to her. She had dropped by an hour after Sonic left, bringing some more books and a basket of freshly baked cream buns. Amy was delighted as always for she and her friends loved Vanilla's baking.

The lovely rabbit gently adjusted the shawl around Amy's shoulders with motherly care. 'How do you feel now?'

Amy carefully set the tea cup aside and sighed. 'I don't know, Vanilla. I still feel…so tired.'

Sadness flashed across Vanilla's eyes and she felt the sting of tears. She adored the pink hedgehog who has always been a dear friend to her daughter Cream, so it pained her to see her suffer like this.

Ever since she heard what was wrong with Amy, Vanilla, like the motherly one she has always been, instantly felt her heart go out to her and was determined to do all she could to help her. She dropped by to see her as frequently as her busy schedule allowed her. More often than not, this was when Cream was at school.

'Sweetie, is there anything I can do?' She asked with concern.

Amy shook her head and smiled at her kindly. 'You've been doing a lot for me already, Vanilla. You being here is all I need.' Amy then looked away and breathed in the fresh morning air, feeling content.

Vanilla nodded sadly and decided to change the subject. 'Have you been able to talk to Sonic lately?'

Amy glanced at her and nodded shyly. 'He was here this morning.'

Vanilla's eyes brightened. 'Were you able to tell him how you feel about him?'

The pink rose blushed and shook her head. 'No, I haven't yet. I just don't know if I should, Vanilla.'

Amy had been talking about her blue hero often with Vanilla since she first arrived at the hospital to see her, and to Amy's relief, Vanilla promised she wouldn't say a word to anybody.

The beautiful pink hedgehog told her about Sonic's sudden change ever since he arrived at her apartment—his smiles, his gestures, and—a little shyly—that night when he held her. She also mentioned how Sonic's recent words and actions made her heart skip a beat and blush fondly, and that they caused her to fall in love with him all over again.

'He's behaving the way I've always dreamed of, Vanilla.' Amy told her happily once.

Amy was thankful she could be honest with Vanilla as the motherly rabbit always listened to her and never judged. But unlike Amy, Vanilla saw through Sonic's actions—she sensed the sincerity and genuine affection behind them, and just as Tails had wondered last week, she too wondered if the famous blue hero was starting to develop feelings for Amy.

The thought excited her so much that each time Amy described some of Sonic's actions, Vanilla had to resist the urge to squeal. She, too, felt Sonic and Amy would look lovely together as a couple someday.

However, Vanilla was concerned that Amy wasn't being as open about her feelings with Sonic as she had been in the past. How would they ever be together if neither took the initiative to confess first? Just as Tails and Knuckles were helping Sonic express his feelings, Vanilla was working to encourage Amy from her side.

'But you've always been open about your feelings to him in the past.' She reminded her with a fond smile.

'Vanilla, you know what used to happen back then.' Amy let out a sad sigh as she responded. 'Sonic always either brushed it aside or ignored it. What if he is the way he is now because I've stopped pursuing him? And if I tell him that I still like him, he might go back to ignoring me again.'

That's the last thing I want. Amy thought sadly. No, I don't want that at all…not after everything that's happened lately.

Amy's face was etched with sadness at the thought, and Vanilla placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. 'But what if he's been getting close to you because he is starting to feel the same?' She suggested gently.

The lovely pink rose looked up at her with wide eyes, brimming with sudden tears. Oh, how she has always wanted it to be true—her handsome hero developing feelings for her! She had wondered the same but was afraid to accept it. Hearing it come from Vanilla now caused her heart to flutter with a mix of hope and wonder.

Could it be true? Could it be that he was starting to like her?

It helped explain Sonic's words and actions toward her so much more clearly than all the possible explanations she had been thinking of. It made more sense, but as Amy was never used to seeing him being lovingly affectionate toward her, she was hesitant to believe it, even afraid. It was too good to be true, but yet, she hoped it was true.

Please, dear Maker, could it be true…?

Amy wiped away her tears. The thought of Sonic liking her warmed her heart greatly, but at the same time, it made her feel incredibly sad at the possibility of it not being true.

'I don't know, Vanilla...' Amy sniffed.

Vanilla smiled so kindly at her. 'You will only find out if you are honest with him, dear. Hearing it coming from you won't be new to him after all. And even if he doesn't feel the same way, it won't hurt the friendship you share with him.' She reassured while stroking Amy's quills gently. 'I'm sure he'll still care for you as he's doing now. Sonic isn't the type to ignore an old friend—especially one that's hurting.'

Amy knew what Vanilla said was true. Sonic was never the kind to ignore her or anybody, especially if their life was in danger. He was far too good and kind a hero to do something like that.

Moreover, Amy felt a gentle tug in her heart when Vanilla suggested she open up to Sonic about her feelings. The kind rabbit was right—she needed to be honest with Sonic to determine if her doubts about his feelings for her were valid, not only her own but Vanilla's as well. If Sonic reciprocated her feelings, all her questions would be answered, and her heart would be at ease. Yet, she remained hesitant.

The pink hedgehog wondered why she was hesitating now when she had always confidently proclaimed her feelings to Sonic in the past, but deep inside, Amy knew the reason was that she was afraid—she was afraid of Sonic rejecting her like he always did; afraid that the beautiful moments they've been sharing lately would suddenly come to an end.

Despite her fears, Amy now realized she didn't want to hide her true feelings any longer. For one last time, she wanted to tell Sonic how she felt about him—by telling him she still loved him.

Amy was aware that it had been a long time since she had expressed her feelings to him by either word or deed. If Sonic happened to reject her again, she decided she would remain silent about her feelings from then on, never to make mention of them to either him or anyone else again.

Amy hoped her handsome blue hero would return soon so she could finally tell him. She loved him enough to be honest with him, and she felt wonderfully at peace about it.

I'll tell him. Amy had a determined look on her face as her jade eyes glimmered. I'll tell Sonic how I truly feel this time.

Amy felt hopeful, but before she could say anything to Vanilla, she suddenly felt a familiar sharp pain cut through her right leg. Her eyes widened as she gasped out in pain.

No!

Another bolt of pain shot through—this time on both her legs—and to Vanilla's shock, she crumpled to the floor, gasping for air and moaning due to the intense pain as tears started streaming down her muzzle.

'Amy!'

Amy felt Vanilla's hands lifting her by her arms and helping her back onto the chair as her vision began to blur—then dim.

She vaguely heard Vanilla's loud, desperate cries for help, along with the sound of rapid footfalls and distant shouts, as she trembled and moaned, writhing in agony from the severe pain.

The last sound Amy heard was Vanilla's broken sob as she felt someone pick her up and place her onto a stretcher before strapping her on.

The last sight she remembered seeing was the bright blue sky slowly beginning to pass by above her as she felt the stretcher start to move.

The sight reminded her of the wind and freedom—of Sonic. Fresh tears flowed down her muzzle as she clung to fond thoughts of her hero, trying not to scream due to the pain.

His brave and handsome face was the last thing on her mind before she blacked out completely.

-xxx-

'AARGH!'

Knuckles suddenly crouched to the ground and held his head, squeezing his eyes shut due to the sudden sharp familiar pain that shot through his head.

'Knuckles!' Sonic, looking aghast, quickly sped to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder and back to try and steady his trembling body. They had been carefully following the trail that—which they hoped—was left by the cats. The forest had been fairly quiet and they were progressing well—that is, until now. 'What's wrong!?'

'T-...Tikal!' Knuckles shouted, his breathing ragged and heavy as tiny beads of sweat appeared on his head. 'What is it, dammit!?'

Sonic's heart began to race while his eyes widened. He recalled Knuckles telling him about his conversation with Tikal on Angel Island and how she had told him what was wrong with Amy, and also what would happen if she didn't get healed. He desperately hoped this was about something else, but he had a bad feeling it had to do with Amy again.

No…not Ames.

'Knuckles, Sonic!' Tikal's otherwise gentle voice had a ring of urgency, and Sonic was surprised he could hear her as well. He looked up as the voice seemed to coming from all around him. 'You must hurry. The imbalance is escalating, and the Master Emerald is on the verge of stopping the cause, which is Amy.'

Knuckles pried open his eyes a little and Sonic felt his breath quicken.

'She is in danger. I am trying to delay the inevitable for as long as I can, but there isn't much time. Please hurry and heal her from the negative Chaos energy before the Emerald does away with her permanently!'

Knuckles suddenly gasped for breath and coughed a few times as his pain subsided just as quickly as it had come. The connection closed and he sat up, rubbing his head as he opened his eyes. The stillness around them seemed to magnify as Tikal's warning still rang in his and Sonic's mind.

'Go.'

Sonic looked at Knuckles, stunned. He was barely holding it together after what he heard about Amy. 'Knuckles, we—'

'I said GO!' Knuckles got up and pointed his large knuckled fist at Sonic who instantly backed away with his hands raised as if to calm him down. 'Go and save her, blue. If we don't have much time as Tikal said, then this is it. Give her as much of that Chaos energy you have along with Shadow and Tails' help. I'll go after those brats while there's still time.'

Sonic stared at Knuckles, his hands shaking. He was so worried about Amy and even feared her safety, but he didn't want to leave Knuckles on his own. He wanted to trust that Tails could handle whatever was wrong and that even Shadow could step in if needed, but he felt the need to be there—to be present beside Amy.

He wanted to comfort her if she was in pain, which he had a feeling she was now possibly experiencing. If what Tikal warned about the imbalance getting out of control was true, then the blue hero could only imagine the kind of pain Amy was going through right then. The desperation was strong and urgent. He had seldom felt this way before.

What if this was goodbye? What if he never saw her alive again if he chose not to go? Would he ever be able to live with the fact that he wasn't there when she needed him most? He had made that mistake once before and certainly didn't want to make it again.

Sonic clenched his fists. 'Call me once you find them. Don't take them on by yourself.'

'I won't...although I'd feel tempted to.' Knuckles said as he clenched his fists too. He was frustrated with how much damage the cats had wrought already, and how much pain they were causing their friend just for their selfish scheme.

His heart broke for Amy and he hoped he'd get to see her still alive after this. 'Just don't...let this be a goodbye from our girl, blue.'

Sonic had fire in his eyes as he nodded. There was no way he was going to let anything bad happen to Amy while there was still hope. There was no way he was going to say goodbye to her—not before telling her that he liked her, taking her out on a proper date, and on that run which he had promised to himself that he'd take her.

For the first time in his life, he felt a deeper sense of purpose unlike any he had ever felt before. He had saved countless lives in the past, but this one seemed so dear and precious that he simply didn't want to lose.

The blue hero then turned and ran, racing for Emerald City.

For Memorial Hospital.

It wasn't often that Sonic ran at full speed with his eyes tearing up. It wasn't every day that his heart pounded in his chest as he thought about a dear friend on the brink of saying goodbye.

Hang on, Ames!

Eeep! What's going to happen next? We'll soon find out!

Also, I am so excited about the next Sonic movie! I hope you are too!

Once again, I'd love to read your reviews on this chapter and/or the story so far :D

Until next time, stay creative and safe!