Entry 13

My Sweet Passion

''(Sweet sweet you're so sweet) So many things I want! (Sweet sweet you're so sweet) I want to be a wonderful girl! (Sweet sweet you're so sweet) I'm not simple-minded! (Sweet sweet you're so sweet) And I won't be a pearl! You probably need me just as much as I need you!''

My Sweet Passion by Sonic Adventure 2 (Theme of Amy)

xXxXxXx

-The Memories of The Past: Amy & Minami-

''Let's see what the future holds for you,'' Amy Rose flipped a tarot card, her brow furrowing as she looked at the symbol on it. She felt a slight chill flowing down her spine when she realized that the card was telling her that her client, a female sheep ARNav clutching a handbag and looking quite nervous, would have really bad luck today. She felt sorry for her, racking her brain to come up with something, an explanation that wasn't too gloomy. ''Um, well…''

''What is it? Please, tell me it is good! I have an important appointment today and I need to know whether things are going to work out,'' the client replied, now shaking.

''I… I'm sorry,'' Amy replied, knowing well that she should've probably lied to her client to make her feel better. ''The card you had drawn tells me that today isn't your lucky day.''

''Oh…'' The sheep ARNav deflated, giving Amy a look of disappointment.

''N-Now, wait! I didn't say that it might refer to your appointment. I mean, something bad might not even happen today, but maybe tomorrow or even next year. It might be not even a big deal,'' Amy suddenly started to ramble, waving her hands and trying to salvage the situation, hoping to calm her client down. However, nothing seemed to convince the fellow ARNav as she left. Amy sighed, leaning back against the chair and looked down at the tarot cards on the table.

She was an employee at a fortune teller shop, having arrived at Neos City about a week ago in an attempt to find her own place in this world. After displaying her skills with the tarot cards to her employer, she got hired, but unfortunately, things didn't turn out as Amy hoped they would. It appeared that her employer wanted to keep her clients happy, regardless of their fortune, even encouraging Amy to lie to their faces if it turns out that the reading was something negative. She would tell Amy that, if the clients were happy, they would return again, which meant profit for them.

Amy didn't not like the idea of lying to people, as she didn't have a good poker face and she was the kind of person who wore her heart on her sleeve. Not to mention, she felt that people should know about what kind of future awaits them, whether it was good or bad. She was here to warn them and guide them, hoping that her advice would help them overcome the obstacles they faced. Still, despite not agreeing with the set rules and conditions, Amy stayed at the shop as she had nowhere else to go.

However, she wished that lying to her clients was the biggest problem she had. Unfortunately, the issue ran far deeper than a shady employer who was more interested in making a profit than taking pride in her work.

Not only do most fortunes I read turn out to be negative, but they also come true. It feels like a curse!

Amy stacked up the tarot cards, shuffling them and then pulled the top one, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath and focused on her own future. She then opened her eyes and flipped the tarot card over, crying softly in distress as the card had shown her that bad luck awaits her too. She knew that something bad would happen to her, if not today, then maybe tomorrow or the next week and she dreaded what it would be.

She knew that the future was too vague, ever changing and that she shouldn't completely trust her own uncanny skill to predict exactly what would happen, or at least give an ominous warning about what would happen. However, her experience told her that this wasn't something she should take lightly and to be careful whom she talked to. After all, she made a lot of people angry with her fortunetelling.

''What are you talking about?!''

Amy flinched at the memory of a human and her ARNav partner glaring daggers at her. She gulped, staring at them nervously, aware that they were furious at her for something she had no control over.

''What do you mean that we are going to experience a devastating loss?!''

''I… I didn't mean…''

''This is cursed! You are cursed! We should've known you'd do something sinister like that!''

''No, wait, you misunderstood! I can't control your fortune!''

Amy shook her head, trying get away from that memory, but it kept on haunting her, just like many before. Ever since she had awakened first, she knew about her ability of fortunetelling, and she had hoped that she could use it to help people. She also learned through the cards that she was something known as an Irregular, but regardless of her true nature, she wanted to aid those in trouble. However, once she started doing that, things took an unexpected turn and she learned that every person whom she interacted with had their fortune come true in the worst way possible. All the good and the bad things she had told them really happened. Amy had absolutely no explanation for this phenomena, but no one believed her, accusing her of cursing them.

''Only because I said that doesn't mean that it's true. The future can change depending on your actions. Nothing is set in stone,'' she muttered under her breath, leaning her arms against the table and sinking her head into her hands. Unfortunately, no one had listened to her.

''Get out of here! We don't want you nor your fortunetelling! You caused us more grief than we wanted.''

Amy bit her lip, the memories and voices of the people she wanted to help melting into something unrecognizable. The same story would repeat over and over again, to the point that she didn't even bother to keep in mind who got which fortune. Every time she approached someone to help them, she got chased away the moment they realized that she'd bring them bad luck, even if it wasn't her intention.

Eventually, she had enough, and decided to see what her own future held for her. She had been guided by the tarot cards to go to Neos City, where she would find the comfort of someone who'd understand her and her skills. Admittedly, she did get confused by the other reveal, where she foretold a meeting with a hero clad in blue. Nevertheless, she set out to find a place she could stay, and she got lucky with the fortune teller shop, but now she felt dread.

''Ms. Rose, did you scare off another of our clients?!'' Amy flinched as her employer, a black panther ARNav clad in a heavy burgundy dress, violet shawl with stars plastered across it and beaded necklaces hanging around her neck. She lowered her head.

''I… I couldn't lie to them…'' she admitted. Her employer growled, and Amy knew that this was it. She wasn't getting any more chances.

''I have enough of this! Your fortunetelling is ruining my shop's reputation! I only kept you here because you were reliable, but my patience has ran out! Get out of my shop, you're fired!''

Dejected, Amy gathered her cards and walked out of the room, exiting the shop. She had no idea where she was supposed to go now, wondering if she had somehow cursed herself.

Maybe, I have no place in this world.

xXx

''Com'n, hurry up!'' Minami Kusakabe was running down the street, with her best friend, Makoto, following her. ''I want to find that place as fast as possible!''

''Hey, slow down! It's not like the shop is going to run away,'' Makoto replied, trying to keep up with with Minami.

''Yeah, but what if there is a long line? Clover's Fortune Telling Shop sounds like it is a popular place,'' Minami explained. ''I mean, where else can you have your fortune told and have it come true?''

''Sure, but I believe you missed on the fact that a lot of those fortunes are bad ones. Some even say that they're more like curses,'' Makoto reminded her, even though he knew that there was no way of changing his childhood friend's mind. Once Minami set a goal, there was nothing that would stop her from achieving it.

''Even better,'' Minami replied, with Makoto giving her a look of disbelief. ''What? Life is a bumpy road and I want to be at least warned in case something bad happens.''

Makoto rolled his eyes, the two finally arriving at the fortune telling shop, only to see a pink hedgehog walking out of it, looking quite downcast. Minami blinked in surprise, turning to Makoto as both of them recognized the ARNav, and ran up to her.

''Hi,'' Minami greeted her, with Amy lifting her head, a bit startled by the sudden greeting. ''The name is Minami Kusakabe, and this is my friend Makoto. Do you know if we're at the right place?'' Minami asked, pointing at the shop behind them. ''We were told that this is where those cursed fortunetellings happen.''

''I'm Amy Rose, and yeah, you are at the right place,'' Amy replied, still crestfallen. ''Although, you won't getting any of them, since I got fired.''

''So, you were the one who'd do those fortune readings,'' Makoto stated, with Amy nodding in confirmation.

''Right, and I feel that it would be better if I didn't,'' she replied, lowering her gaze. ''All I wanted was to help people, but everyone got angry because bad stuff happens that I have no control over. If anyone here is cursed, then it's me, because somehow, everything I say comes true.''

''Then, you are exactly the one I've been searching for,'' Minami said, clapping her hands in excitement. ''I was actually searching for you, as I wanted to have my fortune read as well.''

''Wait, really? Even though you know that something bad might happen? Even though you have been told that I'm 'cursed'?'' Amy asked, reluctant to to agree to do what Minami asked her.

''You said that you have no control over it, so there is no reason for me to be angry at you; and even if it does come true, at least I'll be warned,'' Minami replied. Amy stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

''Okay, but we need to sit down somewhere first,'' she said.

xXx

The three had found a bench at a boulevard, with Amy and Minami sitting across each other, and Makoto leaning against he bench. Amy summoned a cloud of data in her hands, revealing the tarot cards, which she then started shuffling. She was a little nervous, fearing that her predictions would drive Minami away, make her just as angry as everyone else, but something about Minami's encouraging smile had calmed her down.

''So, what kind of reading do you want?'' Amy asked.

''I just want to know about my future,'' Minami replied, shrugging. ''It doesn't matter what it is or how far into the future it is. I'm just curious what tomorrow holds for me.''

''Okay, then, so it'll be just your future,'' Amy said, placing the stack of cards in Minami's hand. ''Pick one from anywhere you want and keep it flipped down.'' Minami did as Amy said, with Amy then taking back the stack, placing it on the bench and then took Minami's card, flipping it around. Her ears were pinned down as a sense of dread filled her body when she saw the card. ''I… I'm sorry, but you're going to have a really bad day. As a matter of fact, it is going to be a chain of bad accidents, and…'' Amy shook her head, feeling the corners of her eyes tearing up. ''I'm so sorry, I didn't want this to happen! Please, don't be mad! I know I said that I have no control over the future, but I just know this one is going to come true.''

''Hey, don't worry,'' Minami comforted her, reaching for Amy's hand and keeping a tight grip around it, cupping it with her own. Amy suddenly realized that she was shaking and Minami's calm and gentle tone helped her calm down, if only a little. She stared at the teenage girl, stunned as she saw her smiling. ''Like I said, at least I'm prepared for the future.''

''Maybe, but I don't want you to get hurt,'' Amy protested, still anxious. ''I just have a bad feeling about this. Perhaps I should stay with you just to make sure nothing awful happens.''

''Sure, but don't you have somewhere else to go? A family or friends, perhaps?'' Minami asked, rising an eyebrow. Amy shook her head.

''I just got kicked out of the only place I could call my home. I don't really have anywhere to stay,'' Amy responded, wiping a tear away. Minami tilted her head, observing her curiously, only for a sly smile to spread across her expression, her eyes sparking as Makoto realized that she was once again up to something.

''If that is really so, then…'' Before Minami could even finish her sentence, they heard a screech, followed by screaming. They looked up, seeing a falcon ARNav not too far from them attacking people, who ran for their lifes.

''Oh, no… I knew that this day would get worse,'' Amy cried out, only to see Minami shake her head.

''Whether this is the fortune you have told or not, it doesn't matter,'' she told Amy. ''How about we go and see what is going on?''

''Wait, what? It's an Irregular attack, why should we go there?'' Makoto protested.

''I just want to check on things, that's all. You don't have to come along, if you don't want to,'' Minami replied, glancing at Amy. ''What about you, Amy? Should we see whether anyone needs our help?''

Amy stared at Minami for a moment, but then nodded. ''Let's go.''

The two ran off, with an incredulous Makoto following both of them, fearing that Minami would get herself into trouble.

xXx

''Sonic, watch out!'' Tails cried out, as Sonic turned his head around. The falcon ARNav, who was roughly the same size as the two, screeched as he attempted to knock Sonic off his hoverboard. Sonic managed to dodge the attack just in time, only to slam into a lamppost, the hoverboard flying off. The only reason Sonic's face hadn't had a painful greeting with the pavement was because Tails grabbed his hand, hovering in the air via his twin-tails.

''Are you okay, Sonic?'' Tails asked.

''Yeah, thanks for the catch, bud,'' Sonic responded, both Irregulars looking at the falcon ARNav. While he didn't mind the action, he didn't expect that his first encounter with an aggressive Irregular would be this violent. ''Lucas was not kidding when he said that these guys were dangerous.''

''I think we need a plan on how to- whoa!'' Tails had to dodge the falcon Irregular, Sonic swaying as he held onto Tails for dear life.

''Stay out of my way!'' the falcon screeched, turning once again back to them in an attempt to claw them with his sharp talons. However, before he could do anything of that sort, another hoverboard came flying towards him, with a white spiked fist connecting with his back, slamming him right into the ground.

''Knuckles!'' Sonic and Tails called out for the red echidna as they all landed on the ground. The street around them had been cleared of any civilians, as no one wanted to deal with an Irregular on a rampage; save for Lucas, Warren and Lily, who ran up to them.

''What are you doing here?'' Sonic asked Knuckles, who was holding his hoverboard.

''Lily and I had been on a quest to attain a board of hovering for myself, when we saw you two under attack from the bird,'' Knuckles explained. ''We decided to aid you in your fight.''

''Thanks for the help,'' Tails replied. ''We were on our way to test out our own hoverboards at the Solar Stadium, when the Irregular suddenly started to attack people.''

''BioEnergy… I need… BioEnergy…''

Sonic, Tails and Knuckles suddenly turned towards the falcon Irregular, who got up, his sights set on Lucas, Warren and Lily, who just realized that getting closer to their partners was a bad idea. The falcon screeched and suddenly flew right at them.

''No, you won't!''

There was a cry of anguish, the falcon slamming right against a building as Sonic spin-dashed into him. However, the bird of prey wouldn't give up, his eyes glowing as he grabbed Sonic by his arms. The blue hedgehog panicked, legs flailing as the falcon lifted him up and then threw him against a building. Sonic crashed into it, only to find himself in free fall a second later.

''Sonic!'' Lucas cried out, running up to his partner in an attempt to catch him, only for another figure to fly over on a hoverboard, managing to catch the blue hedgehog. Lucas stopped in his tracks when he realized who it was. ''Touka, what are you-?!''

''You should consider yourselves lucky that I was close,'' Touka replied, her gaze wandering from Lucas to Sonic, whom she carried in her arms, bridal-style, as she landed on the ground. ''I hope you have some kind of plan.''

''Well, the plan was to beat up the bird,'' Sonic responded as Touka placed him on the ground. He shook his head, still feeling dazed from the crash. ''But, I guess we really need to come up with a better one and fast.''

''I suggest that we attack together,'' Knuckles said, him, Lily, Warren and Tails surrounding the three. He then paused. ''Although, I do not believe we are not coordinated enough for such a complicated move, yet.''

''It is still better than nothing, if you ask me,'' Lily noted. Warren glanced behind them at the falcon Irregular as he flew above them.

''I'm surprised the Irregular Hunters haven't arrived yet,'' he said.

''I suppose they haven't gotten the memo yet,'' Touka said. ''If you want to continue the battle, you should finish it as soon as possible before we get swarmed by Hunters.''

''Right!'' Sonic nodded, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the falcon Irregular. He, Tails and Knuckles stepped out, with the falcon hovering right above them, his gaze darting from the Irregulars to the humans, only for something else to catch his attention. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles were stunned to see the falcon suddenly fly away, their attention turning to the falcon's new target – two teenagers and a pink female hedgehog, who had just arrived at the battlefield.

''Watch out!'' Sonic cried out, about to speed off to help them, when the pink hedgehog suddenly summoned a red and yellow hammer out of a cloud of data and ran up to the falcon Irregular.

''Eat hammer, punk!'' she cried out, smashing the hammer right into the falcon, sending him flying and crashing into the ground. This time, the bird of prey remained lying down, evidently not having enough energy to get back up.

''Oof, that had to hurt,'' Sonic muttered, wincing as he observed the beaten falcon. Evidently, the Irregular targeted the wrong person. Sonic then looked back at the pink hedgehog, running up to her. ''That was awesome!''

The pink hedgehog smiled in response, placing the hammer over her shoulder.

''Thank you, I'm glad that I could help,'' Amy replied, tilting her head as she observed the blue hedgehog, the image of a specific set of tarot cards flashing in her mind. However, before she could even form another sentence, they all heard sirens, with Sonic's friends running up to them.

''Guys, we need to leave right away before the Hunters find us,'' Lucas told them, gazing at the newcomers. ''We'll leave the explanations for later, okay?''

''Sure,'' Minami replied, the group quickly leaving the street just as the Hunters started to arrive.

xXx

''Do you guys really go out of your way to beat up Irregulars?''

''Not really. This was our first encounter with an aggressive one. It attacked us out of nowhere.''

''Yeah, but from what I've seen, you didn't do much to escape it.''

''Eh…''

Lucas wasn't sure how to respond to Minami's question, trailing off as he tried to think of an answer. The group had made their way to a mostly empty alley, which was blocked off by a fence, introducing themselves in the proces, as well as explaining what they were doing before the attack happened: Lucas, Sonic, Tails and Warren being on their way to the Solar Stadium, Lily buying a hoverboard for Knuckles, Minami, Amy and Makoto having a fortunetelling session, and Touka just so happening to come across them; an excuse Lucas and Sonic didn't buy at all. They were surprised that she stayed with them, though, as she would usually leave suddenly.

''Well, someone had to stop the Irregular from attacking more people, and we were there,'' Sonic said, jumping into the conversation.

''That was really brave of you,'' Amy noted.

''It was nothing,'' Sonic replied, shaking his head and pointing at himself with his thumb. ''I just like to help people in the trouble.''

''Ah, so you're actually a hero,'' Amy said, clasping her hands together. Sonic appeared to be stunned by the statement.

''Uh, no? I'm not a hero. I'm just a guy who wants to help, that's all,'' Sonic explained. ''I do things my own way, regardless of what people think.''

''Nevertheless, you help people, so that means that you have heroic qualities,'' Amy insisted. Sonic furrowed a brow.

''Why do you insist on calling me a hero?'' he asked in a deadpan tone. Amy smiled.

''Because my tarot cards told me that if I came to Neos City, I would meet a hero clad in blue, and it looks like they were right,'' she said. ''So, I'm just happy that I met you, Sonic.''

''You're welcome, I guess,'' Sonic wasn't really sure how to respond, but he just smiled back. If he could make another person happy, he figured that it was worth it. He was surprised, though, when Amy's gaze fell.

''Although, I don't think I will be able to really stay, regardless of what my cards said,'' Amy continued, scraping the ground with her sneaker as she folded her arms on her back.

''Why do you think that?'' Minami asked, crouching down to be at Amy's eye-level.

''Because… I'm an Irregular,'' Amy admitted, closing her eyes as she placed her hand on her arm, avoiding looking at anyone. Minami and Makoto's eyes widened in surprise and they exchanged glances, before turning their gaze towards Lucas and his friends. For some reason, they didn't look nearly as shocked as they expected them to be. Minami then turned back to Amy, startling the latter when she placed a hand on her shoulder.

''You aren't going anywhere,'' Minami told her. ''Irregular or not, I want you to stay with me. You had told me that you don't have anywhere to go, and I actually wanted to ask you whether you would be fine with being my partner.''

''But…'' Amy was baffled, glancing at Makoto, who simply shook his head, arms folded across his chest.

''Don't even try arguing with Minami. Once she has made a decision, there's no way of convincing her to change her mind,'' Makoto replied. Amy turned to Minami, frown turning into a smile and then started to laugh in what sounded to be both relief and disbelief.

''Why does everything I foretell come true?'' She shook her head, rubbing her temples, then looking up. ''Another prediction I made was that I would find someone who'd understand me and my abilities, and accept me for who I am, but I thought that it couldn't be possible…''

''Hey, it's okay,'' Amy was surprised when Minami suddenly hugged her, pulling her in a tight embrace. Amy just hugged her back, happy to have finally found a place where she was accepted. Makoto turned his gaze towards the rest of the group, rising an eyebrow.

''You guys don't look too shocked about that reveal,'' he said.

''Yeeeaah, we are kind of in the same situation,'' Sonic answered, rubbing the back of his head nervously, a wide grin plastered across his expression.

''What?'' Amy, Minami and Makoto turned towards him, confused.

''Sonic, Knuckles and I are also Irregulars, just like Amy, but unlike the falcon Irregular we had just encountered, we don't want to hurt anyone,'' Tails explained, taking off his backpack and grabbing a pair of red sunglasses with clear lenses, giving them to Amy. ''If you're going to stay here, you'll need this.''

''This is an AR Visor, isn't it?'' Amy noted, confused as she looked at the sunglasses.

''It may be, but the Fox said that we can use it to hide our identity as Irregulars, therefore making sure that we would not become a target for the Hunters,'' Knuckles explained.

''I see,'' Amy placed the sunglasses on the top of her head, right above her headband, then turned to Minami. ''How do you I look?''

''The sunglasses really fit you,'' Minami replied, giving her a thumbs up. Amy beamed, then turned to Sonic.

''I hope we can hang out sometime,'' she said, pausing for a moment, then adding, ''Would you guys also want me to do a fortunetelling session with you? Again, it is very possible that some of the stuff I tell you will come true, but usually, the fortune can be vague enough to be interpreted in many ways.''

''To be honest, I'm more of the guy who determines his own future, but why not?'' Sonic replied, shrugging. ''I'm game.''

Amy looked at the rest of the group, who seemed to be a bit on the fence, but ultimately agreeing, showing curiosity about her ability. Everyone, except for Touka, who just walked away.

''Hey, Touka, where are you going?'' Lucas asked her when he realized that she was leaving. ''I thought you'd stay with us.''

''I'm not interested,'' Touka replied curtly, getting on her hoverboard and flying off.

''What is up with her?'' Minami asked, rising an eyebrow.

''She's kind of following us around. We don't really know why either,'' Lucas responded, shrugging.

''Ah, I see, we got an aloof ally here,'' Minami noted, intrigued. She exchanged glances with a confused Amy, with both that shrugging and smiling.

xXx

-Present Day-

Amy was wandering aimlessly through the Codex Research Facility, wondering which place she should explore first. Touka and Shadow gave them to go-ahead to literally tear it apart in search for anything that could be used to threaten Neos City and make sure it wouldn't be used by anyone else. While it was obvious that the government had cleared this place up after it had shut down, there were still some things they either missed or didn't bother removing, so the newly-formed Team Neos was basically doing janitorial duty. They had all split off, going in different directions to cover more ground. Amy wasn't really sure what she should search for, so she decided to find Touka and Shadow and ask them for advice. As it turned out, they were in the main control room, and when Amy peered inside, she saw them talking to Warren and Tails.

''There is something I need you two to do for us,'' Touka said, staring at the two. ''Since you had volunteered to scan all of the data available in the Codex' servers, we want you to tell us if you come across anything regarding Project Shadow or Professor Hiroshi Sakamoto. Otherwise, you can do with the data you find whatever you want.''

''Sure thing,'' Tails replied, giving her a thumbs up.

''Wait a minute, Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto?'' Warren appeared to be stunned, with Tails, Touka and Shadow giving him a curious look.

''Do you recognize that name?'' Shadow asked.

''Yeah, my grandfather, Max Taylor, used to work with him at some point,'' Warren replied. ''He was an inventor and Prof. Sakamoto asked him to help him with a project more than a decade ago, if I remember correctly. Grandpa did mention him several times, but they had parted ways after he refused to participate at a different project, something involving an Irregular, leading to an accident…''

Warren trailed off, eyes wide as it dawned upon him what his grandfather may have been talking about many years ago. He was in a state of stupor, only to snap out of it when Touka slammed her hands against a table.

''Where is your grandfather now?'' she asked, agitated.

''Unfortunately, he's dead. You won't be able to get any answers from him,'' Warren told her. Touka stepped back, looking quite dejected. Warren added, feeling sympathy for her, ''If I had known, I would've asked him. This whole place is like a bombshell someone dropped on us.''

''You aren't the only ones processing all of the sudden information,'' Shadow commented, arms folded across his chest. ''Our past is a jigsaw puzzle and Codex holds the missing pieces. The Professor never told us anything beyond the bare minimum.''

''Don't worry,'' Tails replied in a chipper tone. ''Anything we find, you'll be the first to know.''

Amy stepped back from the door, waiting for Touka and Shadow to walk into the hallway. She had to admit that the conversation she had overheard gave her an idea for what she could do to help them.

''Shadow, Touka, could I talk to you for a moment?'' Amy made herself known, drawing their attention.

''What is it?'' Touka asked.

''I overheard that you two are really troubled over your past, so I thought that maybe you'd want me to tell your fortune,'' Amy said. ''I had actually done that with everyone else, and I had figured that this might help you in your search for answers. Admittedly, my predictions should still be taken with a grain of salt, even if they did come true at some point, but still. I do want to help you however I can.''

''That's…'' Touka trailed off, being startled when someone grabbed her from behind.

''Hey, Shadow, may I borrow Touka for a moment? Great, thank you!'' Minami appeared literally out of nowhere, interlocking her arm with Touka's and smiling, quickly dragging the other teenager away before either Touka or Shadow could protest. Touka glanced back at Amy and Shadow, just shrugging as Minami pulled her around the corner. Amy glanced at Shadow, who remained tense, but didn't follow Touka.

''I guess that leaves the two of us,'' Amy said. ''Do you want to go for it?''

Shadow stared at her for a moment, contemplating for a moment, then added in a dry tone, ''If you can promise me that your partner will bring Touka back in one piece, then yes, I'll accept your offer.''

''Don't worry, Minami has good intentions, even if she can get carried away,'' Amy replied, smiling warmly, then looked around. ''Is there a room where we can sit down so I can prepare everything?''

''There is the cafeteria,'' Shadow replied, walking ahead. ''Follow me.''

It took them a few minutes to find the cafeteria, with Shadow sitting down at a table across Amy. She took a moment to look around, noting that the place was quite dusty, wondering just for how long it had been abandoned. She then turned to Shadow, who observed her quietly.

''Then, let's start,'' Amy said, data particles appearing in her hands and forming into a stack of tarot cards. She started to shuffle the cards, then placed the stack on the table. ''All you have to do is to separate the main stack into three separate stacks, each representing the past, the present and the future. Then draw one card from each stack, it can be from any part of it, and place it face-down before you. Don't lift them up yet.''

Shadow did as she told him, with Amy then collecting the card stacks, then reached for the card representing the past and flipped it over. Shadow, who had absolutely no clue what the image on the card represented, chains and thorns enveloping a dark figure surrounded by wilted flower petals, opted for observing Amy's reaction. She appeared to be downcast as she stared at it, then looked up, her expression quickly changing when she realized Shadow was staring at her intently.

''Your past had been filled with a lot of trials and tribulations,'' Amy started, pushing the card towards Shadow. He observed the card, his eyes then flicking upward at Amy.

''I could've told you that,'' he said in a deadpan tone.

''I have just started,'' Amy replied, tapping on the card. ''This card represents suffering, telling me that you are still chained to your past.'' She observed Shadow as he stared at the card, a brow furrowing. ''There wasn't only suffering, but you also felt like you were suffocating.''

''You are correct,'' Shadow replied, avoiding eye-contact with her, his tone despondent, adding, ''There had been a lot of pressure and expectations, so describing my experience as suffocating is accurate.''

''You won't talk about it, though, right?'' Amy asked. Shadow shook his head. Amy didn't say anything, focusing instead on the card that represented the present, flipping it over. This time, she tilted her head, humming. This time, the image was that of what appeared to be violet swirling energy, dark red and light blue colours clashing as sparks were flying around them.

''This card represents your inner turmoil,'' Amy explained. ''It is something you are still going through, and I'm sure that it will last for a while, considering what had happened. I believe you won't talk about it either, right?''

''Right,'' Shadow replied, having to admit that he was glad that Amy press for more information. Amy just nodded and then flipped the last card, that of the future. Shadow noted the surprised look on her expression.

''That is strange…'' Amy muttered as she stared at the card. ''That is the same card Sonic had pulled.''

''What do you mean?'' Shadow asked, now intrigued. Amy showed him the tarot card, which had an image of a person with a shadow of themselves looming over them.

''This is the Doppelgänger card. It usually indicates danger, a forewarning that a person will encounter a darker reflection of themselves; some kind of shadow archetype. In mythology, seeing your own Dopplegänger is an omen of death. The Doppelgänger may not always mean harm, but that doesn't mean they're capable of it. It can be taken metaphorically, as in the person is a danger to themselves; or it can be taken literally, as in the person in question will be in danger of someone who resembles them, be it physically or psychologically,'' Amy explained, handing the card over to Shadow, who furrowed a brow as he observed it.

''You said that Sonic drew the same card,'' he muttered, looking up at her. ''Did he find his Doppelgänger?''

''As a matter of fact, he did,'' Amy replied. ''A few days afterwards, he ran into Metal Sonic, who not only resembles him, but also almost caused him to drown. So, basically a literal death omen.'' She then gave him a sheepish smile. ''Then, there is you.''

''Me?'' Shadow rose an eyebrow.

''From what I've seen, you're literally Sonic's equal in any aspect, but without his optimism or desire to help people just because he can or…'' Amy trailed off as she saw the unamused look on Shadow's expression.

''To sum up, you're calling me his shadow archetype,'' Shadow added in a deadpan tone, returning the card to Amy and folding his arms across his chest. ''The irony is not lost on me.''

''Heheh, I guess it is kind of ironic…'' Amy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head, adding, ''Not to mention, you also put all of us into danger.''

She observed Shadow as his gaze lowered, avoiding eye-contact with her. ''I apologize for… for how I acted.''

''Don't worry, it's fine,'' Amy replied, shaking her head and giving him a warm smile. Shadow looked back at her, looking uncertain. It was still hard for him to process that everyone would forgive him so easily. ''Hey, if Sonic trust you, then I do too.''

''Do you all trust the Blue Hedgehog's judgement so easily?'' Shadow asked, folding his arms across his chest.

''Well, what can I say?'' Amy shrugged, adding casually, ''He just has a way of convincing people to go along with his ideas.''

''I hate to admit it, but you are right,'' Shadow said, a coy smirk appearing on his lips. ''His persistence can be quite annoying, though.''

''You'll get used to that eventually,'' Amy responded.

xXx

''What do you need?'' Touka asked Minami as the latter was basically dragging her down the hallway.

''I just wanted to talk to you about something that had been bothering me for a while,'' Minami told her. ''How come this whole situation feels like the whole storyline from Sonic Adventure 2?''

''What are you talking about?'' Touka was genuinely confused.

''Y'know, this whole place kind of reminds me of the ARK, except it's not in space, there is no Eclipse Cannon or BioLizard…'' Minami continued, blissfully unaware of Touka's ever-growing confusion.

''Minami, I still have no clue what you're trying me to tell,'' Touka replied, her eyes narrowing. Minami tilted her head.

''You are aware that all of our partners are kind of based on video game characters, right?'' she asked.

''No, I had no idea,'' Touka replied honestly. Minami rose an eyebrow, trying to gauge from Touka's baffled expression whether she was messing with her or not.

''Wait, seriously?! You don't know?'' Minami asked, surprised by the reveal.

''I was kinda dealing with amnesia for at least six months, so I don't think video games would be something I would worry about,'' Touka replied.

''Yeah, I guess that's true,'' Minami replied, then grinned excitedly. ''Still, you should check the video games. And the anime. And the manga series.'' She then tapped on her AR Visor. ''You know what? How about you giving me your e-mail address and I send you all that you need to catch up?''

''I guess that would be fine,'' Touka replied, still unsure what to make of the situation. ''Shadow is also part of the cast, right?''

''Yeah,'' Minami replied, clasping her hands on her back. ''You know, I'm really debating whether I should just spoiler everything or let you and Shadow figure things out on your own.''

''I think it would be better if we do it on our own,'' Touka said, feeling a slight headache, not wanting to deal with that stuff currently. ''Anything else I should know about?''

''I don't think so…'' Minami hummed, crossing her arms behind her head. ''However, I would like to know more about what life was like here?''

Minami grinned when she saw Touka's unamused expression, muttering, ''Why are you so interested in my life?''

''I'm being involved in what is essentially a conspiracy theory, with government experiments, life-threatening situations, video game characters coming to life, and there is still more to uncover,'' Minami replied, clasping her hands, her eyes sparking. ''Could you please tell me what happened here? Pretty, please! At least a bit? I won't tell anyone… well, except for Amy.''

Touka sighed. ''If you're insisting… Honestly, if it hadn't been for Shadow, I would've been bored to death.''

''Huh?'' Minami gave her a confused look.

''This may have been a research facility, but Shadow and I had been told that we weren't allowed to stick our nose into their business,'' Touka explained. ''Sure, we could explore the place, but for the most part, we weren't allowed to do much aside from what was on our schedule.'' She then smirked, her gaze directed upwards. ''Still, that doesn't mean that we didn't try. We would actually get often into trouble… Well, I would, and Shadow would be the one looking out for me.''

''Ha, I knew that there was something more to you than this whole aloof ally shtick,'' Minami said, grinning. Touka averted her gaze, the smirk on her lips disappearing. ''I saw that smile, don't deny it. That was a fond memory of yours, wasn't it?''

''It… was,'' Touka admitted, taking a deep breath and placing her hand on her arm. ''Shadow and I were told to stay close to each other, and we did. I mean, we basically grew up together. Kisaki had even told us that we kind of act like siblings, and for all that is worth, I see Shadow as my younger brother.''

''Aww, that's sweet,'' Minami said, winking and elbowing her. Touka's lip quivered and she tried her best to keep a straight face, but talking to Minami like this, about memories she cherished and worked hard for to get back – it felt rather nice. ''I'll let you in on a secret; I'm an only child, but I actually always wanted a sibling.''

''Really?'' Touka rose an eyebrow.

''Yeah! I basically wanted someone I could share my interests with, play games with, make stupid decisions and have to deal with the consequences… and then I ran into Amy,'' Minami explained.

''Let me guess, Amy is the sister you always wanted to have,'' Touka noted.

''Yeah, and she is amazing!'' Minami replied, looking quite excited. ''Speaking of which, if I ever need advice, could I talk to you, as a fellow older sister? After all, you are the one with more experience here.''

''Uh, I…'' Touka was baffled by the request, only for her and Minami turning their heads as they heard someone calling out for them.

''Touka!'' Silver and Knuckles ran up to them (or rather, floated, in Silver's case), with Silver holding a photograph in his hand. ''We need to talk to you.''

''What is it?'' Touka asked.

''We found this in one of the offices and… I don't know, I think you'll understand it better,'' Silver replied, handing her the photograph. Touka took a look at the photograph, her eyes widening in pure shock.

''Hey, what is it?'' Minami asked, confused about Touka's reaction and peered over to see what was on the photograph, but Touka just folded it.

''Let's call everyone back to the main control room,'' she said, her tone grim. ''I hate to say it, but there is something important I need to tell everyone.''