Breathing in softly, Amy closed her eyes, resting under a tall, thick oak tree. It was the only one around for miles. It had been yet another day of trying, and failing, to capture Sonic's attention. She began to wonder if he would ever love her back. While the odds were ever in her favor, every time he ran, that twinge of doubt grew. Perhaps she needed a new approach - something to show him the value of her company. Giving up was simply out of the question. He had to love her. If he didn't, then...Why was she here...? Shaking the thought from her mind, Amy let herself get comfortable. If nothing else, she could sleep off her frustration. That always seemed to help.

Some time later, while it was still daylight, a sparkle lit up the sky. It wasn't just any sparkle, but an explosion of energy caused by a celestial body once thought lost to history. Gradually, it concentrated, slowly extending mere feet from Amy's refuge. The light had produced to form a path upward, and its source was from the hedgehog's home world.

"Amy...," a somber voice whispered, "Please...Help me..."

"Mmm...Wha...," Amy groaned, raising her lids as they were moments before. Stretching, she stood up, yawning and grabbing her hammer as she came back to her senses, "Is someone there...?"

Looking around, the hedgehog saw nothing, leaving her to assume the sound had been a product of her dreams. She started to walk away, but stopped, noticing the translucent stream.

"What the...?"

Rubbing her eyes, the pathway remained in place. Was it coming from the sky? Looking up, she saw it - the land of her birth, which she'd departed four years prior.

"Miracle Planet..."

Gazing upon the sphere, she thought back to how things used to be. Sure, until her abduction, they were fairly uneventful, but they were also calm...Peaceful...

"Ivo, you son of a...! What did you do!?"

Compelled by the mysteries surrounding this new endeavor, Amy stepped forward, rather surprised no one else had taken notice. Was it something only she could see...?

"It's a long way up. Should I tell the others, or...?"

Much as she wanted their help, something inside told her it was best to go in alone, as though something important was waiting for her at the top.

"No! It's my home! I've been hiding behind everyone else for too long! Now it's my turn! Robotnik, I'm coming for you!"

Determined and unafraid, Amy began her journey, stepping onto the stairway without a moment's hesitation. If the planet was calling out to her, she would find who was causing it pain and give them the thrashing of their lives.

Walking through Earth's atmosphere, Amy found she was somehow able to breathe, breaking through its gravitational pull. Even as the light grew dimmer, her appearance seemed completely unfazed.

"So this is the power of a star, huh? Well, what do ya know? Looks like I'm stronger than I thought."

With each step, she grew closer, eventually reaching the surface. The path evened out somewhat, leading her north to an old, decrepit castle. She vaguely remembered it from her time traveling around. Back then, she'd referred to it as Akumu, or the castle of nightmares for its dark and gloomy exterior. She'd never actually gone inside, too afraid to learn what lurked inside. Now that she was older, she felt more confident in her skills. If any monsters did show up, she'd make them wish they hadn't.

"Looks like it's just you and me now, old friend. What secrets are you hiding? Is today the day we find out?"

Gripping her hammer tightly, she headed toward the doors. To her surprise, they offered quite a bit of resistance, remaining still until she put her full weight behind them. The sun lit up everything enough to see, though the cold, grim ambience persisted, like something out of a black metal album.

"Man," she shivered, "It's freezing! Really wish I'd brought a jacket."

Looking towards the back, by the northernmost wall, an altar glowed eerily, stabilized by a mixture of light and dark energy. Blue-colored lightning danced around, looking almost beautiful as Amy's curiosity piqued. She felt something new - something different from chaos energy. Whatever it was was something else entirely.

"It looks like a portal, but...Why here...?"

Stepping forward again, she examined the waves more closely. It was definitely some sort of transportation device. Of that, there was no doubt.

"Maybe I should go back. It might be safer if we gather the chaos emeralds first."

"No...," the voice whispered again, "It won't do any good..."

"I knew it! Someone else is here! Show yourself!"

Nobody responded.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on! Who are you, and why are you following me!?"

"A paradox...," the voice echoed, straining to find the words, "If my other self goes with you, it will create a paradox, and time...Will be destroyed..."

"Other self!? What do you mean!?"

"You only exist. That is why you are a miracle...My miracle..."

"A miracle...!? Sonic, is that you!? Where are you!?"

"There isn't much time, Amy...Please, go through the portal...You're their only hope..."

"Whose!? Sonic, what's wrong!? What happened!?"

"Everything will be okay. I just need you to trust me...Like you always have..."

"Sonic, you're scaring me! Why can't I see you!? Please, just tell me! I'm afraid!"

"I'll be here to guide you. Please, just hurry...I promise, I'll explain later..."

"I don't know what's going on, but if it's something only I can do, then I'll trust you. Just tell me who's waiting on the other side."

"A girl named Sally. She used to help me fight Robotnik. Her and the others are in danger. Please, help them..."

"Sally...!? Why do I know that name!?"

"The worlds beyond here are not yours. You must find the truth on your own. Everything you know is about to change forever..."

"Yeah. That's not foreboding at all."

Amy turned back, facing the portal again.

"You're gonna tell me everything when we get to the other side. Deal?"

"Yeah...Deal...?"

"All right. Here goes nothing."

Stepping into the darkened light, Amy's body merged with the air, transporting her to a realm outside of space. Traversing the wormhole between dimensions, she waited patiently, hoping to God things weren't as bad as they seemed. In reality, they were a million times worse.