Frost: I cannot believe that I have finished the first Ark of the story! This is such an awesome feeling! I'd also like to say thank you to everyone who has stuck with me throughout this story and has shown such patience for my long absences. This story holds a special place in my heart as it was the first one I started writing after my dear Grandmother passed away. It has helped me heal, helped me grow as a writer and has helped me discover more about myself than I thought possible.

However, this isn't the end folks. There will be an Ark 2 that involves the Metarex war and everything. The only difference is there will be a mini series taking place in between the two Arks and that's where you readers come in. I will explain at the end of the chapter so be sure to read that little bit at the end. For now though, enjoy the final chapter of AMSWBM!

Every action has a consequence, a positive and a negative reaction. It's a fundamental law that Sonic knows to be true, has known since he came into conscious being as a young child. It had been taught to him in the dusty old rooms of the Stanford University by the Master, the elderly man pouring over books with the young cub who absorbed the information given like a sponge.

'A group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge is called a polyatomic ion. The atoms that make up a polyatomic ion are covalently bonded, and the ion tends to behave as a single particle that stays intact during most chemical reactions.' Said the Master to a six-year-old Sonic who nodded along to the sage advice given.

Sonic remembered the teachings as he listened to the news of the planets fushion. There had been positive reactions to their world travelling such as gaining new friends and the discovery of the Alethiometer so Sonic knew it was a matter of time before the negative reactions appeared.

"With the power of the Chaos Emerald's I think I'd be able to build a machine that could send you all home," Chuck said to the Mobian's and humans who were desperate to prevent this catastrophe from happening.

"I'll help you, Chuck. With my knowledge of our own planet and our own forms of energy, we'll have it running in no time." Said Tails while Knuckles also stepped forward to offer his assistance.

"There are other ways to travel between worlds," Sonic remembered as he watched them all start to scramble. Shadow and Silver who had been standing close by looked up in a questioning manner, urging him to continue. "I've read a lot of books over the years and in some of the books a Knife was mentioned, a Knife that could cut through anything. Even the fabric of time and space itself. Whoever hold's this Knife could travel between worlds at will."

"But those are just stories." Silver argued to which Sonic smiled.

"All stories have to come from somewhere, all stories have to hold some truth to them."

"Even so, unless you've been hiding this Knife beside your Golden Compass I doubt we'll be cutting a doorway back to our home world anytime soon." Shadow huffed. The two hedgehogs walk away and Sonic smiles after them, moth-Cay fluttering by his ear.

"Its funny how oblivious they all truly are." Said Cay as he perched on Sonic's ear, antennae waving softly.

"A world of humans, a world of daemonless beings, a world of inside souls. When the truth reader arrives, the Subtle Knife shall be revealed." Sonic muttered softly. It sent a thrill through them as Sonic walked outside, taking off towards their destined fate.

Sonic stuck his arms out to keep his balance as he wandered along the roof of the Stanford University. The cub watched as the Scholars went about their day, theorising about matters that most wouldn't be able to comprehend. Sonic wander if any of them were researching Dust, if they were as fascinated and horrified about it when a daemon passes along with their other half. Hidden inside the royal blue quills, a book sat heavy, stolen from the massive library. Finding a nice quiet place on the roof, Sonic sat down and begun to read about myths and ancient lost artefacts.

Sonic read about fantastical creatures, of little golden compasses that tell the truth, of little circles of glass that allow people to see Dust up close, of a Knife that can cut through anything.

"If you could travel to other worlds, do you think there are worlds out there where we aren't the way we are?" Sonic asked. Cay hummed, his wild-cat face crumpled up in thought.

"The many world's theory states that there are countless worlds out there so its possible." Said Cay.

"The Knife, the Compass, the Spy-glass. They all connect in a way." Sonic pointed out. The page he was reading at illustrated drawings of the three items side by side. The young hedgehog doesn't know why, but all three items called out to him in a way, as if they were old friends he was meeting after many years apart.

"Shame that the Knife and Spy-glass are speculated to be lost in other worlds." Cay sighed, curling up against Sonic. Blue nodded, disappointed that such fascinating objects would probably never be found again.

"If we could travel between worlds, I don't think I'd want to come home."

"We still need the last two Chaos Emeralds if we're going to get the gate to work." Tails sighed. They'd been working day and night on the gate, running through calculations and simulations on the computer but if they didn't find those last two Emerald's it would all be for nought. Cyrilla crooned sadly along with him, her soft heart shaped face falling in defeat.

"That's what Sonic, Shadow, Silver and Blaze are for." Knuckles grunted right back as he looked over the numbers while holding one of the ancient gems. He may not be the smartest Mobian but when it came to them gems he was the expert.

"I'm not sure what Sonic is looking for though. He says he's looking for the Emerald's but there have been reports of a blue blur rushing about on other continents which just doesn't seem right." Tails said softly. Knuckles felt himself tense while Camelia gave a low worried growl.

"You don't suppose they wish for the worlds to merge and freeze time?" The tigress looked at her other half. They had seen how unconcerned the hedgehog had been at the frightening news. It worried them.

"Cay might be inclined to do such a thing but Sonic wouldn't allow it. He cares." Cyrilla hooted in agitation. Tails scowled at her words, twin appendages fluffing up at the implication that his friend's daemon, in fact, didn't care. Cyrilla, in turn, sent him a sharp look.

"So if Sonic won't allow the worlds to fuse, why isn't he looking for the Emerald?" Camelia asked.

"Because something more interesting has caught their attention." The owl shot back. Her response had Tigress and Mobains shivering in fright, wondering what could have possibly captured the attention of their strange and unnerving friend.

It was interesting to travel the world. People looked so different in other countries, spoke in different tounges and believed in different powers. America had their mostly God and Heaven belief while India had Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. In China the had Buddhism too but they also had Taoism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity. It was all so new and wonderous that Sonic had to wonder why he hadn't thought to travel before. This was a brand new world, why not explore what it had to offer? He learnt so much that he was almost content. But the key to other worlds remained hidden. That wasn't to say there weren't clues.

"You seek the Clau Mundial. It's rumoured to have been taken by the Spanish to another land, far down towards the South Seas."

"You speak of the Cortador de pontes. Was said to have brought the Vikings to this world, or so some believe."

"Sounds like your looking for the Key Mundi. The Romans believed it to be the way the Gods travelled to the earth. The ancient text says it was taken South to an island surrounded by savage Seas."

With each new tale, the excitement grew. Sonic could feel his very being thrumming with anticipation at finally having the key to world travel in his own hands. Cay was in constant motion, flicking between forms at a rate that was dizzying to the eye. As they searched, the Alethiometer continued to help guide them through the true stories and the false.

"There is an island, right towards the bottom of the maps that nearly kisses the South Pole. It is small and was once connected the largest island on the planet and surrounding it are some of the most fear Seas known to man." An old sailor rumbled.

"Have you ever sailed those Seas?" Sonic couldn't help but ask to which the man gave a toothless smile.

"Eh? Have I sailed them Seas you ask? I sailed along the Bass Strait boy, a stretch of the ocean even you and your devil soul should fear." He cackled. Sonic felt a thrill of something rush through him, Cay flickered to become a little black dragon with glowing red eyes.

And so they travelled, they went South and kept going until they came to the fearsome stretch of ocean. The waves roared and crashed against the mainland and somewhere on the other side Sonic knew was the island that held what he so desired.

"If this was our world I bet Cliff-ghasts would live along this coastline," Cay muttered.

"I wonder if the Panserbjørne would live here or in the North like they do back home." Sonic thought aloud. Cay just hummed, a wicked smile playing across his dragon face.

"Shall we continue?"

"I think so."

Chris wasn't happy. He didn't wish for his new friends to leave. It was like the time he and Knuckles had been tricked all over again. His friend's departure was looming and the human child wasn't sure if he was ready to say goodbye. Eggman and a trick was his first thought, but the over-weight human had denied making up the fushion theory. If anything, the man seemed impatient to return back to his world. So now Chris was left to worry, feeling guilty that he was relieved that last two Emerald's hadn't been found.

His relief was short lived when Eggman showed up with the last piece needed for the machine along with one of the missing Chaos Emeralds. They only needed one more and then they would all be returning home. There was excitement in the air as the Mobians rejoiced at being able to go home to their homeworld.

"I missing seeing daemons." Silver admitted while gazing at their human friends. "it's not an insult to you or your kind, it's just unnerving for us to see you without them."

"That's understandable." Chuck acknowledged. "I can't imagine what you must have thought when you first saw us."

"Quite a shock." Blaze chuckled, hand resting upon her Vasilios. The great black cat rumbled in agreement.

Chris listened and the guilt increased. The boy looked at his friends and their souls and wondered what it would be like to have a daemon. He'd tried asking them what it was like but they could only struggle through a complicated explanation. His Uncle Sam had tried to sum it up as having a pet that followed you around all the time but seemed like a bit of an understatement and even rude. Perhaps Sonic and Cay would have a better way of putting it in a way that would also make sense to the young human child.

Speaking of the hedgehog, a great clap of thunder seemed to roll out of nowhere only there weren't any clouds in sight. The sound was familiar though and one all the Mobian's recognized. Tails stood up straighter, Tikal smiled softly while Rouge and Shadow just continued with their conversation. The daemons however all become more focused as the blue blur raced into the lab where the machine was being built. Sonic smile at them all, his eyes seemingly older than they had been a few days ago.

"And where have you been?" Tikal questioned to which Sonic beamed.

"Everywhere."

"So its true you've been continent hopping?" Tails asked, slightly reproachful.

"I might as well if we're leaving soon. There's so much to see in this world and so little time left to see it." Sonic said.

"You were meant to be looking for the Chaos Emerald." Knuckles almost sounded like Camelia when she growled. It was amusing to say the least, especially when Sonic reached into his quills and tosses the red Emerald to the startled Guardian.

"I found it days ago. I knew you hadn't found the other one so I decided to go exploring while you searched."

They all spluttered in disbelief while Chris felt his stomach sink deeper. Cay gave a delighted chirp as a golden finch, doing loops around the room as he did so. "This World has been so interesting, I look forward to seeing more."

"You won't be seeing more cause we're going home." Celandia clicked her beak at the finch who just smiled as much as a bird could. Sonic felt his excitement, knew what they were planning. It was going to be such an exciting time. They watched as Tails and Chuck set up the machine outside, watched as the Emeralds gave it power and it began to bridge the gap between Earth and Mobius. They watched as Eggman was the first to leave followed by the Chaotix. They watched as their friends said tearful goodbyes and one by one they departed back to their homeworld until only sonic and Cay remained. They stepped up, ready to go through and ready to leave as soon as they landed onto to be stopped by Chris. The boy stood in shaking legs, his eyes watering and lip trembling.

"No tears child, we are hardly worth them." Cay said softly, his golden finch body melting into his albino serval form.

Chris gave a chocked sounding laugh, a few tears slipping past his eyes. "I think you are. I know you both don't really do friends, but you've both been great friends to me."

Sonic felt lightened at the words for they were spoken from the heart and filled with honesty. The Mobian stepped forward, hand extended for the human to take. Emerald Green eyes widened when instead he was pulled into a tight embrace and for once Cay did not hiss or growl, he simply stood there and watched.

"Don't forget me," Chris whispered desperately.

"As long as you don't forget us," Sonic promised, hugging back just as tightly. When was the last time he hugged someone? He hardly cared to remember. There was a flickering behind them as the machine lost its will to keep going, the Chaos Emerald's falling into the portal just before it closed. The humans cried out in horror but Sonic smiled at them all.

"There are other ways to travel between worlds." He said once more, hand reaching into his quills an extracting an intricate blade. The dagger's hilt was made of gold and had bright red and golden lines painted along it while the blade itself gleamed silver. Cay purred in happiness as Sonic lifted the Knife and brought it down in a sweeping arch through the air, smiling as the human's watch in awe as it seemed to cut through something invisible to the naked eye. A shimmering doorway opened up before them, allowing them to glimpse into another world that had rolling green hills and endless blue sky. Sonic and Cay felt that thrill of adventure rush through them once more, eyes flicking back to Chris who stood in awe at the sight before him.

"We'll meet again Chris, the Alethiometer never lies after all. You just need to stay strong and not give up hope." Sonic whispered before stepping forward into the doorway, into a world that wasn't his homeworld but was the next step in his great destiny.

Frost: So as you can see, Sonic and Cay have a different method of returning to their home world. The Knife Sonic has is Part of the "His Dark Materials" books which is what the daemon half of this story is based off of. The Knife can cut through anything including the fabric between world.

As Promised, this is where I call upon you readers. The mini Series I spoke of which will be called "These Roads Less Traveled" will involve Sonic and Cay travelling between worlds. I already have some universes planned out on where they will visit but I want to ask you readers for suggestions on what worlds they should visit. This means, if you have a fandom you wish Sonic and Cay to explore send me a PM or review and I will see what I can do.

I obviously won't be able to include every fandom suggested because I won't know all of them and don't have the time to watch all the TV shows or Movies suggested but I will try and include as many as I can. This is the next chapter in their amazing journey so I cannot wait to share it with all of you. Be sure to look out for "These Roads Less Traveled" and I'll see you all there!