The walk back to the workshop was long and grueling for Sonic. Then again, it always felt like that when he walked away from Amy's "grave". It always felt as if he were leaving a part of himself behind. He looked at the ground and kicked rocks as he passed, completely lost in his thoughts. He was lost to the point he did not hear the frantic cries of his friend, Tails, calling him out. It was only when the two tailed fox slammed into him unexpectedly that snapped him out of his daze.

Sonic felt the air get knocked out of his lungs and Tails's hands gripping his shoulders as he coughed up a storm. He couldn't catch what his friend had said and he looked up at the fox. "Tails," He groaned out before standing straight after being hunched over and hugging his stomach after the impact. "Slow down. What is going?" He asked as he exhaled sharply and listened to Tails closely. Tails cleared his throat. "Eggman."

The mention of the evil scientist sparked fury within Sonic and he glared not at Tails but rather at the mention of the name. "What about the fat bastard?" He growled. Tails coughed and looked at Sonic directly. "Eggman has two Chaos Emeralds. He says he knows someone else who has the other two. But the only way we can get them is if we air race again." He finally explained. Sonic felt his tension calm and he sighed. "What if it's a trick?" Sonic asked, knowing full well how that went last time. Tails shrugged. "We have no choice. He even said it himself. 'How will you know if there is an adversary who holds two of the Chaos Emeralds if you do not take this challenge? I'll be waiting for your response.' That's what he said." Tails dictated, remembering perfectly well the words of the scientist.

Sonic sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked at the ground for a while before he looked at Tails again. "Let's go talk to the others and see what they have to say." He suggested and Tails nodded. The two headed back to the workshop in a rush.
_

Sonic opened the doors to the workshop to see everyone seated and arguing. Sonic semi-glared at the scene. He shook his head and cleared his throat. When that didn't catch their attention, he rolled his eyes. "Hey!" He shouted over the noise, and the team turned to look at him. Sonic stood there with his arms crossed and looking down at them. Sally smiled as she saw the old Sonic shine through. "What is going on here?" He asked. Knuckles stood up from the floor and faced Sonic. "We're discussing what's going on with Eggman. I don't think we should, Sonic. I say we sabotage his plan, catch him while he's off guard! That Egghead is up to something nasty, I know it." He announced, crossing his arms across his chest.

"And I say that we need to do this! What are the chances that he is actually holding two Chaos Emeralds?" Rouge spoke up, standing up as well. "Sonic, we can't risk that chance. We need to do this." She said, placing a hand on her hip. Knuckles rolled his eyes. Rouge glared at the red echidna then looked back at Sonic, expecting him to answer and side with her.

"I say we split up." A cool voice suggested from the left. Sonic looked and saw Shadow sitting there, leaning back against the couch with an arm stretched over the back of the couch. Shadow hadn't changed much over the years. After all, he was the Ultimate Life-Form; not much change would be bestowed upon him. The only change that was noticeable were the facts that one, he had warmed up to the team a bit; two, he grew taller, just as tall as Sonic; and three, he wore clothes like the rest of them. He wore a black trench coat over a crimson tee shirt. He paired it with black pants and a chain that went from one belt buckle to the other. He also wore his traditional hover shoes and gloves with clasps on his wrists. He also wore a silver necklace with a strange design hanging from it. The design looked similar to the symbol that was just made for him; with the difference that right spot in the middle was something that looked like a rose.

Sonic watched him carefully and smirked. "Well, Shads, looks like we have our plan." He said and looked at the rest of the team. "We're going to need to split up. One group will be racing. One half of the other group will be standing in the sidelines each race to give Eggman the idea that we're not trying to sneak into his quarters. The other half will do just that: sneak into his quarters." He decided and looked to Tails. "Tails, can you hook us up with some hands-free talking devices?" He asked and Tails nodded, disappearing deeper into his workshop to find the devices.

"Now, as far as teams go—" Sonic started as he looked over the team. Before him, he saw the following people: Knuckles, Rouge, Cream, Shadow, Sally, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Silver, and Blaze. He surveyed the group and balanced out the possibilities in his mind. Sonic smirked and nodded. "Alright. Tails, Knuckles, Rouge, Cream, Shadow, and I will be racing. We're more experienced when it comes to air racing. Sally, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Silver, and Blaze, you guys have more experience breaking into places and finding out what we need to. So discuss amongst yourselves who will be in charge of what when the time comes, alright? Sally, I'm putting you in charge." Sonic finally decided as Tails finally came back with a bag full of devices. Sally nodded and smiled. "You can count on me." She said.

Sonic nodded as well and turned to Tails. "Are you ready to catch some wind?" He asked with a grin. Tails looked up at him. For the first time in tears, Tails saw the old Sonic. He saw him in his smile, in his eyes, his posture, and his voice. Tails blinked a couple of times before grinning widely. "You bet I am!" He responded excitedly. Sonic nodded, grinning as he saw the excitement in everyone's demeanor as they all took a hands-free device for themselves. Once that was done, Sonic stood in front of the television.

"Tails, get Eggman back. He and I have a score to settle." Sonic ordered and glared down at the television, smirking to himself. This battle isn't over yet, Eggman. I promised Amy that no matter what, you will go down. This stops here.
_

After several minutes of tracking Eggman's signal location and several other tries of trying to bring down his wall, Tails was finally able to get connected to Eggman's base. The cackling of Eggman could be heard before his face appeared on screen. The sound sent a shiver through Tails's spine, and it troubled him. Maybe Knuckles was right; this may be the moment that things will get nastier than before. "Eggman." Tails heard Sonic say. He turned in his seat and saw Eggman on screen, his hands behind his round body and peering over his glasses at the group. "Ah, Sonic. I'm so glad you can finally grace us with your presence. Have you found the body of your dead girlfriend, yet?" He asked wickedly, grinning. Tails saw Sonic twitch and for a moment he thought he would need to replace his television.

However, when he heard the dark chuckle coming from Sonic, he knew Sonic wasn't going to let the doctor get to him. "Let's get to business, Egghead. You have two emeralds and so does someone you know. We have three. Winner takes all, right?" Sonic asked, tilting his head to the side with a challenging grin. Eggman scoffed. "I can see that the loss of Amy Rose has done nothing to your character. You're still an annoying brat who only thinks about saving the world. I'm surprised the pink hedgehog stuck around for such a long time." Eggman concluded. Sonic inhaled sharply and he started breathing hard. "Winner takes all, right?" He stressed the last word out, glaring at the television. Eggman smirked. "Of course, dear boy. Do you accept my challenge?" He asked as he moved his hands from behind him and held the two Chaos Emeralds before him. He held the white and yellow ones.

Sonic smirked as he held out the green, red, and aqua emeralds in front of him. "I accept." He finally said. Eggman chuckled. "Perfect." He said before the television started to skip the images. There was a quick static before a black screen was shown. "Hello, blue hedgehog." A gruff voice spoke. Sonic tilted his head to the side again. "And you are?" He asked, glaring at the television. The voice chuckled; it was deep and it rumbled. "I'm Robotnik's secret adversary. I've just received information that you have decided to accept my offer. Is this true?" The voice asked. Sonic looked confusingly at the television. "Your offer? I thought it was Egg—" "That buffoon takes credit for everything. Dirty scoundrel. I'm glad you accepted. I would just like to formally welcome you to the race. I believe I can entice your interest more at the sight of these." The voice spoke and held out the blue and fuchsia colored emeralds.

Sonic chuckled. "My interest had already been caught by Eggman. I have a bone to pick with him." He confessed. "I'm glad. But be wary. Eggman is the least of your problems now. Goodbye, hedgehog." The voice said and the connection timed out. Knuckles turned the television off as soon as the static came on. Tails tapped Sonic on the shoulders. Sonic turned to look at his friend. "What's up?" He asked as he saw Tails eyeing the television. "Sonic, that voice was altered. That means if there's more than one person at the race that isn't our team, it could be anyone. We need to be suspicious of who we talk to now." Tails informed and looked back at Sonic. Sonic nodded. "You got that, everyone? Alright, great." He grinned and turned to face everyone. "Gear up."
_

The workshop was alive with movement and preparations. Tails was deep within the shop modifying the boards and double-checking to see that they all worked perfectly. He also checked that each board was compatible with its rider. Sally and Espio were huddled together, finalizing some key points to a plan they devised. Charmy, Vector, Silver, and Blaze sat behind them. Silver and Blaze sat the closest to each other. They were talking to each other softly, so the others wouldn't hear.

"Do you think this a good idea?" Silver mumbled to Blaze, who only shrugged. "We have to, Silver. It is our duty, after all." She reminded. Blaze wondered why her friend was suddenly so reluctant to jump into action. Blaze watched him carefully, and noticed just how much he had changed, and how he grew to be such a handsome hedgehog. Silver's quills may have not grown, but he certainly has grown taller. His eyes still held that golden spark, but it remained innocent. Regardless of all the battles he has faced, being in a completely different time has left him a bit confused, and Blaze was alright with that. She found it a bit adorable at times. Besides the growth, Silver did start wearing clothes like the rest of the boys (They all sought it to be necessary). He wore a black and gray plaid button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black jeans. He wore his typical boots and gloves.

Silver glanced over to the cat, his eyes filled with worry. "I know. But I sense something is wrong. Knuckles is right. Something is definitely off." Silver admitted, turning towards her fully with wide eyes. Blaze's own eyes widened as she saw the nervousness in her friend. "Silver… If we're all together, nothing bad will happen. We'll just need to stay together and stress this slight importance of detail to the team. I'm sure they'll understand." Blaze appeased, placing a gloved hand on the hedgehog's own gloved hand. Silver released a shaky sigh and looked back down. He smiled and glanced over to the cat. "Thanks, Blaze…" He whispered. She managed a smile and nodded. "You're welcome, Silver." She responded and removed her hand from his.

Silver looked back down and recounted the years he has spent with Blaze. She was, after all, his best friend. She was always there for him and vice versa, of course. They vowed to cleanse the world of the evil it plagues. They've fought, battle after battle, especially against Iblis. Silver closed his eyes tightly and thought of that monster. He thought of how, because of that thing, he almost lost his best friend. It was a miracle that she managed to return. How, he can't possibly fathom, and she chose not to explain how. Not until he was ready, at least. He looked over to the purple cat and was so damn grateful she was sitting next to him. Over the years, the cat grew wiser and more beautiful. The hair on the top of hair grew so that it swooped down, more like a pony tail. She wore a white jacket with collars popped up. She would usually clasp the jacket around her waist with a belt and buckle that came with the jacket, but under she wore a purple tank top. She wore dark purple jeans and her customary ankle boots. Her eyes still held a fiery flame in them from when she trapped Iblis within her, but they still managed to be beautiful.

Silver involuntarily sighed, smiling to himself. Blaze felt a small swoop of air ghost over her cheek and she turned to look at Silver, who turned away before she caught him. She tilted her head to the side in confusion before shrugging and looking back out the window. Silver felt head climbing up to his face in embarrassment. God damn it, Silver. He cursed himself, fidgeting with his hands. He looked up and out the window behind the television, and noticed the sun was setting. The golden colors of the sun warmed his heart, and yet it still stung him. After all, he did experience his first sunrise with Amy Rose.

He smiled despite the fact his heart. That girl was all over the place. He thought as he reminisced of their first encounter. He was on top of a roof looking down at Sonic, who he thought to believe was the Iblis Trigger.

Silver's eyes scanned the vicinity, peering over other roof tops for any sign of blue. He raced and jumped from roof top to roof top, stopping every five houses to look. After several tries, he finally found a spot of blue. His heart began to race and he felt his blood boil. You! He thought to himself. He bared his fangs and growled. It's your fault my world has gone to shit! But I will stop this. And now. He silently signed an oath to do so. He grinned and sighed. "I finally found him… The Iblis Trigger…" He prowled on top of the roof to attack, jumping to the roof below him, before he felt a strong pair of arms wrap around his midsection in a tight squeeze. His eyes widened as he instantly lost the ability to breathe.

"Now, I've got you, Sonic!" He heard the pitched voice of a girl say. "What the—?! Hey!" He cried out, astonished as he looked behind him in an attempt to see his assailant. "It's about time I finally caught you!" He heard as the girl triumphantly announced. He felt his cheeks heating up as she started to nuzzle his chest, his eyes widening even more. Suddenly, she stopped the nuzzling and slowly lifted her head up. The first things he saw were these gorgeous, emerald eyes. His mouth slightly gaped as he stared into those eyes, soon realizing the pink quills and bangs that framed her face. His arms slowly descended to his sides.

He noticed how her eyes, once filled with curiosity, grew wide in embarrassment and shock. She quickly stepped back, her jaw dropping. Soon, her mouth formed words. "Hey! You're not Sonic!" She cried out, holding her hands up in a feeble attempt to keep him away from her. Once she saw that he wasn't a threat to her, she broke out into an embarrassed smile and smacked his shoulder… Hard. "Um… I'm sorry!" She quickly followed after the hit to the shoulder, covering her face with her hands as she began to shake. Silver stumbled forward and tried to regain his balance so he wouldn't fall off the blasted roof. Once he was safe back on the roof, both feet on the roof, he looked over to the pink… Is that a hedgehog?

Silver stared at her with wide eyes. A hedgehog? Like… Like me?! He thought to himself as she continued to shake. He felt a smile snake onto his muzzle. I never knew there would be someone like me here… He admitted, before thinking of the Iblis Trigger. He growled. Well, someone not evil. He corrected. He realized that the girl continued to shake. He thought she would feel more comfortable with him if he at least spoke up. Maybe they can start off on first name basis? "Ah, I'm…" He started before looking over to the spot that he saw Sonic, who was now gone. He felt his stomach drop. "Huh?!" He called out, quickly searching the area as he moved his head from side to side. He balled his hands into fists as he felt his blood boil once more. However, he chose to appear calm so as not to startle the pink hedgehog. "Hey, where did he go?" He asked, mainly to himself than to the girl next to him.

After a feeble attempt to spot the Iblis Trigger, he threw his hands down in frustration and kicked at the roof. "He must have run off!" He finally concluded, growling as his frustration grew. He heard the small two steps of the girl next to him. Suddenly, she spoke up. "I'm sorry. Did you miss someone because of me?" She asked, guilt pooling over her words. Silver felt guilty as well for making the girl think it was her fault… Which it kind of was, but he chose not to tell her. He looked at her before shaking his head and looking away once more. "Ah… It's okay." He accepted her apology. He turned to her this time, a smile on his muzzle. "I'm sure the guy I'm looking for is still on the island. I'm sure I can still find him." He admitted as he waved a hand as if to dismiss her worry, hoping to boost her spirits, and his own.

He felt hands grab his and a giggle escape the small lips of the girl. "Well then, I'll help you!" She offered as she nodded. It seemed to Silver that this girl had already finalized her plans for as long as this would drag out. He was shocked, though, as he moved back a bit. "What?" He asked, dumbfounded at the sudden offerings of the pink hedgehog. She giggled. "Two heads are better than one when looking for someone!" She informed, smiling. But Silver knew the dangers of his mission, and he wouldn't sacrifice someone just so they can help him. His eyes grew worried as he held up his other hand; as if to let her know she needed to stop. "Hey, just wait a second!" He pleaded, shaking his head. Then the question the two of them have been waiting for sparked up.

"What's your name?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Silver watched her, still worried as he stared at her. He sighed before looking down in defeat. "… Silver." He responded a bit later, immediately feeling accountable for dragging her into this by the mention of his name. The girl grinned, knowing full well that Silver had accepted her company. "That's a nice name. I'm Amy Rose." She admitted before taking hold of his hand with only one of her own. She looked behind her with a grin as she broke into a small run, not once letting go of his hand. "It's nice to meet you!" She delightfully greeted. Silver stumbled to keep up, wondering how a girl so small can be so fast compared to him. "Ah… Hey, wait!" He pleaded once more, continuously stumbling as he heard her giggle.

Amy Rose… Now, that is surely a nice name… He confessed to himself as a smile broke out on his face. This will be one heck of an adventure.
_

Silver hadn't realized that he was smiling to himself, a tear hanging from the corner of his eye. Only when he felt a hand brushing at his eye did he open them once more and looked to his left, seeing Blaze smiling at him as she wiped the tear away. "I know, Silver…" She whispered. Silver smiled at her sadly before laying his head on her shoulder. She softly patted his head, looking out the window once more in deep thought. We all dearly miss you, Miss Rose. His