The following is a work of fan fiction by Joshua D. Tarwater and is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS.*
*SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS retains full rights over the Sonic the Hedgehog™ intellectual property and can terminate or take control of this work at any time.

~EPISODE OF AMNESIA ISLAND II 02~

         ★On Amnesia Island memories were a precious commodity, one that only seemed to come from on the island itself. Its residents all were deprived of their own memories from before waking on the deserted island. Thus, it made the natural phenomena of Ring Shifts a thing of wonder as the memories of the Rings from all over the Earth moved about and reshaped the world. Why and how it happened no one understood, only that it kept the world ever changing. Even as it could up end lives in an instant and make adventurers out of the unwilling. Possibly even tearing families apart and leaving the fates of loved ones unknown.

Blizzard of golden motes of light
Twinkling beauty rising from everywhere
Ground, trees, cliffs, and sea
Land rising and falling
Great loops of branches growing from once small trees
Mushrooms of all sizes spontaneously erupting from all over
Once solid land giving way to cliffsides overlooking deep gorges
Abandoned shops opening to a new locale
Path of dirt becoming cobble paved
A familiar gate and garden

         “We made it Rosy!” Tempest declared as his sound surpassing speed brought him and Rosy to the front door of Nana’s home within an old grassy hill.

         “Where’s Nana?” Rosy asked as she dared not peak out from behind her balled-up hands, the only thing protecting her face from the island forests that Tempest rushed through while holding her under his left arm.

         “I didn’t see her in the garden,” Tempest noted as he opened the abode’s front door with his right hand. Crossing the threshold and into the cloud of golden motes of light within, he called out to the old hen. “Nana!”

         “I’m still in the kitchen dear,” Nana called back, and Tempest hurried over following her voice. “Such a bother when this happens.”

         “Does it happen often?" Tempest asked, his crystals starting to give off a purple light. “Actually, I don’t think I quite know what’s going on. At least, not in words. It all kind of seems familiar, and I think… Normal?”

         “So, you have experienced Ring Shifts before,” Mote commented as she flew through the blizzard of golden lights. “Though I suppose that is only natural, but you remembering them instinctually… Perhaps it is that you have an instinct for the Rings as well. Very interesting.”

         “Not now Mote,” Rosy cut the fairy off as she struggled to get out of Tempest’s grip, an action that resulted in her falling to the floor face first. It did not seem to bother her however and she was to her feet in an instant and placing her hands caringly onto Nana. “Are you alright, Nana? Nothing has changed in here and hurt you?”

         “I’m fine Rosy,” Nana chuckled. “Though I think I’ve noticed a few new mushrooms growing about. Not a variety that I’m familiar with either. I may have to ask you and Tempest to see if any books are out there that detail them.”

         “Hee-hee!” Rosy laughed as a wave of relief washed over. “I’d be happy to go book hunting again Nana! I bet Tempest would be glad to help me too.”

         Rosy offered Tempest a smile, but the light given off by his crystals did not shift blue signaling the joy and peace that such an action would normally bring him. There was something about her smile that wasn’t right, and her words were contradictory to the obvious desire she had to adventure.

         “It’s a good thing that Tempest was here, or else I might not have gotten back at all. Ooh~! I can’t imagine leaving you all alone on this big island.”

         “Not something I think would happen,” Mote commented and drew Tempest’s attention. But the fairy had nothing more to say on the matter and soon the blizzard of golden motes of light settled and passed leaving the occupants of Nana’s abode to check for changes in her home.

         Immediate differences within the old hen’s home included a basement that could be reached from the stairwell off the kitchen that led up to the hill as a good part of it became a hidden door that could be lifted up. The basement was flooded and full of sealed ceramics of all sizes and held little interest for Tempest as he found the other hall off the kitchen that led to the bedrooms was also now staired and even led out to a small walkway that wrapped around the hill. There were significantly more windows in the grass covered hill as well, but it was an outside stair up the hill that drew Tempest’s attention as he heard Rosy’s voice from above singing gently.

         “What is she doing singing at a time like this?” Tempest asked and smiled as he let the sound of her wordless song soothe him.

         Climbing the hillside steps, Tempest was afforded a fine view of the Sky Ring well above him in the clouds that drifted across the blue sky. But it was not the view he desired to see as he reached the top of the grassy knoll. He was still looking for Rosy but did not see her in the tall grass atop the hill, even though he heard her.

         “Rosy?”

         “Over here Tempest!” Rosy cheerfully replied to his call from somewhere within the grass.

         “What are you doing?” Tempest asked as he walked over and found her sitting in the tall grass looking out to the horizon and where she likely saw the Sky Ring.

         “I’m just really glad that I didn’t leave Nana behind,” Rosy smiled as she leaned back and looked up at Tempest. Her smile waned ever so slightly as she saw Tempest’s crystals again shift to giving off a lilac shade of light. “Is something wrong?”

         “That’s what I wanted to ask you,” Tempest countered.

         “Wha–? Why?”

         Rosy started laughing at the idea that there was something wrong with her, but Tempest did not smile. “I’m being serious Rosy. You were out there earlier with a look that spoke so badly of how much you want to leave this island–”

         “Not if it means leaving Nana here alone!” Rosy cut off Tempest with a stern tone and closed her eyes, turning away as she exhaled loudly. “You weren’t here when I woke up here. You didn’t see how quiet she was. And so stiff too. She barely moved at all. I don’t know how she lasted as long as she did on her own here, but…”

         Rosy again opened her eyes and looked back up at Tempest, her smile very strained, a conflict clear upon her features. “Nana doesn’t call me a rascal for nothing. I caused her so much trouble, tearing up so many dresses running all over the island looking for things to put a spring back in her step. I played pranks on her, made a mess of her kitchen trying to remember how to cook and getting her to teach me.

         “I mean, I’m sure I knew how to cook before I woke up here!” Rosy exclaimed and shook her balled up hands. “When I think about Sonic just these feelings of wanting to get so much better at it fills me up inside so I can make him smile. Ooh~! –?!”

         A spark of red lightning tore through the purple light given off by Tempest’s crystals and Rosy stopped short as the black hedgehog looked away. ”Ah–! I’m sorry Tempest! I forgot– I mean… Ooh~! It’s just Sonic flusters me so much and I can’t help but think about him!”

         “It’s alright,” Tempest sighed. “I get it, and it’s not like I remember why he bothers me so much…”

         Tempest cast his gaze back to the Sky Ring above and Rosy’s smile fell as she knew she couldn’t get through to him when it came to Sonic. Pulling her left knee against her chest she pouted as she looked out at the Sky Ring in the distance. She could not ignore the spec of Darkness that it framed, and she looked back a moment at Tempest and where he looked above and wondered if he saw the Sky Ring differently than she did.

         “Hey?” Rosy probed. “I know we see the Sky Ring in different places, but you can see that Darkness it surrounds too, right?”

         Tempest’s ear twitched, and his right arm visibly stiffened. An impressive accomplishment to observe as it was comprised of liquid Darkness that reflected no light and looked like a black hole in the world shaped like an oversized arm. Rosy smiled awkwardly hoping she did not upset Tempest.

         “…I can,” he answered and relieved Rosy’s concerns, though his tone of voice was distant and red sparks of lightning could still be seen tearing through the purple light given off by his crystals.

         “Well, you should know that your Darkness is warm,” Rosy stated, Tempest’s eyes widening at her statement. But Rosy continued as she looked away with an embarrassed smile before he could say anything. “I mean, the Darkness of the Sky Ring is so cold. It reminds me of where I was before I woke up here.”

         “Before–?”

         “Oops!” Rosy laughed at herself and clasped her hands over her mouth. “That was supposed to be a secret~♥”

         “A secret?” Tempest asked as he looked back down at Rosy.

         “Yeah,” Rosy admitted with a defeated and embarrassed laugh. “At least from you because I didn’t want to upset you.

         “Um…,” Rosy struggled to find what she wanted to say while donning an awkward smile. “When I’m in your arm it reminds me of where I was before I woke up here. At least I think it’s where I was. It wasn’t anywhere really. Just Darkness, cold like that up with the Sky Ring. Ooh~! And it’s so embarrassing too because I wasn’t even really me. I was barely anything, but I could remember Sonic. He was all that kept me going. Thinking that he had to be safe and happy. Even as I was barely more than the same thing as the Darkness. I really don’t know how I became, I guess me again. But I remember seeing Sonic reaching for me before I woke up here, and he was golden like the Rings. Ooh~! What could have happened to me to wind up here!”

         “Wait…,” Tempest tried to understand what Rosy was saying, the image of the Remnant fresh in his mind from Rosy’s words. “Are you her?”

         “Her?” Rosy asked confused and offered Tempest a curious blink. “Do you remember something from before waking up here?”

         “No– I mean… Whenever I close my eyes, I see a girl in Darkness just like you described yourself. And I’m reaching for her… But I can’t reach…”

         “W~o~w~!” Rosy exclaimed excited as she jumped to her feet. "That’s amazing! Maybe you knew me too– Wah~!”

         Jumping to her feet was not a good idea for the hedgehog girl as her right leg was completely coated in the Darkness of Tempest’s arm, white crystals crawling very slowly ahead of it giving off the same purple glow as those growing from the black hedgehog’s body. Crawling slowly at least until he saw them, and they began increasing their pace rapidly, their forms growing more violent and explosive.

         “No~!” Rosy whined. “I don’t think I can handle it today!”

         “When did–?” Tempest began, the pace of the crystals crawling across Rosy increasing in speed with his rising panic. “ I mean– Was it in the kitchen when you…?”

         “Of course it was!” Rosy snapped at Tempest, driven by her unwillingness to face the Darkness. “Your arm is always dripping everywhere, and I felt one of those droplets hit me when I went to check on Nana! But it was fine until you saw it! Ooh~! I was already having nightmares last night! You better stop it, Tempest!”

         “What! Is that–? I’m so sorry!”