My and Amy Rose's tame but fulfilling trip finally led us to Little Planet. There were seven major zones for us to explore together, so I thought we would go in the order I found the most natural. Instead of any sort of contest, we were going to explore normally. Amy had only been to Palmtree Panic, Collision Chaos, and Stardust Speedway, so she had four others to experience... That being said, I thought Collision Chaos was the best one.



The plan was to go through each of the zones, then circle back to the first. We started off with Palmtree Panic. It was a large, grassy area that had terrain very familiar to what already existed on our own earth. From what my Master said, the gateways to the future were still unlikely to work and I didn't want to suddenly interrupt my date. If anything in particular caught my attention, I would try to test it... otherwise, my focus was on Amy.



Unlike many zones on Little Planet, Palmtree Panic was a bit more open, so there were hardly any of my Master's pawns around as I picked them off over time to get the flower seeds. The only kind of evidence of my Master's influence was from the various traps around the terrain... There wasn't even much visible scrap anymore. I carried Amy to a suitable spot in Palmtree Panic and put her down.



"Gosh, it's so vibrant and beautiful," she sighed, looking around. "It's crazy this is another planet on our own, when you actually take the time to think about it." She clasped her hands together as she looked around, her tail in the air. I admired her.



There was a massive body of water in the distance, along with some mountains. The surrounding area had, predictably, a bunch of palm trees and pleasantly green slopes.



"You can go as fast as you want, Metal, but you better still spend time with me," she huffed.



I tilted my head, amused. "I don't have to go fast all the time," I said. "I'll keep with your pace. You take the lead."



"Actually... you should lead! You've been here more than me. Show me the fun routes!" she beamed. "I'll always catch up."



Well, she asked for it. I levitated from the ground and backed away from her, still keeping her gaze. "Ready?" I asked.



She brought out her hammer and twirled it in her hands. I briefly thought she was going to hit me, but her expression was too pleasant. "Yup!" she replied.



I charged myself a little more, then took off. Amy, to her credit, wasn't too far behind. I thought of the most fun route to take that she would also like. With her hammer, she would probably like a path that takes her over cliffs and hills. Upper route it was. As I ascended, I heard her sounds of joy behind me. I glanced back and watched her gracefully twirl in the air. She laughed while bearing her hammer down to the next platform and launching up even higher, approaching me. I slowed down, then caught her.



I went through a tunnel with her that spat us out into the air and into the upper platforms. She laughed while clinging to me. As we went to the top, I positioned her below me and let her go. She effortlessly landed and bounded forward as she did before.



I had fun. She was fun to watch and fun to run with. We didn't stop until we reached a large wooden bridge that stretched out into the chrome and pink Collision Chaos on the next mass of land. We took a brief break so she could catch her breath. I stood by her as she collapsed back into the grass.



"The planet is healing," she told me with a winded sigh. "I remember the dead grass when I was last in this area."



"This zone recovered quickly from my Master's influence. Even the machine-like trees were taken over," I replied and gestured over to a nearby palm tree; the tree itself wasn't organic, but it got covered in so much vegetation over time and became a vessel for more plantlife to grow.



"What were the ones that didn't?" she asked.



I thought for a moment. "Some parts of Stardust Speedway are covered with red smoke from his factories. Metallic Madness was created by my Master entirely... I only went a few times since there are hardly any flowers." I averted my eyes. "We can still go there if you want."



"Yeah! We're going through everything," she said, grinning. "There were more bots in Collision Chaos, too... hardly any here."



"That one is more my doing," I admitted. "Destroying them is a bit more satisfying than harvesting seeds from plants, and there already weren't as many in this area."



"Good old stress relief. You aided in making this area green, then."



... Huh. Did I? I didn't consider that my gardening in the old base would influence Little Planet itself. I guess it didn't matter either way since my Master no longer cared about Little Planet's fate.



Amy hopped up and stretched. "Okay! Let's keep going." She hugged my side and kept one of her arms around my neck and shoulders. I supported her by the waist and flew over the bridge with her in tow. I wanted to see how fast I could go while holding her that way. She laughed and clung to me with both of her arms.



We went through Collision Chaos again together, this time without any interference. Rather than have a race to destroy other bots, we took a longer route and went through the areas with floating glass baubles. We took turns trying to see how many we could pop in one go without touching the ground-- naturally, I got the most, and despite her protests, I never used my turbine to keep myself above-ground.



We eventually went to the higher area with a lot of flowing water. We found a good platform to sit on and watch the upside-down scenery. From our perspective, Never Lake was above us. If I stared at it for too long, I felt as if I'd fall...



"Do you think we can find the RV?" Amy hummed, staring at the sky.



"There." I pointed at a corner past Never Lake. There wasn't much past the lake we could see, but I could see the RV right where I parked it.



She squinted and mumbled. "I don't see it..." I slightly adjusted her head. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Wow, it's so far away. It's just a little white dot."



"I should've parked it more behind the chain," I grumbled.



She laughed. "It's fine! No one's looking for an RV. It doesn't even look like one from here."



I guess. But... I did enjoy the moment with her. I held her hand as we watched together.



Amy and I continued through Collision Chaos, eventually going to the same caves I took her to when I panicked about the unknown visitor. We were about to go in, but Amy noticed I was not as energetic as before.



She idly tapped the end of her hammer with her foot while standing in front of me. "Okay, what's on your mind?"



The downside of dating and being in love is that she could read me too well. "... Tidal Tempest is the next area, but it's full of water. You'll get wet. We should skip it."



"I don't mind going through some water... Do you mind?"



"Obviously I don't mind. I've been there before. I know Tidal Tempest well."



She giggled. "It sounds like you mind a little bit."



I averted my eyes. "... Let's go through it quickly," I said.



"You don't even have to breathe! Why does it freak you out?" she asked.



"I am a machine, Rosy. Though my exterior is naturally waterproof, my insides are not... And I'm incredibly sluggish in the water," I explained. "I can barely use my turbine, so I feel useless."



"Then you follow my lead this time," she said, putting away her hammer. Just as smoothly, she took my hands and pulled me deeper into the caves with her. Her gaze was encouraging and loving. It confused me and made me more attracted to her.



The deeper we went into the cave, the more golden the rocks became around us. Ruins from the past glittered with lanterns and otherworldly light, illuminating our path forward. There was a sudden drop down into the depths... and there was the water. Amy passed me that fearless grin, and dove backwards into the water, taking me with her.



I propelled myself forward however I could, but using my turbine took so much more energy underwater, so I carefully paced myself and let the current-- and Amy-- guide me. She was fiery, but she looked like she belonged in the water. Her dress floated up like she was a jellyfish and her quills swayed around her as naturally as she moved. She smiled at me and took me across the path.



We passed by communities of coral and abundant fish around broken and cracked pillars. There were also several robots around-- when I was near them, I slashed through them and harvested their seeds. Amy didn't use her hammer, but she'd either kick them or send them over to me to dispose of. We reached our first pocket of air; though she could keep herself upright, I still supported her while she took in a huge gasp.



"This place is gorgeous! There's so much life!" she said with a breath-filled laugh.



I didn't have a bad time. We both climbed up to the next platform. I blasted the extra water out of my turbine and spun the rest off of me. I made sure the compartments on my arms were air-tight. I was amused while looking at Amy; she went from a graceful jellyfish to a soaked kitten.



"I should have warned you before you got dressed about Tidal Tempest," I said. "There aren't any other zones with water."



"Oh, please. Rosy the Rascal can handle a little bit of water," she teased, twisting some of the water out of the bottom of her dress.



I tilted my head. "Rosy the Rascal? Was that the full name you used when you were young?" I only ever heard her say 'Rosy'.



She blushed a little, still focused on wringing out her dress. She squeezed the water out from her quills afterwards. "Yes. No one remembers that, not even Sonic. If you repeat it to anyone, I'll throw you back into that pool, seriously."



"It's really cute, and I think it's still very fitting for you," I said with a lighter tone. I very much liked her self-given nickname.



"Well...!" She giggled. "Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a rascal. So many people forget because I'm so adorable," she said with a dramatic sigh.



"No, I don't think that's why," I teased back.



"What's that supposed to mean?!" she yelled. "Nevermind. Can you warm yourself up? Gimme some of that turbine heat."



"Are you seriously asking me to use my turbine as a heater?"



"Yes..."



I rolled my eyes, but I turned around for her and started up my turbine without moving forward. I heard her rub her hands and place them near my back. "I thought you could handle a little water," I said.



"Your girlfriend is cold. You're supposed to keep her nice and warm," she said lightly. I chuckled.



"We can avoid most of the water in Tidal Tempest other than that first part, unless you want to dive back in another section," I told her.



"Maybe one more; the coral was so pretty. But I gotta get rid of the chill... whew!" She made an exaggerated shiver.



"The next zone should be a good place to dry off. There are these air tubes you can shoot through, and the crystals absorb all the moisture from the air."



"Sounds good to me! I don't want to be all soggy the rest of the-- hey!!" she whined. "You turned your turbine off!"



I turned back to her, then held her close to me.



"Wh--... Ooh~!" She closed her eyes and smoothed her hand over the side of my head as she pressed against me. I charged the rest of my body with energy that caused my temperature to rise, but didn't expel anything dangerous. "Okay, I like this more. Was this why I was so warm and cozy in bed?" she sighed out.



"No," I said, amused. "That was just me absorbing your body heat."



"I am totally going to steal you all winter," she said, rubbing her head against mine. After she was satisfied with her own warmth, she gave me a sweet kiss, then she let go of me. "Okay...~ Let's keep going."



We navigated through the area's many corridors and ruins as we explored. We did go through one more section of water and I found myself captivated by her once more. She made the water far less cumbersome.



When we climbed out of the water, we took ourselves even deeper into the caves. The environment began changing around us and transitioned into what we called the Quartz Quadrant. Amy at some point asked where all the thematic names came from, but I shrugged. I thought it was a combination of names both my Master and Sonic the Hedgehog used, and they just stuck. Quartz Quadrant was definitely one my Master used since he excavated here plenty before.



Massive green crystals dotted and illuminated the darkest part of the caves. There were tons of conveyor belts previously for transporting minerals, but currently empty. Thanks to them, Amy could keep perfect pace with me. We reached one of those air tubes I talked about before and jumped in together. When we came out, Amy was dry... And her quills were all puffed up.



"Aw, man!" She hurriedly tried fixing her quills, but they wouldn't stay down. "Wipe that smirk off your face!" she told me.



"I can't smirk," I said.



"That's bull. I can tell you're doing one."



I was very amused, but then I was also curious. "Do you not like your quills sticking out?" I asked.



She sighed. "I don't mind, but I think it makes me look a bit childish," she said. "Sometimes I'm too lazy to straighten them out."



"Both ways you have your quills are attractive to me." I touched her quills as we talked about them.



She gave me a warm smile. "Is there anything you find unattractive?" she asked in an airy tone.



... I wasn't sure. There was nothing about Amy Rose I genuinely found unattractive. There were aspects I didn't love, like her fondness for the Hedgehog, but she loved me more, so that was fine. She giggled since she saw I was thinking about it. Eventually, I replied: "Not with you."



"Aw..." She smooched me and held me tightly, nuzzling me. "Metal...~"



I experienced a brief shiver of excitement with how she said my name. I picked her up while her arms were around me, then I began floating down the next path.



"Oh, I'm getting kidnapped!" she joked. Truthfully, I wondered if I'd ever let our initial meeting down. "... You know, actually, I never asked. Why did you kidnap me the very first time?"



"You were bait to lure Sonic the Hedgehog," I said.



"Yeah, but like, did Eggman go--" She began mocking my Master's voice: "Metal Sonic! The awful creature you were modeled after is accompanied by a pink hedgehog! Take her and bring her here!"



"No, but that's a really accurate impression," I said, nearly laughing. "Here, I have the full recording."



Krrssht! "Metal Sonic! That horrific blue pain in my side interrupted my project on Little Planet! Lure him to this location so you can fulfill your first major directive. Afterwards, you will be the only Sonic this world will ever know."



Amy went quiet as she listened. "Was he always so... vague?"



"He trusted me to get the job done," I said. "Since he created me, he knows how I function. He anticipated how I would best lure Sonic. So..." I averted my eyes.



"Wow, you were crushing on me ever since our first meeting. Capturing girls isn't how you make them fall in love, you know."



"I was not!" I exclaimed back. I knew she was joking, but I had to be clear about my intentions. "You were following him around. I thought he found you significant, so you would be good bait. I did not love you yet."



"Hmmm... What did you think of me before you fell for me?" she asked.



"... I thought you were a rascal."



She laughed louder, her cheeks red. "It all comes full circle," she beamed. "Metal, what's your favorite recording of me you have saved? Me saying 'I love you' doesn't count."



"Why doesn't that count? That is my favorite thing you've said."



"Because that's implied. What's a different favorite of yours?" she asked, swinging her legs a little while still holding onto me. I strolled past the more empty areas of Quartz Quadrant since we were deep in conversation.



... My other favorite recording...



"I am not sharing that," I said. It was the one where she misrepresented my words to make me overload. I could not get the way she said my name out of my head. I could not forget the way she looked at me. I had to stop thinking about it or else I'd react here.



"Why not?! I said it!" she whined.



"I'm not telling you."



"Boo! You and your secrets!" she huffed. Despite her complaints, she had no interest or desire to leave my hold.



"What's your favorite declaration from me, then?" I returned the question back to her.



Amy's face reddened more, but then she gave me a sly grin. "Everything you've ever said," she said sweetly, caressing one of my cheeks.



I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't count. You have to give a specific one."



"... No, thank you~"



"Uh huh."



She stammered a little, then finally hopped out of my arms. "We're exploring more!" she yelled, tapping the ground with her hammer a few times as she stepped away from me. I hovered towards her and graced her chin as I passed by.



Amy was more interested in chasing me this time rather than just exploring since she was a little riled up.



We continued to exchange banter and she got red enough that she tried to get me with her hammer. She used one of the conveyor belts to speed forward; I dodged her, which sent her over a cliff.



"H-help!!" she called out.



I quickly went after her, then caught her before she fell too far. I placed her on the ground.



Pi-ko! She harmlessly tapped my head with the hammer. I tilted my head as I admired her.



"Hah! Tricked you. I win," she said proudly.



I laughed. I didn't expect that.



She stared at me with wide, sparkling eyes. Her face was incredibly red, which also made me heat up.



"M... Maybe that's my favorite," she muttered, placing her free hand on the side of her face. "I didn't even know you laughed until you did it on our beach date."



"Nothing usually makes me laugh," I said, thinking for a moment. I guess I've done a few proud cackles in my day... None for reasons I would consider jovial. "But I have fun around you."



Her smile was so sweet as she gazed at me.



...



Ugh...



"My favorite is... How you say my name," I said. "I will not be more specific."



She playfully shoved me. "I didn't meant to guilt you into sharing," she said.



"I know. I wanted to give an equal exchange," I replied, not looking at her.



"That's so sweet. I'll say your name all the time." She smooched me. "You're my Metal~"



I felt very warm. "I can't promise additional laughter. You have to amuse me."



She laughed. I amused her more. "Alright, handsome. Let's keep going!" She held my hand, and together, we went towards the end of the zone.



We eventually reached a giant, purple mechanical wall, full of different pistons, pipes, and random machinery. A doorway ahead led to the depths of Wacky Workbench. Despite the environment, my Master did not create this factory... it was under construction several hundreds of years ago. By whom, if anyone? No idea.



"Wacky Workbench is ahead," I said to Amy.



"Aw, I just realized we're over halfway done exploring," she sighed.



... "We can go again next year."



Her eyes sparkled. "Really?"



"Yes," I replied... Oh, I forgot to grab seeds here. "Give me a moment." I quickly left her and went after a few robots. I wanted to take advantage of gathering seeds while I could.



I quickly returned to her, her hands on her hips. She smirked at me. "You know, I have to ask: do you grow every seed you gather?"



I nodded. "Eventually, yes. I keep other seeds protected until I'm ready to plant them." I planted the ones we gathered together at Collision Chaos immediately, but telling her would spoil the surprise.



"You must have grown hundreds by now. That's some dedication."



I enjoyed her praise. "I've grown many for you, Rosy. I'll continue to," I said, my head held high. I hovered towards the factory door, then turned around to wait for her. She eagerly caught up to me, then we went inside together. "I have a feeling you will enjoy this zone."



"Why's that?" she hummed.



Wacky Workbench, similar to the other zones, lived up to its namesake. Within the purple confines of the space, there was golden architecture all around, random dangling chains, engines and rockets... We'd have to be careful traversing, but doing that would be rather... interesting...



Covering the factory floor were flashing checkered blue lights, occasionally sending golden platforms up into the air. Amy peered over and stared at the floor for a while.



"This place is pretty flashy, but I'm not that flashy! Why do you think I'd like--"



I pushed her.



She yelped as she fell forward, then as she hit the checkerboard floor, she bounced highly into the air and flipped upside down. The checkerboard floors were charged with energy that would send anything flying, not just the golden platforms.



"METAL!" she screamed.



I bounced onto the same part she did and launched up, catching her. "That's why," I said, stopping in the air with my own flight.



"Let me go!!! I'm pissed at you for pushing me!" she screamed. "W...Wait! Wait!" She quickly realized her error, but it was too late. I let her go, and she continued to fall. I cackled.



Oh, the hammer was back out. She landed on the energized floor with her feet, then launched after me with a very specific mission. I loved her determination. I dodged her and she chased me through the area, using the floor to her advantage. I let myself fall to the floor as well, mostly using its momentum instead of my turbine.



She lost sight of me, hopping up to a floating platform that rotated clockwise. I hovered behind her while she let the platform turn her. "Where are you?!" she screamed. "Get back here!"



Hahaha. Maybe I was having more fun than she was.



She squeaked in surprise as I grabbed her from behind and carried her back into the air. She squirmed in my hold, clearly angry.



"Y-you!! I'm going to bash you!" she yelled, raising her arms with her hammer.



I kissed her on the cheek and she went remarkably still.



"Th...That's not going to work!" she eventually exclaimed, turning her head towards me. I pressed my muzzle to hers fully then, enjoying the sensation our unique kisses gave. The cute sound she made in response made me nearly overload.



"Did that work?" I asked.



"Shut it," she said weakly. She was deeply flushed and her expression was not nearly as threatening as her words. I wanted to keep messing with her. "Thin ice," she muttered.



I was very amused, then kissed her again. I slowly flew to another section of the factory while holding her. She kissed me back multiple times, which I would not expect from someone angry. I didn't point this out to her.



I eventually let her go again-- this time with a proper warning-- and we traversed through Wacky Workbench together. I didn't forget to slash a few bots this time. Amy laughed as she bounced on the platforms, confirming my hunch after all. She managed to tackle me as we reached the end of the factory, hanging onto my back spine as I flew to the nearest door.



There were other parts of Wacky Workbench in the distance, other similar, large factories embedded in an orange rocky canyon. Just ahead of us, we could see the eternal night and golden roads of Stardust Speedway.



"Oh! We're back on the surface," she beamed, letting go of me. "I didn't even know we were ascending again."



I nodded. "Do you need another break?" I asked.



"Nope! Let's go see the speedway."



I moved forward while watching her. I turned myself and sped up more as she began to run. The atmosphere changed around us the closer we got to Stardust Speedway. Amy launched herself at top speed to keep up with me.



"Hey!" she called, cheerful.



I slowed down a little so we could talk.



"What's your opinion about Stardust Speedway?" she asked.



"I like other zones more," I told her. "I don't have many positive memories here."



"Well...! Let's make some new ones," she happily told me. "What's what we've done with everything else."



I was heartened by her response. "Yes... I will not tie you to a pole," I replied.



"Oh, my skill has increased far more since then. I dare you to do anything! Nothing can hold me down."



"I'll consider it. Unfortunately, there's no floor made of energy I can drop you onto this time."



She raised her hammer at me and I playfully moved to her other side. We arrived at Stardust Speedway, so we had far more running to do. Some of the roads were narrow, requiring us to spin through them.



I was successful in forging new positive memories with Amy. I liked going down the instrument-lined paths with her. Stardust Speedway was a maze of roads, but I wanted to get lost in them with her. Since the area was made for speed, she got to go much faster than her usual and she hollered in excitement as the path sent us down loops and winding curves.



Amy got too dizzy at one point and wanted me to carry her instead. I took her by the waist and twirled through more paths with her. When she felt better, she hopped away and smashed nearby bots with her hammer.



I had so much fun with her and I didn't want it to end... but the golden paths turned cold, silver-green and sickly purple. The dark, starlit sky was shrouded by endless red clouds. This was the very stretch of road I had my first battle with Sonic and the place I held Amy hostage.



"Wow... that changed fast," she muttered.



"Do you remember this area?" I asked her.



"Huh?" She looked around, thinking for a while. "... Wait, was this place where you tied me up?"



I nodded. "At the end of this road, yes. Past this area is my Master's base on Little Planet: Metallic Madness."



"So this was where the legendary battle took place," she hummed aloud, strolling along as she looked around. I didn't like that she wanted to slowly traverse this stretch of road, but I didn't want to overwork her. I continued forward at a steady pace and trusted she wouldn't stay too far behind.



We were quiet for a little while. I didn't mind it too much, but Amy began fidgeting with her hammer.



"When I asked how different my life would be if I chased you instead, you told me we were meant to be together at this point of time," she said. I glanced back at her and she smiled at me. "If you ever won, maybe something else worse would've happened afterwards. Maybe... I wouldn't be here, either. You never know."



I slowly nodded. "If I won, I'm not sure what my Master would've wanted to do with you. At best, leave you at the mercy of the empire he would have built here. He doesn't have a feverish bloodlust, but..." He did not have much passion for anyone who didn't want to obey him.



"I'm glad we're here together now," she said to me sweetly. "Sometimes we have to work for happy endings, but that makes it more satisfying."



I thought about what she said for a while. In our conversational lull, we went to the very end of Stardust Speedway. There was a small section of road, cracked.



"There's where I fell," I said, peering over the side of the road.



"So long ago, huh?" She stared at me for a while, then chuckled. "Everyone was much shorter back then. You were Sonic's height when he was young, right?"



"I'm his height right now as well. I did go through plenty of upgrades over time. I 'grew up' with everyone else."



Amy nodded, crossing her arms. "I think that's so neat," she said with an airy sigh. She wandered over to the area where she was originally held hostage; a cracked pole was in its place. "I was such an ankle biter. We've all gone through so much..."



I watched her for a while. We all have grown... For some reason, the idea brought me comfort. I changed over time more than I realized. Amy Rose, too.



She let out a gasp, snapping me out of my thoughts. I approached her as she bent down to pick something up.



"Look!" she exclaimed, showing me a charm. It actually looked pretty similar to the one she made for me, but instead of black and blue with a silver star at the end, it was pink and orange and had a red heart at the end. "I thought I lost this forever ago!"



I took my good luck charm out of my arm and dangled it beside the one Amy held up. Her face immediately turned red.



"O-okay, there's a reason they're similar," she stammered a little. "I didn't mention this when I gave it to you because it's a little embarrassing. I wanted to make you something that had a lot of meaning to me as a kid, since you also gave me flowers when we were that young." She moved her own charm closer to her face to examine it. "Before I set out on my first adventure, I made one for myself. I kept it in my pockets at all times. I was so upset when I lost it, but I didn't think I dropped it on Little Planet!"



I examined my good luck charm, too. "There is even more meaning to my charm than when you first gave it to me," I said softly.



She shyly nodded at me. "I learned you're a bit sentimental, so... I thought you would appreciate a little trinket here and there..."



"Did you ever make more?" I asked.



She shook her head. "I thought it was a sign when I lost it, so I didn't make any other charms. But, then we became closer and I wanted to give you something. It was one of the first gift ideas that came to mind," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "I think it's pretty silly, but..."



I put my charm away, then I cupped her face with my hands. I could feel how flushed she was. "I appreciate your vulnerability, Rosy..."



She let out a soft breath and put her hands over mine, giving me a loving gaze. We slowly kissed each other and let ourselves be in the moment.



I loved her...



We just as slowly parted, then she smiled more at me. "I'm gonna modify my hammer so I can put my charm on the end of it. It'll always be with me again!"



"I'm..." I tried to think of how to word myself. I let go of her, but continued to admire her. "Thankful."



"For what?" she asked, grinning.



"For you."



She shyly looked away again, grabbing one of my hands. She tugged me a little, then kept walking. "We gotta go. We can't make out in this dump."



I focused very intently on her. "... This place isn't so bad," I mumbled.



She giggled, looking back at me. "Oh, you're gonna get it when we get back."



Unfortunately, we did not make out in Stardust Speedway. I similarly doubted she would find Metallic Madness a romantic location. We went towards one of my Master's many abandoned bases and arrived in similarly sickly green architecture. Many areas were out of order, non-functioning. Metallic Madness was incredibly dangerous, so I made sure to stay very close to Amy.



"Man, this place is even worse!" she whined. I knew it. I worried she would forget she wanted to make out.



"Do you still want to explore it?" I asked.



"Well... it's just an Eggman base, isn't it? I guess I've seen plenty of those," she hummed. "Let's get a few bots so you can have some seeds, and then let's go to Palmtree Panic again. Way prettier over there."



I nodded. I didn't mind that she changed her thoughts about exploring every zone. I also wanted to be in a location she found suitable for affection.



We sought out for a few bots together, but even just getting a few required maneuvering around an abundant amount of traps. Amy almost trapped herself under a piston, but I broke the piston before it could harm her. I only wanted a few flower seeds, so as soon as we defeated enough, I picked her up and rocketed out of Metallic Madness.



Ahead of the massive base were Palmtree Panic's green fields once more. We successfully circled all of Little Planet and all in a single day. I put her down--



She pulled me from the air and dragged me to the ground with her. "This is good," she said, then eagerly kissed me. She giggled as she rolled on top of me.



...



I then struggled on which zone was my favorite...



My Amy Rose gave me a lot of affection and I had to do my very best to not overload. She made me so happy, though. My thoughts were only of her, of how she sounded, how she felt, her... always her. I loved Amy Rose. I loved her more than anything.



I was instead leaning against her at some point. Our excitement had been properly expressed and we opted for slow kisses, our fingers intertwined as we both lay in the grass.



I eventually pinned her, making her laugh. I kissed her again--



I heard something. I lifted my head up and listened. There was a faint ringing that I only noticed when my senses were no longer compromised by my infatuation for Amy.



"What is it?" Amy asked.



"Do you hear that?"



Amy was quiet for a long time, listening as well. "No... Do you think someone's here?"



I didn't know. I got off of her and helped her stand. I went towards what I believed was the source of the ringing.



...!



There was... a strange mound of grass, and an even stranger cluster of Palmtree Panic's flowers around it. Amy followed behind me. We glanced at each other; her gaze told me she found it just as peculiar.



I carefully approached the mound. There was something silver mixed in with the grass. I touched it--



Tink!



It was something not entirely organic. I tore at the vegetation. Metallic. This was some kind of machine, and the shape made me think it could be a robot. Too big and too slender to be a typical pawn... But the structure of the bot was too overgrown that I couldn't really tell what or who it was, if I knew them. I tried to find the head.



"What is that?" Amy asked me as she approached.



"I don't know yet," I said, digging through more of the mound. I found a large, round shoulder. I tried to uncover what I could--



...



I couldn't move.



"Metal?" she asked, walking closer. She quietly gasped when she saw what I did.



The head was a faded pink, cracked and covered with moss and small plants. I slowly grabbed the head and lifted, disturbing more of the ground. They were a robot, but...



"That... looks like me," she muttered.



The robot had a black screen for eyes, similar to me, and also a silver muzzle with a pointed nose. She had ears like Amy's, segmented quills that looked like Amy's, even a red band behind her ears. What was different, however, were small streaks of white on her quills. Other parts of her body were so integrated with the plants that I couldn't tell much of her design.



"I know Eggman made a Metal Amy a long time ago, but this doesn't... Look like that."



"I've never seen her before," I said. "... She... she wasn't always here. I would have noticed something like this." I gently put her down and stepped away to examine all I dug up. "... The vegetation... it's so embedded. This could not have happened in a short time. But... the sound I'm hearing is from her. She's emitting some kind of frequency."



Amy frowned. "That's... kinda freaky," she muttered.



"... We need to see if she's there in the past." I stared at Amy, and then she nodded to me. I picked her up and made my way to the nearest signpost to the past I could find.



There. At top speed, I passed by a post and didn't let up. We were surrounded by a bright green vortex. I sped to the end of the tunnel and came out to a world with softer greens and browns. The vegetation around us was different and arguably overgrown; I had a harder time seeing what was past the hills. I glanced around and made my way back to where we found the same robot as before. Amy clung to me, concern shrouding her face.



My hunch was right.



A robot that looked similar to Amy was there in the same spot, completely collapsed and in far better condition. There were no plants on or around her, and she was no longer emitting a frequency. The vegetation must've caused a malfunction I could hear in the present. I put Amy down and we both examined her.



She was a bright pink, her muzzle silver, insides of her ears teal, and much more striking white streaks on her quills. Her shoulders supported what looked like a regal collar, flared out behind her head. The torso itself was like an intricate, layered red dress with white and teal accents, metallic patterns decorated like lace. The design on her chest and waist was like an elegant corset, and the bottom of her dress surrounded her in a bell shape. The front of her dress was much shorter, exposing pink and silver legs and red boots. The underside of her dress had rocket exhausts and other tools, some of which I didn't even recognize. Her arms were designed to give the appearance of long gloves, though she had sharp claws just like mine. In one of her hands, she clutched a massive hammer made of the same material as her, colorful just like Amy's own Piko Piko Hammer but with a metal handle and teal accents.



"She looks, um... Tall," Amy muttered.



"... She also looks undamaged," I said, tilting my head. "But she's completely offline." I sat the robot upright and checked for her central wiring. I couldn't find a way to open her head, so I checked elsewhere. There was a small panel behind her shoulders that opened up.



The... I've never seen anything like this. I didn't even know where to start. I was a machine. I should know how to recognize other technology, but her wiring was enigmatic to me at best, even setting aside the burnt-out circuits I could see. I didn't even know if this was her main wiring, but she could be fixed so-long as her CPUs were intact. I'd just... have to actually find those.



I closed the panel, then checked to see if she had compartments on other parts of her body.



"Is, uh... Did Eggman make this, you think?" asked Amy.



...!



"No," I said. I found a compartment in one of her arms, similar to mine. I showed Amy what was inside.



"... That..." Amy stared, shocked.



It was my good luck charm, but it looked far older, weathered by time. The silver star had tinted around its edges and a few of the beads were missing or cracked. But... it was the same one.



"I think she might've been sent to our present and something happened to make her go to our past," I said. "But... I don't even know what's wrong with her."



"Is there, like... any way you can try to activate her? Or something?"



I studied her further. I couldn't find anything. All I thought to do was to give her a shock to see if that responded to anything. I placed my hand on her head and transferred a significant jolt of energy.



Something within her whirred to life and her eyes blinked on; they were bright green, but shaped similarly to my own. I heard something pop and creak. The metal of her body screeched as she slowly righted her head.



"I-I-I... aaa-aam... hh..." Her voice sounded exactly like Amy's... but it skipped and glitched. Part of her words became a high, otherworldly tone I couldn't decipher. The voice briefly went back to something understandable: "... Y-y-...oou."



Amy's eyes were wide open. "What the hell?"



"Tell me what's broken," I said quickly.



"I-I ccc...caa-aaan-n-n't... b-breee-eeathe...!" Something else popped and a burst of steam came from her neck.



"Where is your central wiring? Please tell me. Tell me anything."



Her eyes blinked back off. Everything went off... But I heard something 'click'.



...! It was her headband. I moved it, which moved all of her quills aside and revealed the central wiring in her head. Everything was here.



...



And its damage was even greater. I didn't even know what kind of damage this was. She didn't look to have much external harm, and this didn't look like a typical shorting out. I did notice what looked somewhat like CPUs, so... Maybe I could manage something. I noticed the spot where I could click open her head again, so I closed it, then looked over to Amy.



... She looked horrified. I left the bot for a brief moment and hovered over to her.



"Rosy?"



She glanced at me, then back at the bot. "... Did she just say she was me?" she asked.



"The voice was... glitching out. I'm not sure I would create something that thought she was you..." I didn't think I would make any additional bots at all. Her existence slightly bothered me, but I think she bothered Amy more.



"What was that about breathing? She doesn't need to breathe. Why did she say that? Why does she sound exactly like me? You don't sound like Sonic. So why does she sound like that?"



I realized Amy was in a bit of a panic. "I don't know," I admitted. "I only know as much as you do." I gently put my hands on her shoulders. "We will find out," I said, my tone soft.



"And you made this?!" she exclaimed, her eyes flicking back to the robot.



"That's one of the only things I'm confident about," I said. "I wouldn't give up my good luck charm..." I watched Amy carefully. "She seems to be in better shape than whatever my future self was in, but... She is clearly very advanced and something specific damaged her. It'll take time for me to fix her. Once I do, though, maybe we'll understand more."



Amy no longer replied to me. She was... stunned. I felt helpless. I didn't know exactly how to make her feel better. I couldn't suddenly make her forget that a future robot version of her existed, no matter how much it bothered her. Maybe it bothered her that I was the one who made it... she seemed flattered by my Master's Metal Amy design before, so I didn't know what else was different here.



I didn't like her line about breathing either... she sounded so scared. She was in pain. It... I didn't like it.



"I need to take her to the old base," I said softly to Amy. "That's the only place I can study and fix her. But, first... we have to take her to the present time. I'm not sure I can carry you both at top speed..."



"T...Take her first. Give me a minute," she said to me, voice strained.



"Okay. I will be right here in just a moment." I watched her, then gently touched the side of her face. She did not respond to it. I didn't know what to do...



...



I carefully hoisted up the robot, took the hammer, then made my way towards the sign we came from. When I confirmed she was secure, I went as fast as I could, then sped past the sign in an instant. The vortex took me back to the present. I rocketed off of Little Planet and took the robot back to the RV, placing her down.



I didn't want to make Amy wait for long. I hurried back and zoomed into the past. Amy was in the same spot she was in before, still shaken.



"Rosy, I'm back," I said at a higher volume as I approached her. She turned her head to me, then averted her eyes, frowning. I didn't like the heaviness of the air around us. "... Does the existence of the robot bother you?" I asked.



"Yes," she quickly replied.



"... It bothers me, too," I said back. "I have no aspirations of making other creations similar to myself. I'm not sure why my future self would have made one. Of course I love you, but--"



"Do you mean that? You really wouldn't make another, huh?" she asked, low and serious.



I wasn't... really a fan of her tone, or what she was implying. "Yes, I mean that. Rosy, are you angry with me?"



Her expression immediately softened. "... No," she said. "I'm sorry. You're in the dark, too. Sorry."



I picked her up and made for the signpost to the past, albeit at a slow pace so I could talk to her normally. "You don't need to apologize..."



"I'm just shaken up. This isn't a silly-haha Eggman invention on destroying some hedgehogs. You made her. How long has she existed before traveling back? Like... I know it's so far in the future, but..."



"When I find out, I'll let you know. Since a creation of mine from the future doesn't counteract my loyalty programming and I have no intentions to make her known to my Master, I can tell you everything. Okay?"



She was quiet for a little while. "Okay..." She sighed. "I had so much fun at our date today. I'm sorry."



I lightly bumped my head with hers. "I don't want your apology. I had fun too."



I rocketed back to the present with my Amy Rose, and together, we left Little Planet and returned to the RV. Amy did not speak to me.