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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxOEPBO4OqA

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Somewhere in time and space...

“Hey, Tails, are you sure we’re in the right place?” Sonic looked around in confusion. According to the map and every picture they’d seen, it looked like Angel Island except for a decided lilac tinge to the overhead clouds; clouds which seemed to loom larger by the moment. And they weren't aloft, but somehow in a very large sea instead

“Keep your eye out for Knuckles… I don’t trust him any further than I can throw him. I thought by now we’d be able to see eye to eye, but I guess that’s not gonna happen. Just make sure to ….” His words were interrupted by a loud dinging sound.

“Rings!!!!!”

Somehow the allure of the minor if completely easy-to-obtain prize seemed to beckon to them both; more so than at any other time or place. The rings looked….pretty.

“Grab as many as you can…. I….” Sonic gasped as the rings seemed to change shape and color. No longer merely golden in appearance, they glimmered and shined; adorned for the first time with what looked like…. Chaos Emeralds.

“Hey Sonic…look…” Tails pointed to the rings, which began to spin and bounce more than usual, while diminishing in size until they were as big as any ring anyone would wear. Sonic reached out and grabbed one and without thinking, thrust it on the third finger of his left hand. Tails followed suit and almost immediately things began to spin and swirl and careen and move in an almost dizzying pace. A few moments later the two lay flat on their backs on the beach; surrounded by tents and a circle of large grey stones like a place of worship.

“I don’t feel so good,” Tails said and Sonic went to agree but shook his head as Tails continued to talk.

“I feel funny,” he said, but instead of the familiar almost comical-side-kick-voice, the sound was almost sweet and…. sentimental? Sonic stared at his friend and realized that the Tails he once knew was quite a bit different than only moments before. He went to talk.

“Holy Robotnik, Tails, “he exclaimed, but instead of his wiseacre tones, his voice was soft and…. girlish?

“What the…” Tails jumped to his feet… To be more precise, to her feet. Where the loveable sidekick had stood only moments before stood a very pretty two-tailed girl fox. A vixen. Sonic shook his head…

“Hey, buddy… I think things aren’t what they’re supposed to be. You’re sure this is Angel Island?” The sweetness of his voice was simultaneously confusing, off-putting and surprisingly attractive. He noticed a still puddle of sea water left over from the tide. Walking up to it, he stared down at his reflection….her reflection. Shaking her head, she walked up and grabbed Tails by the shoulders.

“Tell me…what’s my name….what’s my name?" Her voice went up an octave in panic.

“You…your name…. It’s Sonia, silly….you know…why are you asking….Same as it’s always been.” Something appeared to fit even as the cobwebs of confusion seemed to clear her head. She nodded absentmindedly….

“Sonia…yes….and you…you’re my best friend Talia….” The vixen nodded and smiled.

“Yes….” As they stared at each other, a figure stood on a hill overlooking the beach. She turned to the woman next to her and laughed softly.

“See, Nana? I told you everything would work out okay in the end? You’re not the only one who’s changed, and for the better I might add.”

The young lady stared at the older woman standing beside her; a fairly attractive woman in her seventies. The woman just nodded; they always ended up nodding in agreement. What else would they do?

She glanced at her grandmother’s left hand and smiled. Yet another of the rings like the ones the two on the beach had discovered. Completely unexpected, since this island wasn’t Angel Island after all. Instead of lying in the midst of some unnamed body of water in video land, this island was found quite understandably in the middle of the Aegean Sea. The Isle of Mytilini, they call it.

A moment later they were joined by two very pretty hedgehogs; only a bit prettier than the two new girls down on the beach.

“We can’t thank you enough, Madame,” the two said almost in unison; Amy Rose and her bestest friend ever, Sally. The old woman nodded and smiled as if things were like this all the time.

“Don’t thank me, thank my Granddaughter Maria.” She waved her hand at Maria; the young woman seemed almost ethereal, and that’s really how she should have looked since she was a ghost. As they stared off down the hill toward the two newest citizens of Mytilini, they were joined by another, very anxious looking young lady echidna.

“Now that you’ve gotten what you want, will you please change me back?” Unlike the two on the beach, this one knew exactly what happened and wasn’t at all pleased… at least for the moment.

“Oh, did I tell you I was going to change you back? I’m sorry…. I lied,” Maria laughed and it almost seemed pleasant instead of the scary laughter one might expect. She tapped Knuckles on the arm and pointed to the ring on his…her finger.

“I forgot to tell you? Unlike Chaos Emeralds, these stones are somewhat stodgy in what they choose to do, you know? Once you change, there’s no changing back, but as your friends down there and even my Grandmother will tell you, once you come over to this side, there’s really no wanting to go back. You’ll see.”

The echidna’s look of horror was quickly replaced by a calm and happy complacency; enhanced by a very deep kiss by both the girls standing next to her.

After all, this is the Isle of Mytilini and those are Chaos Amethysts, my dear.”

“Tell me again why this is so good?” the newest girl asked. Amy laughed and Sally nodded as she pulled the echidna close to her.

“Why, Knukee, my dear, I thought you’d never ask,” she said as she kissed the surprised if altogether happy and brand new girl echidna once again.

“You see, my dear, all is as it should be. Rings and Amethysts and love and life all rolled up into one place. Did I forget to mention the other name of our lovely home here? You may know it as Mytilini, but we call it… Lesbos.”

With that, Maria smiled and simply faded away, leaving a whole group of happy females….