The twilight sun was sinking silently below the horizon, the red orange light tinged every blade of grass and every leaf, setting the world afire. A soft breeze caressed the scene, and the gentle sound of foliage brushing against itself filled the air. The meadow itself was more of a plain, and covered at least five square miles. On one side was a forest, and the other side a cliff that dropped off into a rocky, blood red sea. On the edge of the cliff stood an azure hedgehog, gazing out across the ocean in silence. On either side of him stood a twin-tailed kitsune and a well-built echidna, both equally as solemn. All in all, it appeared peaceful, but that assumption couldn't be farther from the truth.

The nerves that racked the souls of all three heroes were strong and determined, unwaveringly trying to make them turn tail and run. It was the sane thing to do, instead of what they had planned. The hedgehog sighed as his chest constricted with the anticipation. In the far distance, a large airship was barely visible against the sunset, its scarlet and black color camouflaging it almost perfectly as it approached them. The young kitsune's tails were twitching nonstop with anxiety, but the echidna masked his concern with a dark, resolute expression.

The hedgehog felt a hand gently brush against his arm, soothing his spastic nerves. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled softly at the female behind him. The cerise hedgehog was obviously worried, as it was displayed perfectly in her jade eyes. She took his hand and held it firmly in hers. He tightened his grip slightly, hoping that in a single, fluid motion he could give her some sort of comfort. "You're not supposed to be here, Ames," he murmured.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply before replying. "I can't leave you. Three against hundreds never resulted in anything good."

"And four won't make enough of a difference. You'll only get yourself killed," he replied, keeping his voice soft despite his strong emotions.

"I'd rather stay and die alongside you than live alone," she whispered.

"Ames…" he sighed, growing resolute. "You will make it out alive. I swear it."

"Not without you. I won't leave."

"Shut up, you two. He's here," snapped the echidna. The azure hedgehog watched as the airship flew over them, the roar of its engines sending gusts of air rushing across the plain. His breath caught as it landed and the androids were unloaded, lining up in rows of twenty on the opposite side. Something inside him darkly, morbidly wanted to feel their metal frames giving way to his spines. He desperately wanted to feel the crackle of electricity against his quills as they tore into the cold androids. He snickered a little, eager to begin. The promise of danger was what inspired him to go in fighting, and never fall.

Yet, he realized how numb he must be for it not to bother him. True, they were robots, but they were androids. Robots taking on the form of humans. At first, it had bothered him. Having to "kill" something, even if it only appeared as if it was alive, had disturbed him. But, as years of being forced into destroying them added up, they had numbed him to it. They were just one more enemy that needed to fall in order for him to survive. It was an animalistic instinct that made itself known every day of his life.

That was not the worst of his problems. His instinct for self preservation was essentially non-existent, and he didn't care. It meant his friends survived, and that was all that mattered to him, mainly because he knew what would happen if they died. His inspiration to fight on would still be there, but in a much darker, more sinister form than it already was. There was no telling what could go wrong. If he died, they would move on. If they died, the world as it was would cease to be. He grinned as the androids began to move, and he lowered himself into a crouch, ready to fight to the death if need be. It was one of the most hopeless situations he'd been in. Death was most definitely a possibility, but he didn't let it stop him. "Count me in," he growled, his entire being eager to get moving. He knew he was simply encouraging the morbid eagerness to kill the androids and defend his allies, but he didn't care anymore.

His life used to be simple. It used to be an easy get-in, get-out deal, but that was when it was just him. First Tails joined in. Then Knuckles. Then Amy. Now his life was riddled with people he had sworn to protect, instead of it being just him: just him and his mortal enemies. It would never be like that again, and he knew it. He shook his head, tearing his thoughts away from what would never be and forcing his schizophrenic mind to focus on the task ahead. Thousands to four. They were not on the frontlines. They were the frontlines.

The army began to move towards them. They were on the way, and so was he. "Now!" With a single, fluid motion he took off towards the robotic troops, his veins flowing with adrenaline and his heart beating quick and hard to maintain his speed. All the excitement, anxiety, nerves, and emotions that had been building up to this point were all converted into an energy scientists dreamed of harnessing. Good luck. He pushed himself harder, and as the world around him turned silent, he knew he had done it: he was moving faster than sound, and straight towards the enemy.

He leapt into the air at the last second and curled into a deadly ball. His quills and spines tingled every time he made contact with an android; the electricity barely even registering. He continued in this fashion until he reached the rear of the group, when he uncurled, skidded to a halt, and turned to see the amount of havoc he had caused. He smirked as he saw the army sidestepping their fallen comrades' still-smoking forms, which added up to at least a hundred or so.

His three closest allies fought valiantly from the opposite direction. Tails was flying above the army, occasionally dropping into a spin and using his twin namesakes to deliver a fatal blow to one or two enemies at a time. Knuckles would take out almost five with every punch, his spiked claws gouging the majority of the androids. Amy, however, did the most damage. With every swing of her hammer, at least ten androids were crushed and sent flying. With the Chaos Emeralds, her swings were harder and her hammer larger and more devastating, but she did not have that luxury this time.

Neither did Sonic. His cerulean fur was stained crimson already, where shards of metal had sliced across his spines like daggers. He sighed and charged the army from the back, repeating his previous attack for a second time. When he landed on the other side, he was pleased to see the army severely depleted in numbers. An enormous amount of energy still flowed through his veins, encouraging him to attack for a third time. He was about to, when he saw the new androids unloading from the airship. This stupid army was only the first round. "Tails, Knux, Ames! Finish these off, I'm going to keep the others on the ship!"

He dashed around the army and charged the new battalion. These had stronger armor, deadlier weapons, and more advanced technology. They definitely would not fall with the simple attack like the others. Sonic dove into a spin dash and began circling the group, speeding up until the wind itself proved too strong, and knocked the robots into one another. Sparks flew as weapons collided, and the entire squadron exploded into a ball of fire. The azure hero was thrown back by the shockwave and slammed into the metal fortress, before collapsing on the ground beside it.

His entire body felt as if it was against him, as if every bone in his body was shattered. He forced himself to his knees, despite the world of pain it brought. Coughing out smoke and trying to breathe through the burning scent of oil, he felt an arm jerk him to his feet. He yelped a little with surprise and pain. He was pretty sure his arm was broken, and judging by the way his left leg collapsed on him, he figured it was, too. He barely bit back a cry as the new arrival supported him by his broken arm. He gazed up into a pair of cold, crimson eyes. "Shadow…" he murmured, as if confirming his own worst nightmare.

"Yes."

"Who's side are you on this round?" he hissed, trying to endure the excruciating pain in his arm and leg.

"Mine," he replied darkly.

"And that is?"

"I don't know for sure," snapped Shadow. "But I do know it's not yours." The black and crimson hedgehog shoved the azure hero to the ground, watching through heartless, merciless eyes as a supremely built android crushed the same arm he had been holding not more than a few seconds ago. The pain the shot through Sonic's form was almost as harsh as the glares coming from Shadow. With a cry that only true villains could revel in, he fought the tears that played in the corners of his eyes, trying to overwhelm him as the pain nearly knocked him unconscious.

When the android backed off, Sonic took his chance. He forced himself onto one knee, desperately trying to push himself to his feet. Shadow smirked at the hero's feeble attempt to rise. "You always were weak. Prove your strength to me."

"Exactly how can I do that?" snapped Sonic, trying not to look at his right arm.

"First, use this." Sonic's eyes widened as Shadow handed him two emeralds, blue and white. "Heal yourself, then return them."

The azure hero didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and focused, reaching out mentally to the two emeralds in his hand. The second his consciousness brushed up against the emeralds' power, he could sense just how much was there. The dark energy tempted him with lies, while the light called out with promises of a victory. He desperately wanted to answer one of them, to absorb their power. He forced himself to ignore it, pressing harder and searching for the neutral healing energies. After searching for a while, he found them, quietly whispering amongst the light and dark powers. He allowed the healing properties of both emeralds to flow through his veins, relishing in the relief it brought and the energy it gave him. When the emeralds dimmed a little from the lack of neutral energy, he opened his eyes. Then he stood and returned both emeralds, even though every instinct told him not to. Both strong powers of the emeralds were still there, within easy access of Shadow.

Sonic glanced over his lithe form, pleased to feel no pain and see no wounds. He looked back up at Shadow. "Alright, Faker, if you're not on my side, why didn't you just kill me? You certainly had the chance."

"I didn't cause any of those wounds. If I'm going to defeat you, I want it to be all me. Besides… I can do far better than a few broken bones. I will make you suffer."

"I swear, Shadow, you're either for me or against me! You heal me, then swear you'll kill me! Make up your mind!" shouted Sonic.

"Against you for now. Maybe for you if I'm proven wrong later."

"That's no answer," he snapped.

"I believe it is. Now, we've wasted enough time. I'm leaving you for now, but you will see me again. Trust me, Faker. You will see me again."

Sonic watched as Shadow took off, disappearing in amongst the throngs of androids. The cerulean hedgehog watched for a minute, then took off running towards his friends as a deadly fear gripped his soul. There was only one way to truly hurt him, and Shadow knew just what it was. All Shadow had to do was kill his friends, and his entire world would collapse around his ears.

Sonic was relieved to see all three of his friends alive and fighting on, tired as they were. The entire front wave of the androids was gone, and they had barely made a dent in the next one. He ran towards them, determined to stay close. Just as he approached Tails, an all-too-familiar black and red hedgehog appeared below the kitsune. Sonic saw him back up, leap into the air, and prepare to throw the fatal Chaos Spear. He was doing it all out of view of the fox.

Sonic sped up, leapt into the sky, and curled into a spin dash, knocking the black and crimson hedgehog down to the ground. He landed in front of him, the two rivals glaring daggers at each other. "You caught on fast," commented Shadow.

"Leave. Them. Out of this," snarled Sonic, shoving him to the ground. "You want to make me suffer, fine, but don't touch them!" The rage that shone in those two emerald orbs was enough to set Shadow a little off, although he did not let it show. He would make someone suffer like he did, and he knew just how. He shoved the blue hedgehog off of him, then raced over to Amy, once again from behind, and pulled out his pistol. "No!"

One cut off scream later, and he was standing over the motionless form of the female. He caught a glimpse of the azure hero, shocked out of his world and into a nightmare. Shadow smirked. Then he found himself flat on his back, pinned to the ground by a crying, enraged version of the hero he had just seen. "You murderer!" he shouted, enclosing his hand around his rival's neck. "She did nothing to you! Nothing!"

"And Maria… didn't do anything to the world…" hissed Shadow.

"Are you still going on about that?! That was fifty years ago, Shadow! Fifty years! Was it my fault she died?! Was it Amy's fault she died?! No! We weren't even alive then! So why did you kill her?!" he screamed, livid and willing to strangle the hedgehog in his hands.

"I.. didn't," he choked.

"Sonic, stop!" cried Knuckles. Sonic barely loosened his grip, glancing over his shoulder to see the echidna, helping the wounded female to her feet.

"I… shot her… and missed… on purpose…" managed Shadow. "To see… your reaction."

"I should kill you for this, Faker," growled Sonic. "And I will if you don't heal her right now!"

Sonic allowed the black and crimson hedgehog to stand, but still watched him warily. However, Shadow merely stood, grabbed an emerald, and walked over to Amy. Sonic was beside him the entire time, ready to kill him should he try anything else, but he did not. He healed the bullet wound, and did not do anything else. Knuckles nodded, then raced off to continue the battle. "I missed her then," he stated simply. "But I could not miss from this range if I tried." In seconds, the pistol was out again, but before he could pull the trigger, Sonic had shoved Amy down and out of the way, taking the bullet directly in the chest.

"Sonic!" screamed Amy.

Shadow sighed, glowering at the hero who now lay bleeding at his feet. "See, that wasn't supposed to be for you. Far too quick a way to die. Twenty minutes, max."

"You heartless murderer! You're no better than whoever killed Maria!" shrieked Amy, cradling Sonic gently while trying to resist murdering Shadow.

The black hedgehog responded to that more than anything Sonic had said, but not in a positive way. "No. I am not heartless. He could defend himself, he just chose not to. Maria could not. But, if you want to see heartless, I'll be pleased to show you."

Amy watched in horror as he pulled out the blue and white emeralds again, then took the neutral healing powers Sonic had, returning them to their respective emeralds. His right arm was suddenly limp and useless, and his left leg was bent at a very unnatural angle. On top of the blood that was pouring from the bullet wound, there was now more crimson seeping from both broken limbs and the first wounds he had on his quills.

Shadow glared at the two, but reveled in the pained expression of the dying blue hero. When he saw Knuckles and Tails racing towards them, he quickly used the Chaos Emeralds to teleport out. Sonic could barely hear any of what had happened, but he could deduce it by the amount of agony in his previously healed limbs. He felt disconnected, as if the pain was separating him from the real world. He could not hear their voices through the pounding of blood in his ears, he could not feel Amy's gentle touch through the agony, and he most definitely could not see anything, since it hurt too much to even think about opening his eyes.

To tell the truth, he was absolutely terrified. He wasn't ready to go, he didn't want to. His dreams told him he'd be fighting forever. Years and years of foiling plots and breaking the sound barrier were supposed to be ahead of him. He wasn't supposed to just collapse and die in a single fight, but it was looking like he didn't have a choice. The wounds he didn't want were forcing him to fold; to give in. To die.

By the time Tails and Knuckles got there, he had given into that idea. He didn't have to like it, but it was his reality. Really, he had done what he had sworn to do. Amy was not dead. Knuckles was not dead. Tails was not dead. Their survival had been his only goal. He was giving his life for them. It was something he had thought about many a time, but never thought he would have to go through with.

Still, he was apparently alive enough to sink back to reality. Voices became a bit louder, feelings other than pain registered a little more, and he barely managed to open his eyes. "He's still alive!" called Amy. …not for long…

"G-go… y-you can st… still run… g-get… get out of here…" he managed.

"No! Sonic, no!"

"You… y-you have to. Just…"

"Sonic!" Tails' voice: soothing but desperate. "Be quiet… we'll get you out of here."

"No…" he stated. "L-leave me. You have… to leave."

"You can't leave us now!" snapped Knuckles. "You're livin' through this."

"No… y-you're holding on… t-to me too… too tightly. Y-you can't… can't have me f-forever. I'm… l-leaving, whether y-you like it… or not…"

Tails looked as if he was about to have a breakdown. "Sonic… we can't leave you! You can't die!"

"It… it only hurts… once… Th-they're only… b-broken bones, T-Tails…" While he said most of what he felt, he did not share the burning hatred for Shadow that flamed within his soul. He knew if he lived, his eternal quest would be to kill him. That was one thing he had refused to do: he would not kill something alive. Dying was the only way to prevent that.

All he knew now was that his allies were too dependant on him, and they couldn't be. They needed to live for themselves. They couldn't do that, so long as he was alive. Maybe dying was for the best. So, with a final decision made, he said his last: "Tails… y-you are my… my living l-legacy. T-take over. Knuckles… y-you train him… And Ames… I… I l-love you…"

"No!" she shrieked. "You can't leave us!" She protested with screams of denial, but she knew it was too late, the breath of life had left him completely, and his bright, emerald orbs had closed for the final time. He had left the world behind.

***

Shadow stood on the airship, hating his orders as he watched the three heroes leave their loved one behind. He really was no better than Maria's killer. No better at all. He snarled. "I'll choose my side, Faker. If I'm going to have this on my conscience, it's going to be for the better. I choose the black."