In the near future---

"No!"

My scream echoed through the forest valley, and my tears fell onto the ground, sloshing lightly at my feet.

In my arms rested a black and green hedgehog, blood seeping through her dark green shirt.

One of her eyes was half open, looking at me with a glazed expression. Her topaz eye scanned my face; the blood dripping down my forehead, my gleaming, venomous green, snake-like eyes, my crystal-tipped quills, and my agape mouth, rowed with fangs.

"Mephiles..." She muttered feebly. "Don't cry..."

I shook my head mechanically as the life drained from her body, her once bright golden eyes losing the spark of life.

"Don't worry, Rebecca. I'll get help... Stop this from happening..." I said, knowing it was impossible.

Her gloved hand fluttered to my face, and stoked my quills, then moved downwards, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Mephiles..." She whispered hoarsely. "It wasn't your fault. None of it. Don't... mourn..."

My eyes welled with tears again, how could it not be my fault? It was. If I had moved a little faster, flexed my control over chaos just a little further, she would not have died.

Why had I let her come?

Behind me, a white hedgehog dressed in crimson and black stood, flanked by a green hedgehog with wild quills, and a red android. My friends; Crescent, Manic, and Robo-Knuckles.

I couldn't be more oblivious to their presence.

Not with my best friend, first love, and guide in her current position, here in my arms, her blood seeping over my hands in a warm flow, and her confident smile fading, being wiped from her face by the cold clutches of death.

"I... I believe in you, Mephiles. You can change the future..."

"Don't leave me..." I croaked. "Don't leave me... You were always there for me, even when I wasn't me..."

She shivered in my embrace, and whispered in my ear.

"Goodbye, Mephiles..."

The light in her eyes dulled and her body fell limp as her personality, her soul, everything that made her her was stolen.

"No..." I fell to my knees, mud splattering onto my calves.

"Mephiles." Crescent put his hand on my shoulder, and I saw the tears in his eyes, I had never seen him cry before. "She's gone."

Tears peeled down my face, burning my muzzle, reflecting a fraction of the misery, sorrow, and guilt inside me.

It was all my fault.

"Mephiles, dude." Manic said, coming over to us. "C'mon. We need to get outta here." He too had tears in his eyes, but also worry.

Robo-Knuckles approached as well, no emotion on his face-plate, as it was impossible. His voice was coated with sadness however.

"98% Chance we can't beat our enemy. Best chance of survival; Flee."

"No."

I stood, wiped the tears from my eyes with one claw, and brought the lifeless body of Rebecca the Hedgehog onto my back.

Carefully, I leaned her up against a nearby tree, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Sleep well."

With that, I turned to face my three remaining friends.

"Go. Get out of here. Get as far away as you can, get out of the country."

"But..." Manic breathed. "What about you?"

"I'll fight him. He is my sin, none of yours. He was made from my misery, and I shall destroy him."

"But..." Crescent argued. "Rebecca wouldn't want you to waste your life this way."

I shook my head.

"But she would not just flee the fight. She would battle until either she or her opponent was defeated."

Crescent nodded.

"Good luck, friend. May the blood in your veins give you strength."

"Thank you." I said. "Now go. I can handle this."

I took one last look at the body of my friend, peaceful in death, and took a deep breath.

"This is for you..."

And with that, I sprinted off, towards the mountain, where I knew my hated enemy would be.