The universe was at a standstill, the Metarex on the verge of winning it, and thereby destroying all of life in it other than plantlife. This was their goal, to assimilate all of life into what they desired.

Cosmo closed her eyes as she fused herself with the Dark Oak planet, biting her lower lip as she did so. This would be the only way, she knew, and as Tails called out that he loved her through his tears, he fired the Sonic Driver at their enemy and, as Tails knew, the one he loved and trusted.

When the rays of light from the explosion took place, Shadow (now in his 'super' form from the Chaos Emerald he held tightly in his hand) grabbed a hold of Cosmo. Everything seemed to brighten, Shadow and Sonic (also in his 'super' form) being blinded by the light, but even that was not enough to stop Shadow from at least attempting to regenerate Cosmo with the Chaos Regeneration. Of course, both he and Sonic were protected in their super forms through their Chaos Control. Space was bending around them, making them practically invincible to the explosion. "COME ON!" he screamed, but with no one able to hear him. Shadow, though he couldn't exactly see, felt something on his cheek. A hand?

No, he thought to himself, trying to grab at Cosmo. No, this doesn't need to happen, we have a Chaos Emerald, we have Chaos Regeneration, we can stop this! We can save her! Shadow was desperate, and who could blame him? The memory of Molly was still fresh in his mind.

The dragon-like creature that threatened the universe was defeated, as was the Metarex, and it wasn't long after that that the Planet Eggs began to lighten even brighten, looking as if they were about to explode.

"Did you save her?" whispered Sonic, not sounding confident in his questioning.

Shadow looked to Sonic, and when Sonic looked past him to the light, starting to make his way forward to stop whatever damage that could be done by the explosion that was about to be caused by all of the Planet Eggs, Shadow punched him in the stomach. "Hold on Shadow!" sonic cried, but Shadow ignored him, slamming something into Sonic's hand, and pushed him away, sending him flying from the explosion.

"Sorry friend but I'm taking over," he smirked. "After all, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, would we?" Turning back to face the center of the huge amount of energy about to explode, Shadow yelled, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Both Eggman and the crew of the Blue Typhoon weren't sure what was going on. All they could see now, instead of the explosion, was a giant mass of light. Then, the Planet Eggs started to fly across the known universe, going back to their planets.

Tails stood by himself, watching the Planet Eggs fly through space, re-inhabiting their planets, knowing that Cosmo and her clan would regenerate the universe. Though he didn't, Sonic felt like crying also as he watched Tails staring at the eggs, his eyes filled with tears. Cosmo had just sacrificed herself to save the universe from complete assimilation into the plant-like state that their enemy, the almost robot-like Metarex would have turned the universe into had it not have been for them, and for what Cosmo had done. They had Chaos Regeneration and, though he couldn't explain it anymore than he could the Chaos Emeralds themselves, it was suppose to regenerate someone, to save their lives.

Tails turned to look at Sonic, who kept his tough-guy persona. "Sonic?" he asked. "Sonic, I know you're mad at me but I..."

Sonic interrupted him. "Here Tails," he said gently, closing his eyes after he placed what Shadow gave to him in Tails' hand. "I looked for Cosmo, but this is all I found."

"A seed?" asked Tails as he held it in his hands. The kitsune's eyes filled more with tears, and his crying he could no longer hold. Tails moved forward, burying his face into Sonic's chest. "Oh Sonic," he sobbed, "why did this have to happen? It's... just not fair..."

Sonic only stood straight as Tails began to softly hit at Sonic, not in any means to hurt him, not even hard enough to push nudge him. "Now I'll never see her again!" Tails sobbed as Sonic closed his eyes. "She was... "she was my friend! I miss her. She can't be gone!" Tails slowly fell, crying now on the lower half of Sonic's legs. There they remained, Sonic and Tails, after going through so much, this was the hardest thing Sonic ever had to do with the closest companion he had. Behind them, the Planet Eggs continue to fly past them.

Shadow found himself on the planet Cascade once more, its' people now having left it to go to wherever it was they were going. The hedgehog made his way forward slowly to the piece of metal that marked Molly's grave, and gently placed a pink rose by it.

They had made their way home. Sonic ran as fast as he could to wave goodbye to his human friend who was leaving Mobius now, perhaps for good, and it got to a point where the ship carrying him went faster through time and space than Sonic could ever hope to run on his own.

Tails was not in his small dwelling, but he had placed the seed Sonic had given to him in a pot of soil. There, it began to sprout.