Loss

AN: Yes, I just so happen to still be alive. I happen to be on summer break so I can actually write some. Enjoy!

That was all there was to it. His body slowly fell back to the ground, limp and lifeless. There was no spark, no life.

Sonic could only stare. He refused to accept that Tails, all of that childish brilliance, all his expertise with mechanics, all of everything that made him… him, was no longer there. The small form that held no life, the body that lay still in the rain… it was incomprehensible to the hero that Miles "Tails" Prower was now nothing but a corpse.

"Come on little bud. Let's take you back home. We'll all be able to rest, and you can recover… and we'll, one day, be able to remember this and laugh, all of us," Sonic leaned forward, grasping Tails and gently lifting him as he stood up. Holding him against his chest, Sonic started to walk. He was oblivious to everything that cried out on his body, all the cuts, all the blood, and the broken bones. Perhaps it was worse that he didn't realize how light the body he was carrying seemed.

Knuckles had patiently been waiting near the yellow and blue biplane. After regaining consciousness, Knuckles had crept over to the plane, realizing that Sonic's fight was something he had best stay out of. Out of respect, he had kept his distance as Sonic and Tails had conversed for the last time.

The burly echidna warily stood up at Sonic's approach, asking, "Are you ready, Sonic?" At the sight of the still figure of Tails, Knuckles heaved a deep sigh. Climbing into the pilot seat, Knuckles quickly swept his hand across his face before turning on the ignition.

He hoped Sonic saw the droplets of water falling down his face as rain instead of tears.

The plane came to a stop on the runway at Tails' Workshop. Knuckles wasn't really much of a pilot, so the landing was somewhat bumpy and rough. As Knuckles closed the workshop door, and turned off the lights for what could be the last time, a small stab of guilt surfaced in his mind.

"That might be the last time anyway ever flies that plane," Knuckles thought sadly as he trod down the wind swept stairs that led up to the large plateau. Tails' temporary home in the Mystic Ruins was usually bright and friendly, but in the middle of the night with a storm going on, it seemed rather forlorn and lonely.

The red echidna had never really examined the steps leading up to his friend's home before, but he had been looking down in thought when he saw them. The soil had cracks; it was displaced in some areas. The surface was slippery, the moss and grass growing on the steps slick with rain.

"I've climbed up these steps so many times…" Knuckles contemplated as he reached the foot, where the ground was much more even. "I never would have thought… that we would be carrying a body down them. Whenever we rushed down these steps, it was always in a hurry to go on an adventure."

"I think… this is the slowest I've walked in a long time."

Turning back briefly, the guardian of the Master Emerald gazed silently at the little workshop on top of the hill. As he changed direction to walk into the train, he bowed his head, "I'm sorry, Tails. You never had a chance to spread your wings and truly fly."

Amy had been waiting for a few minutes, twiddling her thumbs. It seemed like an eternity until the train leading from the Mystic Ruins finally arrived at the top of the stairs. The pink hedgehog girl rushed up, fully prepared to leap upon Sonic. However, she slowed her run a little as she neared the boarding platform where the train had arrived.

"That's strange… normally they're talking whenever they come home. I hope everything's alright…" the pink hedgehog thought. When the trio came into her field of vision, however, she knew instantly that it was not.

The young woman wanted to reach out to Sonic; to help him in anyway she could. She wanted to show him how strong her love for him was; it wasn't just an infatuation. She wanted her hero to sweep her off and her feet and tell her that everything would be. Well, Amy knew the last one was a bit of a stretch. Besides, the girl could already see Sonic was carrying someone. Someone that was alive only a few hours ago.

Later, the girl would ask herself why she had just stood there. As Sonic and Knuckles had walked past, the former carrying the body of Tails, Amy wondered why she had broken down. She had fallen to her knees, clutching her already soaking jacket as if for comfort or warmth. Tears had formed in her eyes and spilled to the floor. The pink hedgehog had wanted to be strong; to show that she was there for both of them in their times of need. But her strength had failed her.

Emotions had spoken what her words could not. Sonic and Knuckles had already left the building as she slowly rose up on shaky legs, her eyes still quivering with feelings and thoughts. As she descended unsteadily down to the door and out into the rain swept streets of Station Square, following the trail of the blue and red duo, a small guilt-ridden thought entered her mind.

She didn't even ask if Tails was still alive. To hope and plead that the little fox was okay… it didn't even occur to her to do that.

"Sonic! Wait? Where are you going!?" Amy cried out, running as fast as she could despite how weak she felt. The streets of the large city seemed to lurch after her as she ran through the rain. Her heart seemed to beat at 1000 times of minute as the sights, sounds, and feelings of the city and everything around her rushed into her brain. Everything seemed so loud.

As she caught up to him, Amy slowed down and drew her gaze towards Knuckles, asking him a question. Knuckles gazed back with tired purple eyes that would be the equivalent of a sigh.

Amy grasped Sonic's arm gently, wiping the rain out of her eyes. "Sonic, please tell me where you are going!" Amy repeated, talking a little louder in case the blue one couldn't hear her. She nearly jumped as an unexpected clash of thunder ripped through the sky.

"I'm taking Tails home…" Sonic muttered, barely heard above the rain. "Home… we're going… home…" That was all the warning the two had. The knees of the blue hedgehog buckled, and with a groan, Sonic finally gave in to unconsciousness. Knuckles managed to rush in and catch Sonic before he hit the ground. Amy stood next to Knuckles as the strong red echidna lifted Sonic upwards into a kneeling position.

"You can carry Tails for me, right?" Knuckles asked as he hefted Sonic onto his back, looping Sonic's arms under his so as to have a better grip. Amy silently took the body of Tails into her arms and clutched him close to her, like Sonic had carried him.

"I can do this one thing… right? It's just a body… that's all… I can carry a body." Amy repeated this mantra to herself over and over again. As she led the burden carrying echidna to her apartment in the suburbs, she was rather disgusted with her own weakness.

"I'm sorry, Tails. So sorry…" Amy whispered, her voice full of sorrow. Tears fell from her eyes onto the still figure of her friend, mixing in with the constant rainfall to wash clean the blood and injuries that littered his body. The young hedgehog hoped that wherever Tails' spirit was, that he was happy. Hoping was the only thing that she could do now.

It was as if he didn't even have a body anymore. There weren't separate feeling in any of his limbs; it was all one big mass of pain and ache. Even thinking about thinking hurt. Despite the massive amount of pain that it might entail, Sonic the Hedgehog decided to open his eyes.

Everything around him radiated a pink color. It was almost as painful to behold; the walls, the side table, the lamp on the side table. There were hearts and pictures of… himself, positioned all around the room. It was almost like some kind of shrine.

"Great…" the blue hedgehog rolled his eyes, "some rabid fan has captured me and is going to keep me in this hell hole forever." Despite the situation, Sonic laughed… and instantly regretted; it felt like his chest was on fire.

His attention was averted briefly from the pain in his chest as the door to the room opened and he heard footsteps. Then the realization dawned on the hero that he already knew who this rabid fan was…

"Sonic! I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't want to lose you too…" Amy Rose exclaimed as she approached the object of her affection. Pulling up a chair, Amy sat down across from Sonic.

Sonic was surprised as something warm and steamy placed in his lap. An aromatic smell drifted into his nose…. "Chili dogs!" Sonic nearly shouted with joy; it felt like it had been forever since he had any food.

He lifted the chili smothered hotdog near his mouth and took a bite. As the flavor and warmth of the food filled him, Sonic slowed down, looking at Amy quizzically. "Losing me too? What do you-?"

There was a clatter as the plate slipped off the bed and fell to the floor. Sonic had frozen as the cruel events of the past day returned to him in an unforgiving rush.

His emerald green eyes met Amy's, after what seemed like an era, even though it had only been a few moments, "Amy, you have to tell me where he is. I want to see him." His voice carried a forceful tone.

Amy's trembling hands were clenching her clothes tightly. Her hands underneath the gloves were probably just as white. Her eyes were glistening with tears, "Sonic? Don't you know he's…?" Amy's mouth froze up. She couldn't bring herself to say that word.

"Amy, you have to let me go!" Sonic had already thrown the pink bed-sheets aside. Bracing himself with his good arm, Sonic unsteadily tried to get off of the bed. Gritting his teeth at the pain that threatened to overwhelm him, the blue hedgehog limped his way towards the door.

"Please, don't run away! You haven't had time to recover! The injuries might cause you permanent damage!" Amy shrieked, trying to convince Sonic to rest. However, her words were beyond his understanding; he had already rushed away. Amy cried at the sight of the bandages that had covered Sonic's wounds fluttering to the floor, stained with blood.

"I had a feeling I'd find him here…" Amy muttered, steeling herself as she walked through the large, foreboding doors that were the entrance to the city funeral home.

"Excuse me, sir? Did you see Sonic?" Amy asked the director of the home.

"Ah, Sonic the Hedgehog; he rushed by just a few seconds ago. I assume he went to see the fox boy?" The director replied. Shaking his head, the old man continued, "Such a pity that such a brilliant young mind is gone forever. You have my, and the community's, condolences."

Amy followed the directions to where the body was being prepared for the funeral. Amy quietly approached the motionless hedgehog, beginning timidly, "Sonic, I know how you're feeling… we've all lost a friend."

"You really do?" Amy was shocked at the hostility that Sonic's voice carried, "My truest friend is lying in a casket. What made him so special as a person isn't there anymore. My little brother is now nothing but a corpse."

"Sonic…I…" The rose colored hedgehog struggled with the correct words.

"I couldn't do anything…" Sonic seethed, his anger not for Amy, but for himself now, "I let him die! I didn't take him and rush him to a hospital. I didn't try to stop the bleeding, I didn't try to relieve the pain. Amy…" Sonic turned to her, his eyes full of sadness and anguish, "I only stood there and listened to him."

It was the first time Amy saw Sonic break down. He collapsed to the floor, his hands clutching at the sides of his head as a mournful howl escaped from his lips. Amy stooped down and embraced him as he sobbed, all the pain, frustration, and sorrow escaping through his tears.

"I didn't even say goodbye."

Chapter 4 is finished! Hope you guys enjoy; I struggled with this chapter for what seemed like forever. I don't know if I got across the emotion of this chapter as well as I had hoped, but I tried. Constructive criticism, as well as reviews and advice, is appreciated. Thanks for reading!