Final Chapter. Final chapter. I can't believe I've made it this far. I still can't believe how far this story has come, and I can't believe I have finally come to the end of a great story. From all the completed stories on my profile, this would have to be the most challenging. I enjoyed every minute writing this, and always looked forward to the next chapter, planning and plotting new twists and turns to include.

And as I find myself at the end, I still can't believe it.

I've put my entire heart into this piece, which will only see the pages of fanfiction, and not my own hardcovered book. Let me tell you, if this was not a fanfiction, I would indeed try my best to get it published. And thats where my readers come in. I wrote this for me, but I mostly wrote it for you, for the people that would read it.

Thank you so much for keeping me going this long.

Chapter 7

Finale

"...So Here We Are,

Fighting and trying to hide the scars

I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say

Goodbye...

The lonely road, the one that I

Should try to walk alone

I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say

Goodbye..."

-Here We Are by Breaking Benjamin

It was strange, so strange, to feel...nothing at all. No pain, no emotion. Nothing. It was like a dark, dreamless sleep, floating in a vast, endless abyss. And not being able to remember why he was there, why he was alone, without feeling, without emotion. He didn't know why he was emotionless, why he couldn't remember anything. All he knew was this black abyss, the lack of feeling. That was it. In fact, he enjoyed being ignorant of what was going on. He wanted to stay this way, forever. He didn't even dare to open his eyes.

All around him was silent, almost deafeningly silent. And then, from the never-ending abyss, he heard shouting. At first it was faint, and he couldn't make out what it was saying. But closer and closer it got, louder and louder, and he could clearly hear it shouting.

Sonic...

Sonic? Who was that? Could that possibly be his very own name? For several moments, he simply listened to the voice, admiring the tone, the angelic way it spoke, as it got louder and louder.

Sonic...

The voice began to frustrate him. Who was this Sonic? He didn't know anyone named Sonic. He didn't even know his own name! For several minutes, the voice called out the name, and he tried to ignore it, tried to sink back in to the abyss in which he floated. Go away, please... he begged silently. Leave me alone... The voice continued, calling the name it so searched for. And finally, he opened his eyes, unable to avoid the voice any longer. All he saw was darkness, darkness stretching forever all around him. He was floating in the middle of the darkness, alone, and he looked around, wondering where the voice came from.

Where are you? he called out, though no sound escaped his lips. He was perplexed by this, but he still continued searching. Who are you?

Suddenly, from the darkness was a flash of light, illuminating the abyss. He was blinded momentarily by the sudden appearance of the light, and was forced to squint against the rays. He heard the name again, shouted from somewhere inside the light. Squinting into the blinding light, he took a single forward, then another, and found himself surrounded by the strange light. Again he heard the name, and he stared into the lit abyss.

Who are you? he shouted, again no noise coming from his mouth. Who do you want? He took another step forward, and saw something in the distance. He squinted again, staring at the small black dot somewhere ahead. Wondering if this was who was calling, he walked toward the figure, hand over his eyes to block to blinding light. He got closer and closer, and the figure got bigger and bigger. Still, the voice continued shouting, calling the name over and over, a kind of desperate ring mixing with the angelic shouts.

Who are you? he shouted again, becoming increasingly annoyed from the lack of answer. What do you want? It was then that the light disappeared, like someone switching off a light switch, and he was left in the darkness once more, alone. He stood there several moments, waiting, waiting, for anything to happen.

Sonic...

The voice was coming from behind him now, and something inside him flickered like a flare, something familiar he still didn't recall. He whipped around, arms instinctual curling into fists in front of him. His feet spread apart slightly, his teeth gritting together as he turned to face the stranger calling a strange name. He gasped when he turned around, eyes trained on the figure standing directly in front of him, not 10 feet away. With a pointed muzzle, blue eyes, and orange fur, the figure shocked him, and in a single instant, he remembered everything.

It all came rushing back, everything he had forgotten, all leading up to the final second when the quills ripped through him, crimson filling his vision...

His head snapped back, and he remembered everything.

Sonic... the figure in front of him said, a smile spreading across his face. For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the fox in front of him, eyeing the twin-tails that twitched steadily behind him.

And Sonic the Hedgehog stood in front of Miles 'Tails' Prower for the first time since his death.

"Sonic..." Tails whispered, his blue eyes glittering gently. "It's been awhile, Sonic." The blue hedgehog blinked slowly, eyes filling with tears he didn't even feel.

"Tails..." the hedgehog whispered back, his hands shaking in front of him, still curled into fists. "Tails, is it really you?" The kitsune nodded, and Sonic felt his knees buckle slightly, a smile spreading across his own face as he stared at his little brother. After a few seconds, the kitsune's smile fell away from his face, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"Sonic...what did you do?" the kitsune asked, shaking his head, and Sonic cocked his head, perplexed by the foxes question. And then he remembered...He had shoved Tails out of the way, resulting in his own death, fulfilling the mission he had promised to complete. Sonic hesitated, unable to answer, looking away. Silence controlled the endless abyss for several seconds before Sonic looked back up at Tails, eyes swimming with unshed tears.

"I...I couldn't live with it, Tails," the hedgehog explained, clenching his fists together. "It was my fault you died, my fault Metal killed you." He gritted his teeth, shaking his head. Tears spilled from his eyes, falling down his face and into the endless darkness below him. "I...I had to stop it, I had...I had to keep it from happening." For several seconds, Tails said nothing, looking at the darkness below him. Sonic couldn't stand the silence, couldn't stand the way Tails wouldn't look at him. Finally, the fox looked back up, his own blue eyes shining with moisture.

"There was a reason I died, Sonic," Tails explained, his eyes not leaving Sonic's. "There was a reason I was killed that day. Sonic...I did that to save your life." He paused, blinking. "I knew what was going to happen, I knew I would probably die if I leaped in front of you like that. I knew what I was doing, what I was ending." He paused, and Sonic watched a single tear roll down the young kitsunes face. Sonic's own eyes were blurred with tears. "But I did that because I knew I had to save you, that I had...I had to keep Metal from killing you." He stopped, his voice breaking at the last words. After a few seconds, he continued again, his voice shaky. "I couldn't live with that, I couldn't live knowing..." His voice trailed away, tears dripping from his eyes down his face. Sonic stared at Tails, not saying anything, tears sliding slowly down his face. He simply stared, his eyes never leaving the form of his best friend, his younger brother.

"That's the same reason I went back to save you," Sonic started, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I couldn't live with that, with you being dead." He paused, attempting to keep his voice steady. "I had to...I had to save you, I had to try." Tails looked back up at him, his blue eyes shining with tears. "And when I found that those emeralds could help me...I jump at the chance. I had to try, even if it meant killing me." For a moment, silence reigned, neither moving. Then, Tails, his brilliant blue eyes swimming, smiled at him, a smile that struck sorrow into Sonic's heart.

"Sometimes, Sonic, things can't be changed. Sometimes...sometimes things are meant to be, meant to stay the way they are." Tails lost control of his voice near the end, and paused, clearing his throat. "Did you honestly think those emeralds would save me?" A small, sad chuckled escaped Tails throat. "Not everything can be changed, Sonic." Sonic opened his mouth, shaking his head.

"No...There was a way. I'm dead. I'm dead, I changed it!" The hedgehog shook his head, squinting his eyes shut. "I know I changed it! Metal...Metal tore right through me!" Sonic opened his eyes back up, looking desperately, pleadingly, at his younger brother, who stood in front of him, tears pouring silently from his eyes. "How could I have not changed it?"

Tails smiled again, coming closer to Sonic until he was standing directly in front of him. "You can't sacrifice yourself for me. You just...you just can't." The fox shook his head, uttering a sad laugh. "It's got to stay this way, Sonic. You have to stay alive, and I have...I have to remained dead." Tails looked Sonic dead in the eye, tears streaming down both brothers faces.

"No, Tails..." Sonic whispered, shaking his head. "No...I can't...I can't..." The kitsune shook his head firmly, but the sadness was easily seen by the tears dripping from his eyes.

"Sonic, there is so much you've taught me, so much you don't even realize," the fox said, still smiling. "And nows my chance you teach you something." The foxes voice broke, and he paused, closing his eyes a moment. When he reopened them, a strong determination was there, fighting against the sorrow he was feeling. "Sometimes, we have to let go, we have to keep going even when someone else can't. We have to be strong and keep going, even when things are dark." He paused, blue eyes shining. "Here's where you learn, Sonic. Here's where you learn how to say goodbye." Hedgehog and fox stared at each other, the unspoken brother ship between them shining in their glistening eyes. Sonic didn't want to keep going, didn't want to be strong and let go of Tails. He struggled to understand, to accept the fact it was over.

It was over...and Tails was not coming home.

The kitsune smiled sadly, his face damp from tears rolling down his face. He lifted his right hand over his head, holding it out in front of him. His eyes squinted slightly, tears flowing more freely now.

"Brothers...until the very end...right Sonic?" Tails's voice cracked again, the sentence ending with a quiet sob. Sonic smiled sadly at his younger brother, lifting his own hand into the air. The two brothers joined hands, each shaking the other. Swallowing the lump in his throat and attempting to control his voice, Sonic answered Tails's question, the two still with their hands joined.

"Brothers...until the end of time, Tails," the hedgehog said, and both brothers let out a strangled sob at the same time, coming forward in an embrace, tears spilling from their eyes. For several minutes, both brothers held each other, both sobbing quietly. Then, they separated, each looking at the other. Then, in a blinding flash of light, Sonic felt himself being pulled away, called toward something else.

"Tails...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." he called, closing his eyes as he was pulled away.

"Keep going, Sonic...Don't give up...You, me, and Knuckles will all be together soon...I'll wait for you guys forever." Sonic had more to say, more to tell, but he was being called somewhere else, and instead gave an loud sob.

"Goodbye, Tails! Goodbye..."

-x-x-x-

There was a bright flash before Sonic, and in a single instant, Sonic was opening his eyes, lying on his back on the ground. The moon was overhead, casting an eerie light over the world around him. Sonic shot up from where he lay, looking around quickly at his surroundings. He was at the ruins, surrounded by the broken stones of a pillar. Sonic's hands flew to his torso, gripping the place where a gaping wound should be. But there was no gaping hole inside him. There was no wound at all. Sonic examined his torso, wondering how, why, what happened.

He got to his feet, swaying slightly before regaining his footing. He looked around, finding himself alone, standing in the middle of the ruins. Sonic starting walking around the ruins, not bothering to run, simply walking to the corner of the ruins.

When he turned the corner, he knew what had happened. He stopped where he was, staring at the blood stains on the ground, not even dried yet. Pain struck Sonic's heart, and the hedgehog winced, but not looking away. Instead, he starting walking closer, looking past the blood, seeing what he knew he would see.

His past self was hovered over a limp body, sobbing. Twin tails laid limp on the ground in front of him, and Sonic felt tears filling his eyes, and he looked away. Things had been set the way they had been before, and Sonic could do nothing to change them, however much he wanted to.

"Sometimes, we have to let go, we have to keep going even when someone else can't. We have to be strong and keep going, even when things are dark."

The hedgehog closed his eyes, remembering the kitsunes voice ringing in his ear. With a sigh, Sonic looked back at the battlefield, his heart twisting painfully. The pain weighing him down, Sonic forced himself to turn away from the bloodstained field, and walked into the bushes, leaving his past behind him. He stepped into the bushes, simply walking, not caring where he was going. Just as long as he could get as far away from here as possible.

"Sonic?"

The hedgehog jumped, his fist raising to his sides. He whipped around to face the voice, his eyes landing on the red figure of Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic said nothing, simply dropping his arms at his sides. Without a word, the hedgehog turned away, walking away from Knuckles.

"How did you...?" the echidna said, picking his pace up and coming to walk beside him. He stepped in front of Sonic, forcing the hedgehog to stop and look at him. Shock was etched into the echidna's face as he stared at him. "What...what happened?"

For a moment, Sonic said nothing. He looked at his feet, swallowing the lump in his throat. Finally, he spoke, his eyes closed.

"Tails...changed everything," the hedgehog replied, looking back up. "He told me I had to say goodbye, that I had...I had to let him go." The echidna simply stared at Sonic, and Sonic shook his head, tears filling his vision.

"I told you it wouldn't work." A voice from the shadows nearby forced Sonic to twist into fight mode, and he turned, his fists raised. Shadow stepped from the bushes, his red eyes narrowed. "I told you it would only cause chaos in the end." Sonic said nothing, looking away from the dark hedgehog. "The past isn't meant to be changed, Sonic," the dark hedgehog replied quietly, his eyes dark. "Things cannot be changed."

"I know that now," Sonic replied, still not looking up. "I know all of that." He lifted his head, eyes narrowed, unshed tears glistening. "I cannot change what happened. No matter what I do, Tails will never come back." He paused, clutching at his chest, feeling the beat of his heart against his hand. "But I still have to keep going, keep walking, even if I walk alone." He stopped, looking up at Knuckles, who was looking at Sonic, his violet eyes filled with sorrow. "But I don't think I'll be walking alone." Knuckles gave Sonic a sad smile, and both friends joined hands in their special gesture.

"I'll always walk with you and Tails, Sonic," the echidna replied, his violet eyes glistening with unshed tears. Both hedgehog and echidna grinned at each other tearfully, embracing in a short hug. "And I'm sorry for leaving...I'm sorry for not

"At least now you understand," Shadow sighed, looking away from both friends. "Nothing can be changed if it has already happened. Though I can't say I don't know where you're coming from, because I do." Sonic watched Shadow, the midnight black hedgehog slipping into silence as ghosts of his past swam in his eyes.

"Is there any way for us to get home?" Sonic asked Shadow, his green eyes shimmering. The black hedgehog looked at him, giving a short nod.

"Yes...We can go back to the present. And this is the last time you'll visit the past." The hedgehogs red eyes narrowed. "Just so you know that." Sonic nodded, looking over his shoulder back at the battlefield. He could still see the ruins from where he stood. There was a rumble of thunder above them, and only seconds later, a raindrop landed on the top of Sonic's head. "If you're ready to go, follow me." Shadow began to walk away, but Sonic stopped.

"Wait, Shadow," the cobalt hedgehog said, not turning to look at Shadow. The rain started falling harder around them, thunder rumbling again. "I have one more thing to do." Without waiting for an answer from either Knuckles or Shadow, Sonic walked toward the ruins, peering through the bushes at the form of his past self hovering over Tails's body. Lightning pierced the sky, followed by thunder. Rain dripped down Sonic's quills, falling to the ground, as he watched his past self pick Tails up from the ground, walking slowly toward the Mystic Ruins. Sonic stood solemnly watching, tears mixing with the rain.

For a moment, he felt the same emotions he had that same day, as he dragged Tails home, still not believing he was dead. He gritted his teeth, watching himself walk toward the Mystic Ruins, dragging the body of his best friend. And then, Sonic felt relief mixing with the grief, with the pain. Relief and acceptance, understanding, mixed with the thousands of other emotions threatening to engulf him.

"Here's where you learn, Sonic. Here's where you learn how to say goodbye."

He knew Tails was right, even though he didn't want to accept it. Sonic was unable to bring Tails back home, and he knew he must accept that fact, and keep walking through the rough parts of dealing with it. Nothing would ever be the same, but he would have to learn to live with it. He knew Tails was somewhere, waiting, waiting for him and Knuckles to join him, where they would finally be together again.

Warm tears trickling down his face, Sonic watched as his past self disappeared into the bushes. He closed his eyes, shaking slightly, sobbing silently. He knew that as long as he lived, he would miss Tails, and not a day would go by that he wouldn't think of him. But there was no bringing back the kitsune, no hoping for his sudden return into his life. Tails was forever gone.

And Sonic now realized there was nothing he could do to change it.

It was then, just as thunder rumbled across the sky he heard a piercing scream somewhere nearby, echoing across the forest. Sonic gritted his teeth, opening his eyes and looking at the moon in the sky. Lightning flashed through the darkness, lighting up the area around him. Something caught his eye from across the clearing, and he tensed. Two red eyes were staring at him through the rain, the lightning reflecting off the metallic blue body of a robot. In the instant the lightning lit up the sky, Sonic saw the extent of the robots injuries from his previous attack. Many scratches were raked across the metal body, and dents were visible in the metal as well. And just as soon as the lightning was there, illuminating the evil robot, it was gone, plunging the world back into darkness.

But Sonic could still see Metal, could still see the red, glaring eyes. He was prepared to fight the doppelganger, to destroy him this time if he had to. He clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes coldly. Lightning split the sky again, and Sonic watched the robot, red eyes narrowing. A moment passed, and the robot nodded at Sonic, a simply jerk of the head. Without blinking, Sonic nodded as well, not moving. Then, after another instant, lightning flashed, and the robot was gone.

Sonic stood there in the bushes, rain dripping off of him, staring at the place where Metal stood last. It was really over, all of it. Though he never knew the next time the robot would decide to attack him, for now, they were at...well, a kind of truce, though Sonic would never forgive or forget what Metal had done to him.

His green eyes shining in the darkness, Sonic turned away from the ruins, to come face to face with Knuckles, who stood behind him, staring at the moon. Tears were trickling down his face, mixing with the rain falling all around them. The echidna looked at Sonic, giving him a single sad smile. Sonic smiled back, closing his eyes.

"It's all over, Knuckles," he told the echidna, his voice breaking just slightly. "It's all over."

Together, Sonic and Knuckles made their way back to Shadow, who waiting for them just inside the forest. Sonic nodded at him, and silently, the three walked toward the Mystic Ruins. It was a silent journey, something Sonic viewed as a vigil for Tails, who had fallen in the end after all. As they walked, Sonic looked up at the moon, just visible behind the rain clouds. Thunder rumbled above them, the ground beneath them shaking slightly. He remembered Tails as he stared at the moon, recalled all of those times he spent with the young kitsune, times he always took for granted. Now he knew he would give anything to have them again, just a simply hello in the mornings, and a simply good night at night. Sonic knew he would pay anything to have Tails back.

He remembered seeing the kitsune for the final time, his final smile as they hugged, both crying. He recalled his voice, the way it rung around Sonic. Although he hated Tails was gone, he would respect the final wishes of the fox, and keep moving ahead, even if it meant crawling alone.

It wasn't long before they reached the trees behind Sonic's home in the Mystic Ruins. They headed inside the house, closing the door behind them. Sonic looked at the inside of the house, how different it looked, though it was exactly the same. He sighed, closing his eyes. Without speaking, Sonic walked out of the living room, into Tails's workshop. From there, he walked toward the plane. Knuckles watched as the hedgehog bent next to the plane, though he did not know what he was doing. Then, the hedgehog stood up, walking back toward Shadow and Knuckles. Knuckles did not ask what he had been doing, feeling it was none of his business.

Shadow looked at both Knuckles and Sonic before a jewel appeared in his hands, a large, glowing red stone. Sonic stared at the gem, then back at the house. They were going back to the present. It was all really over.

"Now, both of you, come and touch the stone," Shadow told them, holding out the large stone. Without a word, Sonic and Knuckles stepped forward, placing their hands on the stone. The gem felt hard and cold beneath Sonic's hand, but he could also feel the power within the stone, how it coursed through the gem. He looked up at Shadow, whose face twisted as if he were angry. "I command you, send us back from the time in which we came!" the hedgehog shouted, and suddenly, the jewel beneath their hands lit up with a blinding red light. For a moment, Sonic was shocked at the bright light, shocked by the power he could feel in the stone. Lightning pierced the sky above him, seen through the window nearby, and thunder rumbled loudly. And suddenly, Sonic felt himself jerk forward, hard and fast. Surprised by the movement, he nearly stumbled, but kept his ground. Around him, blurred images flashed by, a mile a minute. And then, just as suddenly as it began, it was over.

Sonic took a deep breath, stepping away from where he stood. He looked around, and found himself on Angel Island, the Master Emerald resting in its place in the middle of the island. Sonic stared at the large jem as it turned in the middle of the island. Beside him, Knuckles sighed, dropping his head.

"Did that really happen?" the echidna said, and Sonic wondered if he was simply talking to himself. Sonic turned back to face Shadow, but the black hedgehog was gone, as if he had disappeared into thin air. Sonic stood looking at the ocean that stretched out past the island, a solemn feeling in his stomach.

It was time to start crawling.

"Keep going, Sonic...Don't give up..."

Sonic smiled slightly, tears blurring his vision slightly.

"I will Tails. I promise I will," he whispered, turning away from the ocean. He looked at Knuckles who looked back. They were on their own, and Tails was not coming home. Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna smiled sadly at each other, and at the same time, both set off toward the bridge, heading to Sonic's house in the Mystic Ruins.

A house that would forever be empty of Tails.

-x-x-x-

Sonic climbed up the hill to the house, staring at the small hut that belonged to him and Tails. The door was shut, just the way it had been left when Sonic and Knuckles left for Angel Island. Without a word, the hedgehog stepped to the door, placing his hand on the handle, and opening it slowly.

Though Sonic knew nothing had changed inside, he expected something to be different. And although all the furniture was in the right spot and nothing was missing, there was indeed something different about the place. Maybe it was Tails's spirit with them, guiding them and showing them everything would be okay. Or maybe it was simply because Sonic was seeing the home in a new light, as a place he would live until he and Tails met once again.

He walked into the living room, staring at the pictures on the wall. All of them were of Tails, Knuckles and Sonic, goofing off one way or another. As he passed by the photos, Sonic couldn't help but smile, realizing what time they spent together would never be lost.

He turned away from the pictures, facing Knuckles who stood watching Sonic at the door. Sonic's emerald eyes were glistening with unshed tears, but still the hedgehog smiled at the echidna, assuring him it would be okay.

"You know, I always believed I taught Tails everything," the hedgehog started, looking down at the floor. "But now I know I was wrong." He paused, turning to the nearest picture of Tails on the wall. "He taught me the most important thing, Knuckles. The one thing I needed to learn most of all."

"What did he teach you, Sonic?" the echidna asked quietly. "What important thing did he teach you."

Sonic looked up from the ground, his green eyes shimmering.

"He taught me to hold on, to keep going, to stay strong. He taught me that life is valuable, that things can't be changed, that things happen for a reason." He paused a moment, blinking quickly. "But the most important thing he taught me...He show me how to let go of something, to walk alone...to say goodbye." Sonic sniffed gently, looking from the wall to Knuckles. "And there is no greater lesson than what he taught me."

For a moment, Sonic stood looking at the pictures, then he turned without another word, heading into Tails's workshop. He turned the light switch on, the bulb on the ceiling flickering on. He walked toward the plane, opening the hatched where he had found the hidden emerald. Inside was a small piece of paper, folded neatly, near the back of the compartment. Sniffing gently, Sonic took the paper out of the plane and unfolding it, staring at what was written inside.

"Sometimes, we have to let go, we have to keep going even when someone else can't. We have to be strong and keep going, even when things are dark."

Staring at the paper, Sonic clutched it to his heart, closing his eyes as tears dripped from his face. The words, written in his handwriting, smeared as the tears struck the paper. Quietly he cried, for everything he lost, everything he learned, and everything he would never get back.

Sonic had started the healing process on his own...and he was slowly crawling through life, refusing to give up.

Miles 'Tails' Prower had taught Sonic the Hedgehog the one thing he needed to know.

And now Sonic knew how to say goodbye.

-End of Story-

Thank you so much for your support on this story. I enjoyed every word I typed, every plot twist I made. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. )
Thanks for reading, and look for a possible epilouge soon.
-AikoChanSoT