Again, this is Rouge's POV now starting from when she arrives at the tower. (just so people don't get confused. :)) And once again, this is the SAD ending, so if you don't like sad endings, best click the next chapter which is the happy ending. They both start the same, but differ somewhere down there. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN...blahblahblah...SONIC THE HEDGEHOG OR ANY AFFILIATED CHARACTERS. Story (c) me, please no stealing.

Tails brought Rouge right up to the tower, the winds were calmer now and it made it easier on the X-Tornado.

"Thanks, Tails." Rouge quickly said. The day had flown past with the wind and already it was nearing evening. Sand swirled, as a warm breeze tickled past. The sun's orangish glow set a fire the grains of sand, and they glowed in the unnatural light. The dunes were set ablaze. There was a bit of an awkward silence between the kitsune and her. Tails nodded, as his body seemed to wake up suddenly, and wished her well.

"Oh, geez. It was nothing! Sorry about the…you know…heh heh…" He gave an apologetic look before his face lit up.

"Ooh, I should probably let you go and…"

"Yea, it's okay Tails." Rouge gave as soft, yet hurried smile. The kitsune's face broke into a giant grin, as he gave the bat a small salute, as the engine started up again and he sailed into the sky. The bat waved a bit longer than she should have. She couldn't help it. There was an achy feeling in her hollow stomach. Something wasn't right. She had to find Shadow fast. The bat's sharp sea-blue eyes glanced up at the large citadel. It loomed over the desert, casting a long, dark...foreboding shadow…Shadow. The bat sighed and shook her head. It was beginning to swallow up her thoughts and obsessing her. Making up her mind, Rouge flew higher and higher up the tower. She quickly took flight and began to check the windows of every room for…him. Her heart was pounding, as she struggled to keep her calmness. She was scared and that fear took control of her feelings. It was nerve-racking thinking about what could have happened…what did happen…this all was just a big mistake gone too far. Partially, it was her fault. There was a note of guilt. She was always a bit stubborn…oh, that fateful day that seemed eons away. The day at the movie theater…and the start of turmoils of troubles, a tossing sea of binds. She couldn't ignore that factor. Frowning, she continued up the tower. Her hope was that it would be a simple fly up, but…it was an Eggman tower though; it was a bit brainless to think that it'd be that quick. Her careless action would not go without a consequence. Rouge must've passed through some sort of motion detector because immediately, lasers popped up and began firing at her. The bat gasped, as one of them grazed her right wing. A sure fire aim. The shooting had caught her completely by surprise. The deer trapped in a makeshift snare…so obvious, yet very dangerous. She flew through an open window and into a room. Rouge muttered a curse, as she peeked outside again. The little laser shooters scanned the area. Rouge had seemed to disappear to them. The bat knew it would be bad if Eggman found out that someone had dodged the security and managed to get inside. Not only would it piss off Shadow more than necessary, but Eggman was smart enough to find out who it could be. She glanced at a small box and had an idea. Rouge picked up the surprisingly heavy box, and flung it out the window. The lasers thought it was their enemy again and exploded the fake target.

"Target neutralized." It bleeped before going back into its hiding place. Rouge let out a big breath. It was a relief that it actually worked. She would've thought that they would've seen the shape of the box and completely ignored it. Lucky, she supposed. The lasers were gone, but now it was going to be harder to get up the tower. Her arm shot pain into her body. Her mouth was twisted into a type of wince filled with pain. The other hand quivered, as she tried stopping the steady trickle of blood from the insignificant wound…but she decided to let it be after she realized that the only thing she was accomplishing was soiling her perfectly good white gloves. The corners of her lips pulled down, as she frowned at the bloody mess. Flapping her wings a bit, she shook herself into getting up. She mustered up all the determination and courage she could and stepped out into the hallway. There was nothing to fuel her except the haunting thought that she would be too late. As she absent-mindedly walked down the hallway, she nearly tripped over cluttered robot pieces. Inwardly, she cursed at her seemingly clumsy feet. She raised her head and realized that this was a lot…a lot of robots. It must've been done by the hedgehog; the idea clicked into the bat's mind. Yes, that was the hopeful explanation that she wished to be true. It most likely was. Tactical thinking began swarming its way into the situation. Eggman always had his fortresses designed the exact same way. Where there was a multitude of knowledge in his mind…there was also a lack of imagination and creativity. It made the situation a little brighter. Perhaps there would be an elevator or stairs nearby. Rouge stepped her way to the end of the hallway, avoiding the little bits of machinery that littered the ground. It reminded her of the time on the airship…where the dead bodies covered the floor. She imagined Shadow rolling his eyes, as she slipped around more robot parts and smiled slightly. Suddenly, her eyes caught the sparks and ripped metal at where the elevator should have been. She shook her head. What had Shadow done? Rouge peered up the elevator shaft only to be alarmed as another piece of metal just deftly missed her protruding head. The bat gasped before breathing a sigh of relief. With her heart pounding, her mind was changed to the option of the stairs. She tilted her head slightly and caught view of another hallway. There was a sign posted that had the words written on it "Stairs". She huffed a bit, blowing a stray piece of marble-white fur out of her face. If only she hadn't been stupid enough to get noticed by the lasers. Ah, but who said getting to Shadow would be easy? It would have to take a great amount of effort…and a bit of endurance. Rouge had tried to be a tough girl throughout the eventful days, but her strength was weakening. She sighed and headed towards the long hallway. There was a bit of a groan on her part. She hoped she was fit enough for the challenge. She hadn't really fought or worked out for a while. This could be rough. Running up the stairs…at least it wasn't running up stairs with giant robots chasing after you shooting all sorts of things around…or with a really mad Knuckles. She imagined the red echidna barreling towards her with fiery eyes…and somehow it was a humorous relief. Smiling unconsciously, she inhaled sharply and began her journey up the numerous amounts of steps. While she ran, she felt her legs seem to wheeze. Yep, this was a little workout for her. Maybe she should've stuck to that diet of hers…? If only she could've flown up. The wings she had were damaged brutally though. They were of no use, and there was no point in thinking about the "what ifs?" Her heart raced and her mind settled itself into a rut of balance. Her legs pumped and became numb and sore at the same time. Little panels were the only indication of what floor the bat was on. They increased slowly as she traveled up and up. Her mind began to wander, but she reminded herself that it would be a bad decision. Her thoughts would intertwine themselves around the giant, dark cloud of emotions. What a disaster that would be. It was only until she began to reach the early twenties when she aware of the fact that it was beginning to seem impossible. Her stride lessened a bit. She gave herself a tired look. Inside, she roughly snapped herself back into position. If she stopped, it would only make starting again a hell of a lot harder. She wasn't about to be sucked into an all too familiar oblivion otherwise known as her thoughts. The bat bit her lip and lengthened her strides again, keeping in time with the clicking of her shoes. She tried thinking of a song…that would get her mind a little amused and maybe give herself a motive for running. People did it all the time in the early morning…she just couldn't figure out why they ran at all. A quiet song popped up. She silently hummed the tune in her head. It was relaxing, yet slightly sad…setting a unique type of mood. She glanced upward. Losing track of the stairs and her floor, she nearly tripped. Rouge had made it to the top. Surprised at herself, she glanced all the way down the stairway. The bat had did it…she was going to make it. Rouge ran down the corridor. No longer did her legs feel they were pulling themselves through molasses. Her shoes clicked defiantly against the marble floor, as they broke the still silence that hung in the air. She skidded to a stop in front of a large door. Inside, there was smashing and screaming to be heard. He must be in there…she approached carefully. Her hand was hovered over the doorknob. Why did her hand stop? Was she afraid of what was inside? Afraid to be disappointed? …crushed? Despite the raging emotions inside, she firmly grasped the doorknob and yanked the large doors open. Dust and smoke rushed out of the enclosed room like a mob of people. The sight and smell knocked her down. It burned her eyes and she coughed, as she pulled away, covering the side of her face with her hands. The smokiness began to clear out, and Rouge could make out two figures. There was a rush of winds and an ominous feeling swallowed up the bat's thoughts. It left her blank, as she saw an enraged Knuckles and Shadow clash. As Shadow slid across the rough ground, a sound that resembled metal scratching across a chalkboard was emitted. Rouge uttered a gasp, as the scraping sound echoed in her large ears. Knuckles lumbered over to the hedgehog, straight above him. He yelled and slammed his fists down into the marble, just missing Shadow. The quick hedgehog had rolled out of the way and managed to return back on his feet. He charged into the echidna with a golden fist, this time hitting him. Knuckles winced, as Shadow hopped back, panting and utterly worn out. The echidna became sluggish and a tired look dawned on his battered façade. Rouge stood there petrified, shocked…lifeless. It was a horrible sight…she couldn't stand it. The fight had paralyzed her from moving. She shook her head hard and managed to push herself into the room. There must be something she could do to stop them. Her feet stopped short, as she saw Eggman arise. Both fighters glanced angrily towards the doctor. His glasses shined, as he pushed them further up the bridge of his long nose. He grinned and them both.

"Ooh, he didn't do what I told him to do now did he? That's too bad…" she heard him say to them both. Knuckles was huffing and panting. Knuckles' eyes widened before clamping his eyes shut at the sight of the scientist. It all fell into place like dominos after that. He whipped out a gun, pointed, Shadow glanced at the echidna, and the only thing Rouge saw left for her to do was…

"Shadow!" she screamed. There was a blur, a bang…and then silence. She saw Eggman's face first. It was twisted into some sort of confused, aghast expression. He dropped the versatile weapon and wiped his hands on his shirt before crossing them in front of his chest. He tried to act like all of those villains he had watched on those ten dollar video clips. Heartless, cold, and uncaring…but he just couldn't pull it off. The doctor gave up and turned away from the sudden…end. The bat ran towards the two boys in desperation. No…no…no… She heard Knuckles cough, and then she saw him rub his eyes. The echidna's eyes fluttered open and he uttered a small "No way." Rouge's expression grew worried, as she averted her eyes to Shadow. He was standing in front of Knuckles and blood was marring his dark fur. The frothy red liquid streamed out of the wound and dribbled out the sides. He was closing his eyes; feeling the pain travel throughout his body. She saw the definite bullet hole in his chest. The white fur that had puffed up there was turning a ghastly ruby. His super state had faded and the room then grew dark. Nobody had realized that night had already fallen on the quiet battlefield. An awkward silence filled the room. Rouge's jaw dropped and the result swept through her like an unwelcome chill. Tears already began to form, as another hollow feeling swallowed her. The last sliver of hope sparkled away. Darkness and shadows laughed and swirled around her mind. The bat fell to her knees, shock electrocuted her. Knuckles took his hands away from his face slowly and saw the hedgehog protecting him. His eyes grew wide with amazement and the hedgehog fell to his side; those crimson eyes shut down. Knuckles' mouth made unconscious movements without a word spoken. He glanced at his own bloody spiked hands and clenched them. His eyes squished themselves together before he screamed out. The echidna angrily lashed out at Eggman leaving him unconscious. The doctor's gun clattered across the ground, as the bat shook her head slowly before letting it turn into a violent shake. Tears wouldn't stop. Rouge arose from her kneeled position and ran over quickly to the downed hedgehog,

"Shadow!" she cried out again. Dirt and messy marks adorned her clothes when she ran through the dusty mess. She nearly tripped, but kept going. The bat shook him, as her tears dropped onto the stiff body.

"Shadow! You can't! You promised…you promised!" She choked, as the tears streamed. Knuckles closed his eyes and shook his head slowly,

"You didn't have to…" he began, but Shadow coughed ever so slightly and Rouge shushed him, listening intently.

"Yes…I did…or else, she would have no one." He gave a small smile, as he let his head hit the ground while he studied the two surrounding faces. Rouge's eyes welled up with tears again. She threw herself on his body and cried into his fur. Shadow patted her slowly and lightly before coughing and gasping for air again. Knuckles made a movement out to the hedgehog, but his hand was hit away by the anger-stricken bat.

"You…you…!" it was his entire fault. Knuckles' face dropped, as he stepped back. Shadow grabbed the bat's arm the best that he could. She kneeled back down instead of going after the red echidna as she had planned. He shook his head.

"No, it's not…not him. It's me…I did what I did…none of it is his fault…" He tried giving Rouge a straight face, as he breathed heavily. The bat held his shaking hand. She swallowed hard when she saw his dulled red eyes turn back up towards the ceiling. He seemed to be studying his life over, checking for any faults…

"Well, then you're such an idiot! What…what's wrong with you?!" Rouge yelled while clutching a tuft of black fur. She didn't mean it…but it felt like she did. How could he have? The hedgehog smiled,

"I guess I am, huh…? But please…this is my life…and I-I did this my own way. No matter how crazy…or idiotic. It was now…or never." She crashed her lips onto his and they kissed through her tears and through his indescribable pain. Shadow kissed her deeply and with all the love that he could muster. Cherishing the last moments wasn't a hard thing. After all that they'd kept back, it was a relief…a relief backed with a nagging knowing that it wouldn't last. Both hearts cracked open in the silence. And then…from that moment, those eyes finally closed up forever and his pulse began to fade away. Never again would anyone see the sharpness of the crimson eyes that would stare down others. Never again would the bat feel such feelings again. Never…never… She pulled her lips away. Shadow's hand dropped next to his lifeless body. His head fell back and his chest stopped expanding. Labored breathing ceased… Rouge closed her eyes, her hands in fists on her lap. She bit her lip, as the pain and sadness shivered down her spine and into her mind. Knuckles was utterly speechless. He turned away in shame. The bat couldn't stand it she sobbed and hugged the cold figure. Shadow had done the best he could for her and now he was gone. Her watery sapphire eyes stared lovingly at his face. She slipped the azure ring off of her finger and placed it on top of Shadow's chest. The bright red served as a contrasting background to the token of love given to the bat. Rouge bitterly thought about their last exchange, as it blew away from the scene and out the window. It flew out into the night sky…the memory that the nighttime sky would forever hold a secret. The quiet pressure of time…was now louder than ever.

"Please understand, Shadow." Knuckles lifted his head and turned around. What in the…? The bat had picked up the gun Eggman had dropped. She rolled it in between her fingers before giving the echidna a dark gaze. Knuckles shook his head,

"NO, DON'T…!" He barely had any time to react…the trigger was pulled for the second time and destroyed yet another sad soul. He was silenced. The red figure dropped to the ground with a bullet hole in the head. Eyes still wide-open and mouth gaping in surprise…a sort of commemoration…a live commemoration. No mistakes anymore…the bat shook her head. She was clearing the dirty mess that the three had conjured. Rouge stared at her reflection in the deadly weapon, as she pointed it at the side of her head. It was time to end this. Another shot and all was gone. She fell on top of the hedgehog, enjoying her position of death. No regrets, no mess-ups, and no other sins to be made. Darkness seeped in through the windows and the moon rose higher in the desert sky. It was almost as if they all didn't exist anymore. Their minds weren't going to pester them anymore…and neither would the shadowy feeling of loss or hate. That's what drove them to begin this story…and here it is to end it.

The End

AN: Well, a short death and a short sad, yet completely romantic ending. That's how death and life rolls on people. The happy ending is longer only because I actually have living characters to work with. XD Peace out.