Epilogue
It was amazing. I couldn't believe my luck. I had given up hope. I had given into the fact that my two best friends had killed themselves to save not only me, but all of Mobius. But luck was on my side. Sonic turned to me, the cockiest smirk on his stupid face. He scooped up Tails in his arms and sprinted as fast as he could over to the door and flipped the lever.
The hatch flew open and the two toppled out, coughing for fresh, non-contaminated air. I acted off instinct as I slammed my hand into the controls to seal the room again before too much of the noxious gas could seep out into the ship.
"Thanks," Sonic laughed through his coughs. "I didn't think that would work, but I'm glad it did."
"You mean you didn't actually have a plan?" Tails asked in disbelief.
"I wasn't going to go out without a fight."
"You're such an idiot," Tails laughed. Sonic laughed, and I laughed with him. The three of us burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter as we lay in the small maintenance corridor just staring at each other. We couldn't believe our luck. We'd beaten Shard, stopped his bomb and all gotten out of it alright. It was still the four amigos. Sonic, Tails, Blaze and Knuckles. We all stopped the war, and we all survived.
We strode with vigor back to the bridge where Knuckles greeted me with a victorious hug and a hearty laugh. We took control of the ship and decided we wanted to go back to where we were the happiest. We set a course for our tropical island, where we lived out the rest of the days in peace.
At least… that's how I wish it happened. But it didn't happen that way. The room was completely sealed. There was no way out. Sonic and Tails died in that room.
Blaze's mind left her as she imagined fantastical ways to shield herself from the truth. But despite how hard her mind tried to trick her, her eyes couldn't look away from the unbearable truth. She watched in helpless horror as green gas engulfed her two best friends, Sonic and Tails, and she watched in horror as they both collapsed to the floor and died in each other's embrace.
Nothing could stave off her tears that night. Not even Knuckles strong embrace as she fell into him when she returned to the bridge. He didn't say anything. He didn't even cry. It was as if he couldn't. All Knuckles did was hug Blaze, hoping that if they hoped hard enough Sonic and Tails would come back to life.
Not even Shadow said anything. This was all he ever wanted; the death of his bitter rivals. Sonic and Tails, the two boys that ruined his life. But somehow he felt hollow. Their death's helped nothing, he only felt more empty than ever. Even… sad.
Blaze, Knuckles, Shadow and Amy, still bound by ropes with a sock stuck in her mouth, all sat and watched the moon rise into the starry sky without a word as they silently sent prayers for their saviors - Sonic and Tails
One Year Later…
Fireworks exploded above through the dark, night sky as fiery blooms amongst the stars shooting vivid contrasts of colours. Every bang enticed a coo of awe and applause from the wonderous crowds below and every spark bore fantastical curves and brilliant lines that traced across the sky.
Shadow watched emotionlessly through the vertical strips of iron that barred the window of his prison cell. He tried to ignore the fanatical, maniacal shrieks and crazed monologues from Amy in the cell adjacent to his and focused his hollow eyes on the brilliance streaking the night. Shadow wished he could be out there with the crowd, waiting in masses for the president's speech in the cold night air. He rested his chin on his palm and let out a long, shallow sigh as he closed his eyes and let the thunderous applause lull him off to sleep, imagining what life could have been like if he hadn't chosen the darker path he found himself drawn to in that fateful year.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the new city still under construction, a mass of people crowded together like sardines underneath the shadow of the giant tower in the center of the city. Canvas tarps covered a framework of metal constructs that were set up to help builders traverse around the currently under construction center of the new capital city. The grand tower, set to finish by years' end, was the hallmark of New Mobius and would act as the parliamentary building of the NMA – New Mobius Alliance – that saw the unification of Mobius, Macton, Vapos, Aves and Zuncon.
The anniversary of the end of the second great war had started in the early hours of the evening and stretched late into the night. The citizens had decorated the streets in all the colours of the rainbow as small stands were set up to sell specific delicacies of the five nations that inhabited the new city.
A young Mobian porcupine roamed the streets, ignoring his mother's cautious calls for him to be careful as the crowds grew bigger and bigger as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Spike was just ten years old when the canisters began deploying the gas. His mother had rushed him inside when the first particles began to settle on the city, but his father set out to rescue his sister, Sonar, from school. His father and Sonar didn't return that night. Despite the bomb being thwarted, the thousands of drones still did their damage that day. Just like how Spike lost a father and a sister that day, countless other people lost loved-ones across four of the five nations that fateful day, and thousands of others were slaughtered during the three months of the great war.
However, seeing the festival filled the young boy with hope. Spike was drawn to an amphibian stall where a friendly shark-woman handed him a jelly jellyfish. As he chomped down the delectable treat, the alluring whistles of tree-cats' wind instruments filled his ears and he danced with a young bird-girl like his limbs were made of spaghetti while his mother chatted with a handsome looking cyborg hedgehog. It was truly the culmination of cultures, and Spike absolutely loved it. It wasn't until the first firework plumed upwards into the starry sky and exploded in a fiery flurry of lights did Spike's mother seize his hand and take him to the central square, dodging between two teenagers – a red echidna and a violet cat – where they stopped and watched in awe.
Finally, after the last firework fizzled out and a hush crept across the crowd did the newly elected president of New Mobius, and leader of the NMA, make her appearance known. She stepped through the archway of the finished first floor of the silvery, half-constructed tower and gaze upon the people. Her people. She was joined shortly by her two vice-presidents. All three were elected when the five nations came together and decided to become one, with one governmental body. Abyss the Squid, former second in command of Vapos, was the first vice-president elected. Fiona Fox, general of Wave's Avian army was the second. And Cosmo, the president, elected almost unanimously by not only the Zuncon voters, but voters of all five communities, stood in the center of the other two women and waved to her people. She had led the cleanup after the drones had been stopped and was the primary force that helped reunite the five communities.
"Hello people of New Mobius," Cosmo began, speaking confidently into the microphone. "I can't believe it's been one year since Shard and Vector's horrible attempted genocide. Luckily, they failed and a new era of peace has been heralded. I'm greatly humbled to stand here this night, the night marking exactly one year since the drones were stopped and the treaty was drawn up and signed and speak to you all. Whether you're a Mobian, a Vaposian, an Avian, A Zuncon or a Macton, it doesn't matter to us anymore. We only see each other as people of New Mobius." Thunderous applause echoed through the crowd as Cosmo glanced over the crowd, her eyes stopping on two teenagers, Knuckles and Blaze, who smiled back at her comfortingly.
"But I think it's time to reveal the whole story of those final days of the war. I could stand here and prattle on about the achievements we've managed to make since the treaty. I could talk about unification, infrastructure and plans for the future of our new city, but that isn't just what today is about. Today is about looking forward at the bright future for us and our children, but it's also to look back at the past. Specifically, of the hidden heroes that aided Fiona, Abyss, Wave, Razor and myself in taking down the tyranny of Shard and Vector."
"Mum, what's she talking about?" Spike asked as he tugged on his mother's hand-knitted pink sweater.
"Shhh, darling. Let Madame President speak," his mother hushed him as she looked up at the figure she admired.
"I'll start like how all good stories should… Once upon a time there were two boys named Sonic and Tails…" As the crowd listened to the two teenagers most had never heard of, their hearts simultaneously broke and beat for their forgotten heroes. Cosmo went to detail about Sonic and Tails' troubles in old Mobius, and their fight with Big. She mentioned their escape and eventual return to fix what they started. She told the crowds about all Tails did for her when her mother and sister died and how Sonic helped aid Vapos in their battle against Macton. It was then that she revealed the ultimate sacrifice both Sonic and Tails took in order to save half the country and grant the peace that all the people now enjoyed.
"Never again will we take for granted the peace that we've accomplished. And in recognition of New Mobius' two brave heroes, we've erected two statues of them!" Cosmo announced as she pointed to an area in the corner of the central square of the city where a tarp was removed and the two bronze statues of the hedgehog and the fox were revealed. The crowd clapped as they marveled at the interictally crafted and carved statues.
"Thankyou," Blaze mouthed as she glanced up at Cosmo standing above them. Cosmo nodded once before turning her attention back on the crowd and finished her first, proper presidential speech and concluded the celebrations of the anniversary.
Two More Years Later…
The sun hung low in the salmon sky, casting shadows over the empty cemetery. A light drift of snow peppered the sky and a thin blanket of white draped the ground. Blaze and Knuckles skated down the icy path and through the twisted rows of gravestones until the stopped in front of two small tombstones.
Here lies Sonic and his devoted boyfriend Tails, saviors of New Mobius.
Blaze removed her scarf that clung tightly around her neck and took off one of her woolen mittens to reach inside her coat pocket. She pulled out a small, red rose and placed it on the gravesite of her two best friends. She reached out and felt Knuckles clasp his hand around hers, their fingers entwining as they shared their body heat. They both stared wordlessly at Sonic and Tails' grave, saying their silent prayers.
"Do you think they are looking down on us?" Blaze asked, finally breaking the silence.
"I don't doubt it for a second. I think they're watching over us and all of New Mobius with smiles on their faces," Knuckles confirmed.
"Do you think they're happy?"
"I think they're both very happy, and now they have each other for all eternity without having to hide or worry," Knuckles smiled.
"I hope so…" Blaze trailed off as she stared at the grave.
"And what about you, love? Have you heard any news from the doctor?" Knuckles asked as he softly placed his hand on Blaze's swollen belly. After Knuckles had turned twenty, the two decided to settle down in an apartment in New Mobius together. One thing led to another and the couple found out about the wonderful news a few months ago. Blaze was well into her second trimester. "How's our baby?"
"Babies," Blaze responded with a smile. Knuckles eyes grew wide as they flitted down to the bump. "Twin boys."
"Twin boys… wow, that's amazing," Knuckles smiled as he leant over and placed a gentle kiss on Blaze's plump, crimson covered lips. "Have you got any ideas of possible names?"
"I have one idea. Sonic and Tails…" Knuckles paused for a moment, their eyes interlocking as the painful, yet wonderful memories of their two best friends flashed through their minds.
"I think that's wonderful," Knuckles concluded finally as he draped his arm over Blaze's shoulders and pulled his new wife closer to his side. "Sonic and Tails… the future of New Mobius." The two smiled, hope for the future of their city, their country and their new children kindling inside both of them as they glanced up to the setting sun reflecting off the tallest silver tower of the finished city of New Mobius.
A/N: And that's it. It's finally over. Thank you all so much for reading both War of Faith and Dreams Come true. All your follows, favourites and reviews have meant so much to me through my whole writing process and it's brought joy to my heart every time you guys told me how much this story meant to you. From some people telling me that this is their favourite fic on this site to others saying how reading this helped them decide to come out of the closet, it's honestly been overwhelming in the best way. This was the first story I started on this site and it's been amazing to see how far I've come in just two short years. It's sad to see it go, but I'm glad to finally close this chapter and I'm looking forward to everything else I'm going to write in the future.
If you enjoyed this story please leave a review and let me know, and why not favourite the story while you're at it :P If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in a review or send me a PM and I'll make sure to respond. If I get enough, I might make an A/N like it did for the first one.
Finally, if you enjoyed my work and want to read more from me might i suggest checking out Sonic High and its sequel, Emerald Lake, Murder on Green Hill Island, Missing or my newest story, Outlast: Insanity Island. Thank you so much for reading and I hope to hear from you all soon. Have an amazing day
-TwoTailedFox