A Different Life

by Sonamyluver718

Amy Rose used to be normal...but she doesn't remember that life. The moment she awakes is the moment that a new life starts for her. A life that she wants so badly to be as normal as the first. But little does she know that she has a purpose to fulfill: one that will make her choose between the boy she loves and the boy she once knew.

25. The Battle Ends Here

All Characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.

Chapter 24: The Battle Ends Here

Snow was a beautiful concept. The unique, little white flakes that continuously fell from the ground kept my attention as we drove into the high mountains of Massachusetts. From the way Sonic had mentioned snow before we had left, I thought that maybe it was a bad thing. I was surprised to see how beautiful the pure white little flakes looked as they covered the ground, the mountains, and even the sky. I had never before experienced snow in this new life and while the sight did bring some memories of snow days in elementary from my old life, it didn't fail to intrigue me. From the first sight of the snow, a flash of Scourge, Blaze and I having a huge snowball fight rang into my head. The three of us had to be about seven in the image but the sight still brought a bit of a clench to my stomach. During the long ride, I tried not to dwell on the situation that I had gotten myself and the people I loved in. I tried not to think about the pain Adrian was going through or what was going on with Blaze – if Scourge had gotten his hands on her yet. I tried not to think about my own decision to make. Scourge had said that he would possibly spare my brother and Lyla out of their miseries if I came back to him and if not…well then I could kiss everyone I loved goodbye.

While I had debated possibly teleporting back to the Bana castle without Sonic's knowledge, I knew that would only make things worse. Sonic's vampire hunter clan had already begun to plan for their own attack on the castle. If I were to go back not too long before they attacked, I could very well end up in the same predicament just with Sonic trying to kill me instead of Scourge. I still remembered the crazed, traumatic, almost scared look in his eyes when he first tried to kill me after I'd told him what I was. Though I had tried so hard to rid the image out of my head, I couldn't help but to keep it in mind. I had hurt him so badly by doing such a simple thing as lying. My small action jeopardized my life and my shot at happiness with him. While he did kiss me and tell me he loved me before we'd left, I still couldn't help but to feel his caution towards me. It may not have been strong but it was still there. He was afraid of me breaking his heart again – something of which I really did not want to do. But at the same time, I couldn't let him die either.

I fell out of my thoughts as my eyes caught sight of what looked like a small suburban area that was filled with houses and snow. All of the houses seemed to be made out of wood, keeping up with the snow environment. The houses seemed to have formed a circle around a larger wooden house that overlooked all of the other ones. I guessed that it was the headquarters that Sonic had been telling me about earlier. The hunters had a good disguise up there; the vampires would never suspect a hunter community in a place that looked so homey.

The van that Sonic and I were riding in stopped in front of the larger wooden house. The men in the seats in front of us began to open the doors and file out of the van. Sonic followed suit after them before helping me out of the van. The boots that Cream had loaned me fell into the thick snow as I got out the vehicle. I wrapped my arms around myself the best I could with Sonic's thick jacket around me. The chilly air was foreign to me and I couldn't exactly say whether I liked it or not. I did know that I liked the warm weather better, though.

Sonic put his arm over my shoulders as we began to walk into the lodge house. As soon as my foot stepped over the doorway, I felt the comforting feel of warmth. While it wasn't hot in the house, it was better than being out in the cold weather. Sonic helped me get his jacket off before leading me into a room that seemed to be a huge kitchen. There were marble counters, chestnut cabinets, a stove, an oven, a large refrigerator, and a large chestnut table where the hunters were flocking around. The scent of all their blood overwhelmed my nose but I ignored the slight sharpening of my fangs.

All of the hunters turned their eyes to Sonic and I as we stepped in the doorway. Among those eyes, I could see Sally's sapphire orbs. She was sitting near the edge of the table, her long legs covered in fitted jeans and high heel boots. She was wearing a thin, black fitted sweater with her bouncy curls falling over her shoulders. Her gaze lingered over Javier before they went to me. Then her red lips turned into a grimace. Her gaze wasn't the only unpleasant one however. A good three fourths of the hunters, including the ones we'd driven up with, gave me a similar scowl. The expression immediately caused me to avert my gaze and look down to the floor.

"Oh be nice," I heard an elderly female voice say. "If it weren't for her, you all wouldn't have the opportunity that you have." I cautiously glanced up to see that it was a small, elderly woman who was sitting at the head of the table. Her skin was that of a deep caramel while her eyes were a glowing topaz and her hair was snow white. There weren't much wrinkles on her skin but I could tell she was of very old age. She sent me a warm smile. "Hello dear."

"Hi," I replied as I returned her soft smile.

"Aren't you just the prettiest thing I've ever lay my old eyes on." I blushed deeply as I looked back down. "Come; sit down. I think we all should hear you out before any more of this misjudging goes on." Sonic put his hand on my back and lightly pushed me towards the table. I glanced at him but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes seemed to be on Vanessa who was sending him daggers. As I let my feet move to his will, I took a peek inside the girl's mind.

The first thing I saw was that of she and Sonic kissing. They didn't seem to be of the age they were then but instead younger – maybe around eleven or twelve years of age. She had always liked him but, with everything he had going on, could never grasp his full attention. However, now that he had joined a part of her clan, she got to spend more time with him and managed to get him where she wanted him. I could see through the quick images that they had been together for a long while but he'd never expressed any type of genuine love for her nor did she for him. He kept her at arm's distance which hurt her at first but she got accustomed to it and did the same to him. Yet, she did love him…somewhere. She hated me for taking him away from her – even more so now that I was back in the picture. From one of the last images I saw, they seemed to have been rekindling their relationship. But of course, little old me had to come back and rip him away – something which she hated me for. She didn't understand why he cared about me so much. I was a vampire: something he was trained to kill and hate. So why was he trying to protect me? She thought he was the definition of an idiot.

Sonic pulled out an empty chair for me at the table in which I sat down. As I looked around at the hunters now, I got a better look at all of their faces. While a majority of them were men, from their late teens to early fifties, some of them were women – beautiful women at that. All of them were tall with long hair, and sharp supermodel faces. I mentally squirmed as I thought of how easily it probably would be for them to take me down if I did something wrong. While Javier hesitated both times when he attacked me, I knew they wouldn't. I'd be dead if I got on the wrong side of any of the people in the room – including the elderly women. She may be old but I had no doubt that she had been in the hunter business for a long time coming. There was a heavy layer of respect for her coming from the other hunters from the from, leading me to that conclusion. She had to have some type of high rank or seniority. I doubt they'd let me sit with them if she didn't.

"What's your name," the elderly woman asked me. "My name is Marisol."

"Amy," I told her. She smiled, showing a mouth full of white teeth.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." Marisol nodded.

"So, how did you get yourself in this situation here?"

"Um, it's a long story," I said as I looked down. I intertwined my fingers together in my lap. "I don't…I don't even know where to start."

"Start wherever you feel is right." I looked up at her warm, welcoming face before glancing around at the more hostile faces around me. The only people who weren't giving me scowls were Sonic's father, Sonic, and a few of the older hunters. I squirmed slightly under the known hatred I felt under their gazes. I didn't exactly feel too comfortable sharing my story in front of so many people who I knew hated my guts. I worried that they may not understand or they may try not to. While my story may be as simple as a girl losing her memory and having to start all over, it was so much more in my eyes. It wasn't just a story; it was my life. I'd struggled with finding myself in a new world with my old world still swimming around me. I struggled with a lingering love while sparking up a new one. I put my life back together but not in the way it was before. I had transformed into a new person in a way – and that was a bit personal for me to share in front of people who wanted to rip my head off.

However, slowly I began to talk about the events that had happened in my life. I opened up about the small things I knew about my old life and how somehow those events turned into those of the new one I lived. I explained who I was and what I had become…who I had become. I told them about Scourge and his new mentality and how dangerous I hadn't known he really was until recently. I told them about the person he used to be and how he'd somehow transformed into the person he was then. I told them about Adrian and Blaze and who they were and why it was so important for me to protect them. I told them about how much they meant to me – about how I couldn't lose them. Eventually, I got on to the topic of Sonic and my feelings for him and how much I loved him and how much of a role he'd played in my life. I had to have spoken for about more than an hour but all the hunters were hooked onto my words, their hostile expressions falling. Even Sally, who hated me, began to look at me with a different point of view. They all no longer saw me as something that was a living weapon but instead a girl who was forced to find her way amongst this new way of life.

By the time I was finished explaining everything, my mouth was the driest it had ever been. My still weak body longed for blood, my throat burning as it begged for some rejuvenation. I ignored my sensations though, keeping calm eyes on Marisol who was staring at me with a gaze of wonder. "Wow," she said simply. "You've been through a great deal in such a short amount of time, haven't you?"

"Yes," I murmured, my voice a bit raspy from my sore throat. She nodded as her eyes now looked over my body.

"I've heard that you were wounded. Are you still in pain?" I nodded. "Sonic, you can take her on back to one of the safe houses. We'll meet back up with her in the morning to discuss her role in our plans."

"Just let me know what time and I'll have her ready," he replied. His dad murmured his name under his breath causing him to look towards him. Jules threw him a key in which he caught easily. "Thanks," he told his father. He then looked down to me and held out his hand. I took it and he helped me up out of my seat. He wrapped his arm around my waist, keeping me close to him.

"It was nice to meet you, Amy," Marisol told me with a smile.

"Same to you," I replied, offering her a small smile in return. Sonic led me back to the front door and helped me get his coat back on. We then headed back out into the cold weather. Night was beginning to fall; the sun was starting to fall behind the mountains. The sky became a light lavender, lighter with the snow that still fell from it. The flakes got stuck in both Sonic and I's hair but neither of us seemed to mind. Sonic didn't seem to be paying much attention to the weather at all, actually. His light green eyes were in a whole other world as we walked across the street to one of the smaller lodge houses. I wondered what he was thinking about. I wished that I could get a peek into his mind. I wanted to know the thoughts that he didn't care to share.

The inside of the house we would be staying in seemed pretty comfy. There was a beige rug laid out in the living room. There was a fireplace, a large couch, a big recliner chair, a lamp, a small coffee table, and a television in there. The kitchen was a moderate size and held a similar look to that of the kitchen we were just in. The dining room was a bit small with red walls, a chestnut table, and a small china cabinet. Sonic followed me upstairs as I continued to look around. The upper floor had a few rugs laid out in the hallway along with four rooms – one of which was a large bathroom. Sonic grabbed my hand before leading me to the room all the way at the end of the hallway. In it was a queen sized bed, a dresser, a small television, two windows on opposite sides of the room, a plush white carpet, and a small closet. "This will be our room," he told me. I looked up at him and shot him a soft smile. The burning sensation in my throat had become too strong for me to speak. If I did then I believed that I would pass out. Sonic must've noticed my pained expression since his eyebrows crinkled together in concern. "You need blood," he stated. He lifted his wrist as he began to pull the sleeve up away from his skin. My eyes caught sight of the teeth marks I'd left in his skin that had become two small cuts. The sight caused my stomach to roll in disgust.

He tried to hold up his wrist to my lips but I backed away. He frowned down at me as I did so. "Amy, you need to drink some blood. You're weak enough; you're going to need to get your strength back up."

"You need all your strength," I managed to murmur.

"Amy," Sonic whispered as he walked towards me. I took some steps back, knowing that he was going to try to convince me that it was alright to drink his blood. He was going to tell me that he was going to be fine; he just wanted me to get better. My back hit the wall next to the doorway. Sonic took advantage of my inability to go anywhere and made a semi cage with one of his arms, blocking the side that was open to the door. He gently pressed his wrist against my lips, his distinct scent filling my nose. I sighed against his skin, my fangs sharpening. My humane thought process faded away as my senses took over and caused me to catch his wrist in my mouth. I noticed him grimace as I pierced his skin once again with my teeth and began to drink his sweet blood. "There's a good girl," he murmured as he stroked my hair. I continued to drink his blood for a couple minutes, my energy boosting back up. Once it was fully restored, I released his wrist.

"Thank you," I murmured before licking his leftover blood off my lips.

"Are you hungry? I can go make us some food and some hot chocolate. You wanna change up here and come downstairs when you're ready?"

"Yes."

"Okay." He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering on my skin before pulling away from me and heading on downstairs. I wandered over to one of the dressers to see that it was fully stocked with clothes that were my size. I dismissed that drawer and searched for one that held Sonic's clothes. Once I found what I was looking for, I dug around to pull out a white sweater of his. It was oversized on me and fell down to my mid-thigh. After trying it on, I took off my heavy layer clothing – and my bandages - and padded barefoot into the shower. I didn't take too long in there; I just washed up and quickly got out. I dried my hair with a towel before throwing on Sonic's sweater and a pair of my boy shorts. I ran a brush through my hair before padding back downstairs.

The fireplace was going in the living room as was the television turned on. In the kitchen, I saw Sonic putting together bowls of what looked like some type of soup or something. I hid my hands in his sleeves and balled them up with the fabric as I walked into the kitchen. Sonic immediately looked at me, his amber eyes going over my outfit. His eyes first lit up with lust but simmered down with admiration. He had bandaged up his wrist, the bright color a huge contrast against his skin.

"You look comfortable," he said with a soft smile. I blushed deeply as a smile came across my own face.

"Yes; very comfortable." He chuckled at me.

"I made you some of my mom's old soup. Don't ask what's in it; just eat it and let it do its work." I walked over to the table where he had set two cups of soda down. I sat down in one of the chairs and crossed my legs. Sonic joined me, setting the bowl filled with various noodles and vegetables in it. I thanked him before taking a sip of the soup. It tasted sweet on my tongue but fiery as it went down my throat. I raised my eyebrow as I looked up at Sonic to see that he was smiling at me. "Don't ask me. I've been questioning it for the past seventeen years and still haven't found an answer as to why." I shrugged before going back to the soup. I basically demolished the entire bowl before Sonic led me back out to the living room with our cups of hot chocolate. First we lay down on the couch, Sonic laying behind me with his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Then I flicked through the channels until I saw the opening of one of my favorite romance movies. We lay there for the next two and a half hours watching the movie and drinking our hot chocolate.

As we lay there, I couldn't help but to be reminded of the similar nights we'd had before Scourge showed up. I remembered we used to lay around each other's houses, eating junk food and watching movies. I remembered we'd always cuddle close to each other and intimately make-out whenever we grew bored of the movie in front of us. I remembered I'd used to always fall asleep in his arms and wake up to his beautiful face the next morning. That time felt like forever ago in my mind though it had just been a few months prior. It was so funny…the way things could change in such a short amount of time. One day, I had just been a normal girl; the next: I was a vampire. One day, I was in the loving arms of the one who held my heart; the next: I was in the arms of the one I used to love…someone who still held a part of my heart. I turned over in Sonic's grasp to look up at him. Before I could take in his beautiful face, his lime eyes looked down at me. "You alright," he asked me.

"Yes," I replied. "You promised we'd talk." Sonic sighed as he propped himself on his elbow. "You keep dismissing my attempts to apologize."

"I know," he said simply.

"When are you going to let me completely apologize for what I did?" He didn't answer. Instead, he turned his beautiful eyes away from me. His mouth tightened into a firm line. I cautiously put my hand on his cheek, my thumb stroking his jaw. "I love you, Sonic, and I never meant to hurt you. I was just…I was being selfish by not telling you what I was. After you killed Kyle and you told me that you were a hunter, I knew how you'd react when I told you and I knew that you would hate me and I knew that I would be hurting you but I… I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to lose what we had…what we have. I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for hurting you. I know that I can't take what I did back now and I know you don't want to hear this but I wouldn't even if I couldn't. The time we spent together meant so much to me… I don't think I could sacrifice it even to save my own life… You don't have to forgive me…I understand if you can't…"

"I do forgive you," Sonic whispered. He turned his eyes back to me. "I forgave you the moment he took you away. I finally realized that you didn't ask to be a vampire…you didn't ask to be the way you are now. I know I should've realized that months ago but I just…all I could think about was what damage your kind was capable of. I never thought that you were any different." He caressed my cheek. "But then I started seeing you with him and I saw that scared look you had in your eyes. Then I saw your fear when I came after you the second time and I noticed how you wouldn't fight back. You wouldn't hit me or try to bite me or anything I was used to battling against. You were just trying to get away… And you helped me when the psycho let me go and when I looked into your eyes, I saw your fear for my safety and your love for me. And I realized that you weren't a threat to humanity like the others. You were just a caring, innocent girl who got stuck in a situation she didn't want to be in. I'm sorry I couldn't realize that earlier."

"So, what are we going to do?" Sonic crinkled his eyebrows together in confusion.

"About what?"

"About us. I mean, are we…are we getting back together or…?" Sonic sighed, caressing my face gently with his hand.

"I want to; believe me I want to but… I'm afraid that I'll lose you between now and what's going to happen in the next week and I don't…I don't know if I could bear the pain of losing you again."

"What if all we have is right now? Don't you want to make it special while we still can? I don't want to lose you either, Javi but what if this is our last couple of nights together? I don't want to be restrained when I could be loving you the way I used to. I don't want you to remember me as the girl you regret not having more time with. I want you to remember me as the girl who loved you until the end." Sonic frowned.

"Why does it feel like you're telling me you're going to die?"

"Because Scourge wants me dead. He's not going to admit it but I know he does. I don't want to promise you forever if I can't give that to you." His eyes filled with the slightest bit of moisture causing my stomach to clench. "I love you, Sonic." I leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"I love you too, Amy," he whispered. He leaned down to press his sweet lips against mine. Our familiar harmony of kisses soon followed after the contact, both of our arms wrapping tightly around each other. I tangled my hands in his hair while one of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me close against his muscular body. His other hand slowly traveled up and down my bare leg, sending a trail of tingles as it went. I wrapped my leg around his, giving him more access to my skin. He deepened the kiss as I did so, slipping his warm tongue into my mouth. A soft moan left my lips, causing him to pull me even closer. I slowly let one of my hands fall out of his hair, down his chest, and up into his shirt. His firm washboard abs felt familiar under my hands as I rubbed and traced them. This earned me a low moan from Sonic before he untangled his leg from mine. Before I could pull away to ask if he was alright, he flipped us into an upright position with me straddling his lap. He wrapped my legs around his waist before he got up, our lips still moving together. He carried me upstairs to our bedroom and lay me down on the bed.

That night he moved achingly slow with removing my little clothing and spreading his kisses all around my body. In fact, he even moved slow with making love to me. He seemed to be paying attention to the shape of my body, the feel, and the small noises and movements I made. He was molding the image of me into his memory. We made love the entire night before he finally passed out from his weariness. I watched him as he slept, tracing his defined jawline and his full lips. I traced the curve of his neck, the muscles of his biceps, and I wrapped my fingers around his silky curls. He stayed asleep through all of it, his body relaxing with each stroke of my touch. As I stared at him, I tried to mold his own image into my memory. While I didn't want to think about anything happening to either of us, I knew that I couldn't just dismiss the thought. We were going against a huge army in their own home. I doubted that the hunters stood much of a chance but I believed in them. I had no choice but to. They were both me and my brother's only hope at survival.

The next morning, Sonic and I took a shower together before changing into comfortable attires of long sleeved shirts and jeans. He held me close to him as we walked to the big lodge house together. As soon as we stepped in, the scent of other vampires filled my nose – including those of my parents. My heart skipped a beat as I let my feet wander into the huge living room where my mother and father were sitting amongst some unfamiliar but friendly vampire faces. My mother spotted me first and smiled warmly at me. I returned the smile and ran into her opening arms. She hugged me tightly, her welcoming embrace warming my worried heart. "Oh sweetie," she murmured in my hair. "Thank goodness you're alright. Your father and I were so worried."

"I'm sorry," I whispered into her shoulder.

"Don't be. We're together now and once we get your brother back, we can make up a better plan of what we're going to do next." She pulled out of the hug so that my father could give me a tight embrace. I curled into his strong arms as a flash of me and my biological father flashed behind me eyes. He had picked me up from school after I'd had stuff poured all over me by some girls in middle school and he was hugging me, telling me that everything was going to be okay. The sight brought tears to my eyes but I blinked them away. That moment was not the right time to be crying over the past. I had to focus on the future ahead.

"So now that most of us are here, we can start discussing what we're going to do," one of the head hunters said as we all crowded around in the living room. I was in Sonic's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. The man who was talking was an attractive man in his early forties with short cut dark hair and dark eyes. He was looking around, making contact with every face his eyes passed. His eyes stopped as they landed on me. "Amy, you've been in their fortress before. Any ideas of where a good place to strike might be?"

"Um, not really. A good portion of the castle is protected by guards. But there are a couple of gardens where the guards don't really hang out. You all could start from there," I said with a soft shrug.

"But how are we going to get in without the guards noticing us? Or at least not a huge amount of them," one of the other hunters asked.

"We're going to need a distraction…or a couple…" Sonic piped in.

"Well, I know that a good amount of the guards follow Scourge's command since he is one of the six dukes and he's there most often. Maybe I could cause a bit of a diversion by making a scene and at least distracting his attention. The guards might only act on his command. If he's busy with me then maybe…" I began to say.

"No," Sonic quickly countered. "He'll kill you."

"Not if he thinks I'm going back to him. If I can distract him with bargaining myself for even just a couple of minutes, it would help most of you guys get into the castle."

"And you're sure that will work," the head hunter asked me.

"Scourge wants me; he doesn't know about you guys. If he thinks I'm giving him what he wants then he'll let his guard down and…and that might be enough for you guys to get in."

"Amy, I don't know about this," my mother murmured with a small frown.

"I'll be fine," I told her. "Just trust me." My mother held her frown but nodded along with my request. I looked to the main hunter who was raising his eyebrows in thought. He had put his hand on his chin, rubbing it tentatively.

"The girl may be right," he admitted. "Alright, we'll go with her diversion plan. Now time to map out the possible entries we get into…"

The hunters and the vampire allies my parents managed to get discussed methods for the entire rest of the day. I listened attentively, trying to make sure I knew what my part was in the plan. Sure I had to distract Scourge but I also had to keep an eye out for the hunters and make sure they were safe. How I was going to do that, I wasn't quite sure yet. However, I knew that I would be able to wing it someway somehow. When we all were dismissed, the hunter concluded that we would set off to fight the next day. I had made them aware of my brother's situation and they promised that they would move as quickly as possible.

As we were heading out, Sally lightly grabbed my wrist and surprisingly pulled me off to the side. I raised my eyebrows at her as she dragged me into the hallway. Sonic noticed my sudden absence and looked to where we were standing. I gave him a soft nod that I was alright before he walked out the door. "He loves you," Sally stated, her sapphire eyes following him out the door. "I never thought he was capable of loving until I saw the way he looked at you…even if you are one of those bloodsucking demons."

"Where are you going with this," I asked her. She sighed.

"I just wanted to tell you not to do anything reckless tomorrow. I know that you…you want to help your brother and you want to get your crazy ex off your back but just don't…don't die on him. He needs you and I don't know what would happen if he lost you again. When you first exposed yourself, he was a mess…a complete and utter mess. He wanted to hate you – and for a second he did but he couldn't hold that front up for long. He went back to the way he was after his mom died when he lost you… I know, we haven't been the best of friends but if you can do me a favor and survive tomorrow then that would be good."

"Can you do me a favor?" She raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows. "If I don't make it…for whatever reason…promise me you'll take care of him." Her sapphire eyes softened as she nodded.

"I will. Now we just have to hope that he doesn't die on the both of us."

"Yea. Let's hope not."

Sonic and I didn't get much sleep again that night. Just as the night before, he made love to me slowly again but this time with the addition of murmuring how much he loved me in my ear whenever he caught his breath. Neither of us wanted to think about the events that would go down the next day or the results of them for that matter. I didn't want to harbor the thought of something happening to him nor did he want the same thought for me. So, we tried to ignore it the best we could.

However, the next morning came to fast for either of our liking and we were forced to come to terms with the thoughts we had tried so hard to get rid of. While he got ready in the smaller lodge house, I had to go to the larger one where the girl hunters and vampires had worked hard the night before to make an appropriate dress for me. The hunters thought that I would have to look perfect in order for Scourge to be fully distracted. They thought my beauty would take his mind to a whole other world. Too bad that they didn't know that I had tried that before and it didn't really work well. However, I let them dress me into a beautiful red gown similar to that of my dream. It had a corset-like, strapless lacy torso with a flowing skirt flaring out around my waist. They curled my hair and left it falling down my back before applying a bit of my makeup on me. Finally, they topped off the look with a pair of high heel lacy stilettos.

Once they were done with me, I retreated back to Sonic in the lodge house to say goodbye. When I got there, he was in our room dressed in his all black attire. There were multiple guns on the bed as well as a few smaller weapons. The sight sent a shiver down my spine but I managed to ignore it. I couldn't dwell on what was to come. I just had to accept it – whatever was about to happen.

Sonic turned his eyes to me as I appeared in the doorway. His eyes immediately filled with admiration as I walked into the room. "Damn," he said causing me to smile. I walked into his welcoming arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. I stared up into his beautiful green eyes as he stared back down at me, a look of love and admiration on his face. "You look beautiful," he told me. "Make sure that psycho keeps his hands to himself or he will have to deal with me." I smiled wider as tears began to brim my eyes.

"I love you, Sonic," I told him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Amy." He leaned down to kiss my lips softly, passionately. His kisses sent butterflies to my stomach and made my head dizzy – even in that moment. His lips were so sweet…so soft…and oh so addicting. More tears brimmed my eyes at the thought of if I would never be able to kiss them again after that morning. God, I had to make it out for him. He had to make it out for me. We had to survive for each other. We needed each other. Our love was too strong for us to be apart permanently. We had to be together…we had to make it out of this day alive.

When he finally pulled away, he stroked my face. I shot him a smile before slowly backing out of his grasp. I kept my eyes locked with his as I summoned the winds I needed to teleport. After I took in his beautiful face one last time, I closed my eyes and focused on going to where I needed to be. I focused on the Bana Castle…on Scourge…on his location. Slowly, the winds picked up around me and I could feel them transporting me back to Europe. The hunters would be transporting with the other vampires that my parents had rallied, all of them coming together. I was the one who had to go alone since I was the main diversion…

The winds managed to take me into what was Scourge's "office". I had only been in it a few times but I could pinpoint it in my mind from the large bookcase and Scourge's large desk. Usually when he would bring me in there, he would let me sit down in his big comfortable chair to read while he got some paperwork done. I loved being in there because of the abundance of books he had and for the fact that he let me read any book I wanted from his collection. Sometimes I would look up from whatever I was reading see him staring at me, a soft smile of adoration on his face. I'd usually blush and look down and try to find my place in the story.

It was different, though, being in there when the winds vanished. Instead of the warm, welcoming feeling I got from being surrounded by all the books, an eerie, cold feeling came from the room. The windows were shut, preventing the sun from shedding its beautiful light across the room. It was dark, adding on to the strange feeling I felt. "Look what we have here," I heard Scourge's voice say. I quickly turned around to face his desk to see that he was sitting there, his sneakered feet propped up on the top with a glass of red wine in his hand. His hair was brushed back neatly and he was dressed in a short sleeved blue button up shirt. His blue eyes glowed in the darkness though they weren't soft as they looked over me. Instead they were a bit hard, his impatience showing clear. "Finally made up your mind, I see."

"Yes. I came back. Now you can let my brother go – just like you said you would."

"Hmm," he took a sip of his wine. "Be patient, my love." He took his feet down off the desk as he grabbed a small communicating device off his desk. He held it up to his lips. "Bring Adrian Rose up to my office," he commanded into it. I heard another male voice murmur a "roger that" before Scourge held up his hands. "He'll be joining us shortly."

"Thank you," I told him. He grunted out a reply before taking another sip of his wine. He then sat up straight and extended his hand out to me.

"Come sit with me," he commanded. "It has been quite lonely since you decided to disappear on me." I hesitated but slowly walked up to one of the two chairs that sat in front of his desk. Scourge smiled in satisfaction, some of the hardness in his eyes fading away. He stood up to walk to his china cabinet that held a variety of different alcoholic beverages and their designated glass cups. He pulled out another wine glass before walking back to his desk. I hadn't noticed the tall bottle of wine sitting in the far corner on his desk. He picked up the bottle and poured some of it into the new glass. He then handed the glass to me. I stared at it hesitantly before taking it out of his hand. He tilted his head at me, his blue eyes expectant of me to take a sip. I forced a soft smile as I lifted the glass to my lips. The wine was sweet as it rolled down my tongue, the strong alcohol behind it sending a bit of a shock down my throat.

Scourge seemed satisfied with my sip as he sat back down in his big chair. He swirled his wine in his cup as he stared at me, his mouth twisting into a small frown. I tried to keep Sonic and the hunters out of my mind so that Scourge couldn't read the information I had on them. I knew that if he figured that out then he'd probably kill me and then kill every hunter and vampire that tried to help with the plan. I had to keep him happy and distracted for as long as I could. "I'm sorry for fleeing," I told him. He raised his eyebrows at me. "I was just scared and I was in so much pain and I just…my first instinct was to find a way out. I didn't mean to hurt you by going back to Sonic but he was the only person I knew who might help me."

"You didn't go back to him because you love him?" Scourge asked.

"No. I went back because he was a potential use to me. While I do love him, he doesn't feel the same way anymore."

"That's not what I heard when you woke up," Scourge said bitterly. My stomach clenched as I realized that he had still been watching me. Sonic had confessed that he loved me and he had kissed me and then we'd left to Massachusetts and then… God, was Scourge watching us that whole time? The thought made my stomach clench even more in both nausea and nervousness. If he knew about the plan then everything was about to go downhill. "You don't honestly think I'm stupid, do you? You really think I'd leave you alone with that imbecile of a hunter without any flies on the wall?" He let out a dark chuckle. "Humor me."

"Scourge, please don't-"

"Don't what? Don't kill everyone who tries to infiltrate my territory? Don't rip your little boyfriend's head off? There's a lot of things you probably don't want me to do. You've got to be a little more specific."

"Don't take your anger out on everyone else. You're mad at me; take your anger out on me. I'm here now so do what you want. Torture me, yell at me, break my mentality down; do whatever the hell you want! But leave the people I love out of it." Scourge stood up out of his seat and began to walk around his desk.

"Amy, Amy, if only it was that easy," he said, his tone smooth and calm. He walked up behind me, his warm hands skimming my bare shoulders. He pushed back some of my hair away from my ear so that he could put his lips against it. His hot breath sent a shiver down my spine. "I wish I could just give you what you deserve but that would result in you being afraid of me…something I don't want. You may never forgive me after today but I'd rather have you hate me than have you be afraid. At least when you hate me, you'll be more fun to break down…"

"You're sick," I murmured.

"Possibly; lots of people say the same. However, I think I just have an original mentality. You'll learn to see that and one day you'll learn to love it." His hands squeezed my shoulders. "I don't care if it takes you a millions years, you will love me – unconditionally and full heartedly." I turned my head to meet his crazed blue eyes. My implicit mind somehow still yearned for him but I managed to ignore it now. The dude was absolutely psycho; I couldn't let the memories of the him my implicit mind used to love impair my judgement. He wasn't who he used to be and I couldn't rely on those old feelings anymore. The person I'd become would never love him and he knew that; but he was determined to crush my mind until I did.

My acute hears suddenly heard the door open, causing me to look past Scourge to the now open door. Scourge stood up straight though he kept his hands on my shoulders. A smile slowly came upon his face as I took in my brother who was now standing in the doorway. He was standing up straight with no cuts or bruises visible on him. Though he seemed physically fine, the blank stare in his eyes scared me. His emeralds were completely void of emotion and his lips were pressed into a steady line.

I broke out of Scourge's grasp to run up to my brother. I grabbed him into a tight hug that he didn't return. "I'm so sorry, Adrian. I'm so, so sorry," I told him. I looked up at him to see that he wasn't looking at me. His gaze was fixed on the wall on the other side of the room. "Adrian? Adrian?" I grabbed his arms and lightly shook him. "Adrian? Adrian, look at me! Look at me!" I began to shake him a little harder as tears of panic began to brim my eyes. "Adrian! Adrian, look at me! Please look at me!"

"He can't hear you," Scourge said from behind me. I turned around to look where he was standing near his desk. There was an amused smile on his face, his blue eyes bright with laughter.

"What did you do to him?"

"First I personally finished the little bit of training that he managed to escape from but then he still wanted to be a little pain in the ass; so I put him in this little trance where he only follows my command."

"Well you can let him out the trance now. You promised you'd let him go. I want him out of this trance and send him back home with Blaze and Olivia so that he can be safe."

"Oh your little friends are dead," Scourge said quickly. My eyes widened as my heart began to break. My thoughts went to Blaze and how much of a great friend she had been to me. Sure, she may have done some spying but I would've done the same thing to protect my younger sibling. Other than that, she was always by my side. She was the best friend I could ask for and now…now she was gone. And I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to her. Both my conscious and implicit mind brought tears to my eyes as I realized I'd never be teased by her again or hear her laugh or let her doll me up. I'd lost my best friend…and it felt like a rock being slammed right into my chest.

Scourge slowly walked up to me and put his hand on my back. I quickly moved and swiped his hand away. He frowned at me. "Amy, don't make things difficult. I promised you your brother's life; I considered saving theirs but they weren't obedient enough to stay alive. Considering that said, you should be happy your brother is still alive. I should've killed him a long, long time ago."

"What the hell is wrong with you," I yelled at him. "You claim that you love me so much and you only wanted us to be together forever! So why are you killing everyone I care about? Do you want me all to yourself? Is that what you want? Because I can give that to you! I can devote all my time to you just as long as you stop killing the people I love!" Scourge's frown deepened as he tilted his head.

"They're all obstacles standing in my way – that's why I'm killing them. All I want is you and if everyone could stop interfering with that then they can all live." He walked closer to me, cautiously holding out his hands.

"Don't," I warned. "Don't touch me." Scourge stopped in his tracks and help up his hands. "Let my brother go. Let him go now."

"If that's what you want," he murmured. He snapped his fingers once causing Adrian to blink a few times. He shook his head as his body began to move again. I walked past Scourge to my brother to hug him. This time he returned the hug, his arms holding me tightly.

"I'm sorry," I murmured into his chest. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's okay, Amy. You're here now, that's what matters. We can go home now right? Richard and Amber are fine, right? We can all go home now, right?" I slowly pulled out of his embrace and looked up into his fearful emerald eyes. For a second, my mind went to the hunters. I wondered if they were carrying out their mission. Scourge seemed to have known about it which probably meant bad things but it was so quiet up here. I wondered if they even made it into the building at all. If they did – if our parents did, then they could get Adrian out of here. They could take him home and keep him safe.

"Adrian, listen to me: you're going to go home and you're going to be safe there." He crinkled his eyebrows together.

"What about you? Aren't you coming with me?"

"No; I'm going to stay here…with Scourge."

"Like hell you are," Adrian snapped. "I'm not leaving you here alone with this psychopath!"

"You're welcome to stay," Scourge piped in. "With your sister and I's arrangement, you'll be under full protection and have your own room in the castle and such. You'll be like a normal resident."

"Is he serious," Adrian asked me. "What the hell are you thinking, Amy? You can't stay here with him! He's fucking crazy – something you know."

"I'm thinking about you and your safety, Adrian," I said firmly. "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you and he let you off easy this time. I can't risk your life again…not when there's something I can do about it." Adrian opened his mouth to speak but the sound of gunshots rang in all of our ears. We all looked behind Adrian to the open doorway where we saw the guards dropping dead. I took a whiff to smell the scent of peaches and sandalwood. Oh no…

"Aw little hunter's here to save the day," Scourge mused as I pulled Adrian back away from the door. I pushed him in the corner of the room just as Sonic appeared in the doorway with a huge rifle in hand. He seemed to have a couple of fatal cuts and bloody spots but he didn't seem to be in pain. His light green eyes scanned around the room before they fell on Scourge. A deadly glare fell onto his face as he looked over my old best friend. Scourge smiled wickedly at him. "Looking for your girlfriend?" He asked him. He nodded in the direction where I was pushing Adrian tighter into the hidden space. "You're going to have to go through me if you want her."

"With pleasure," Sonic growled as he aimed the gun at Scourge. He shot the gun but Scourge dodged the bullet easily using his speed. Sonic's eyes followed him easily as he continued to shoot the gun wherever he went. He kicked the door closed before walking in closer to try to get a better aim. Somehow, though, Scourge had ran up against the wall to get behind Sonic. He kicked my boyfriend down onto the ground before straddling his back. He grabbed the gun in Sonic's hands and pulled it up against his neck. Sonic groaned as he struggled to get Scourge off of him. My old best friend's amused grin had fallen, leaving his mouth in a firm line. His once blue eyes were now a ruby red with blood lust filled in them. The sight scared me halfway to death as did the thought of what he was going to do to Sonic. He was seriously going to try to kill him.

"Stay here," Adrian told me before speeding out of my grasp. He sped up to Scourge and tackled him off of Sonic. The pair began to roll on the floor, throwing punches at each other. While Adrian was strong, Scourge was much stronger and managed to punch Adrian so hard that he flew off of him and right into Scourge's desk. Scourge glared at him for a moment before turning to Sonic who was preparing to smack him right with his gun. Scourge was caught off guard by the smack but recuperated in time to knock Sonic's legs from under him before he could shoot the gun. He quickly got on top of my boyfriend and pinned the gun down against his neck, choking him once more. However, the choking wasn't enough for Scourge. Without a thought, he punched Sonic's leg with so much force that I could hear the crack as he broke the bone. My eyes widened as Sonic screamed out in pain. Scourge's words from my dream echoed in my mind. I can't wait to see how many bones I can break before his heart gives out on him.

"Stop," I yelled as I stood up. Scourge glanced up at me. "Dammit, Scourge, I said stop!"

"Why should I?" He growled. "This pathetic mortal is the reason you can't love me. He's the reason we can't be together. He's the parasite that needs to die so that we can finally be together again…we can finally be happy."

"He's not the problem, Scourge; you are!" Scourge's ruby eyes shot up towards me, their lividness stopping for a split moment. He crinkled his eyebrows together. "You're the reason we can't be together…the reason we can't be happy. Don't you see that? Don't you see what you're doing? You're hurting me by hurting the people I love! If you were understanding and considerate then maybe-"

"Understanding," he snapped. "Considerate?" He shot up off of Sonic and immediately was in front of me. "Do you not see what I've done for you? Do you not see all of the effort I've put into trying to get you back? Do you not see my rank or my accomplishments – everything of which I did for you so that you would be safe to be here! Can't you appreciate anything I've done for you!" His ruby eyes were completely livid now, his mouth curled into a deep scowl.

"No," I said firmly. "Not when you show them like this." He growled. I glanced behind him to see Sonic throwing Adrian one of his guns. My boyfriend was now on his feet, though a bit slumped over, his rifle pointed at Scourge's head. Before he could shoot, Scourge had sped away from me and punched Sonic right in his head. I heard the sound of the crack as his skull seemed to bust open. The sound caused me to flinch. "Scourge, no!"

"Shut the hell up," Scourge yelled back. Adrian tried to shoot at Scourge but Scourge was too fast. He kicked the gun out of my brother's hand and kicked him in the stomach so hard that he hit the bookshelf. The books fell on top of him after he hit the ground. My eyes went to Sonic who was barely standing on his feet. He seemed to be struggling to keep his balance as well as keep his eyes open. His eyes were halfway closed, their vibrant green color dulling from all the pain. Scourge turned his attention back to him. "You…mortal…you die here," he growled at my boyfriend. I yelled out his name as a seemingly green flame formed in Scourge's hand. He threw it at Sonic, hitting him right in the stomach. The flames immediately began to consume him as the impact sent him into the nearest wall. While he didn't seem to be burning, I could see his body shaking slightly from whatever pain was being inflicted upon him. As his body fell to the ground, the flames slowly disappeared.

"Sonic," I yelled as I sped up to him the best I could in the heels. I knelt down beside his wounded body and put my ear to his chest. My heart sunk as I realized that I couldn't hear a heartbeat. Tears immediately fell from my eyes as I continued to call his name and shake him, willing for his heart to continue beating. "Don't die on me. Please don't die on me," I pleaded. I stroked his seemingly sleeping face. "Please don't go away. I need you, okay. You've gotta pull through for me. You've gotta wake up," I told him between my tears.

"Leave him be," I heard Scourge say. "He deserved to die. He was the last obstacle standing in our way. Now, we can…we can finally be together." My broken, bleeding heart stopped for a moment at the sound of Scourge's voice. Instantly, I felt a strong fiery rage fill my veins, making me hot in my dress. I felt my eyes begin to turn red as my blood boiled. I slowly stood up, letting my own purple bolts form into my hand, willing it to go to as much power as it possibly could. I turned around to face Scourge who was staring at me expectantly, his hand held out to me.

"We will never be together," I growled putting emphasis on every word. Scourge raised an eyebrow.

"Don't test me," he warned.

"No, Scourge, it's you who shouldn't have tested me." I raised my hand. "Go to hell, you bastard," I said as I released a long purple bolt out of my hand. It hit Scourge quickly, surrounding him in the color as it burned away at his body. I had only held up the bolt for about thirty seconds but it held enough power to kill him. My anger towards him for killing the one I loved fed into its power and that anger was more than strong enough to kill an entire army. His screams were the last thing out of him before the color flew away and revealed the pile of ash that he had become. I didn't have time to truly dwell on what I'd done before I knelt back down to my poor boyfriend. Adrian, who had dug himself out of the pile of books, came to my side.

"Is he dead," he asked. I once again put my head against his chest only to hear silence. Tears brimmed my eyes once more as my rage simmered down. The sadness that took over my body was much more powerful than the anger I'd felt towards Scourge. I loved Sonic. I loved him so much… I buried my face in his unmoving chest as some of my tears fell. Adrian put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. "Amy, I know you probably don't want to hear this but…there is another option…" I looked up at Adrian to see his mouth in a small frown. "You once said that it was a gift. He may not ask for it but he needs it…you need it…"

"He'll never forgive me if I do," I murmured.

"You'll never forgive yourself if you let him die," Adrian countered. "Do it; do it for the both of your sakes." I stared at him for a second before looking down at my boyfriend's beautiful face. I stroked his cheek as I spoke.

"I'm sorry, Sonic," I whispered. I kissed his still warm lips before dipping my head down to his neck. I let my fangs sharpen, the venom filling into the saliva that came out with them. I didn't hesitate as I sunk my teeth into his neck and pushed for the venom to fill the vein I had bitten into. Some of his sweet blood got into my mouth but I ignored the taste. I continued to bite harder, trying to send as much venom as I possibly could into his body. I didn't stop until I heard one small beat of his heart, signaling that the venom had reached it. Then I pulled away and stroked his face. "I'm so sorry," I murmured again.

The hunters won their battle against the Bana and freed all the guardian warriors they could find. How? I wasn't completely sure. By the time Adrian and I carried Javier's body out to the hallway, there were hunters waiting by to fill us in on the news and take us home. They took Sonic's body away from us first, promising to get him to the infirmary station back in Orlando. Our parents were waiting with the hunters, both with cuts, bruises and thankful smiles to see that we were alive. My mother hugged me so tight that I thought she was going to break my little body. Adrian actually welcomed a hug from Richard, letting him squeeze him as hard as he could. "Thank you," Adrian whispered to him. Richard patted his back in reply.

I teleported our family back to the safe station that the hunters had described to me. It was a big silver business building on the outskirts of Orlando with multiple floors. Most of the rooms had big open windows that looked over the city and a bit of the beach – or at least the rooms my family were in had that. My mother had made me change into a pair of shorts, sneakers, and a crop top before going anywhere else. She understood that I wanted to check on Sonic but she wanted me to just relax for a minute before I did. So, I tried to do just that.

After I changed my clothes, I lay down on the bed in the room the hunters had given me. My mother had left one of my photo albums on the dresser for me to look through. She thought that it would do me some good to review my old life before I fully moved on with my new one. She explained that she wanted me to go to college and make a career and have a life of my own. She wanted the same for Adrian. While he didn't exactly look college aged, she promised she would find some strings to pull to see that he did and so he wouldn't have to live in high school forever. She wanted for both of us to be successful and happy…just as our biological mother did.

So, for the last time, I flipped through my old pictures. I reminisced over my late best friend who stuck by my side through thick and thin. I remembered the annoying little brother who used to do everything he could to get on my last nerve. I admired my parents who loved and supported their children with all of their hearts. I almost fell in love again with my first love. I almost fell for his charming smile, his bright blue eyes, and his charismatic personality. I almost longed for my old life back. With my memories restored, looking over the photos brought back every moment of when they had been taken. I could remember taking family Christmas pictures, doing stupid things with my friends, and going to prom with my boyfriend. I could remember what it had been like to be Amy Rose. I could remember the sassy, smart, sweetheart of a girl that I used to be. But I didn't wish to be her again. Instead I just appreciated the person she was and how she had transformed into the person I had become. She had lived a good life and now I would lead a new one of my own.

When I closed the little photo album, I would admit that I had shed a few tears. I had lost so many people in those photos – people who had meant so much to me at one point at time. My biological parents who had gotten caught in the cross-fire of war trying to protect their children, my best friend whose righteous actions had gotten her life taken away from her, and my first love who lost himself and was unwillingly turned into a person I knew on the inside he didn't want to be. I didn't hate Scourge. Yes, I killed him but I didn't hate him. Instead, I pitied him. His attacker had been a random vampire set out to do his job which cost him his whole identity. He didn't want to be the person he was but the vampire genes inside of him made him that way. Yet, he never showed that evil side to me. All he ever wanted out of this life was for the two of us to be together. I pitied the fact that he would never get his wish and I felt bad that I had taken his life. I didn't, however, regret the action I'd taken. He would've killed me, Sonic, and Adrian at the rate he was going on that day. His mind would've seen me as an obstacle and he would've done something he would regret. It was better that he was in a better place…I hoped.

Once I was done with the photo album, I walked out of my room to seek out Sonic. The first person I ran into was Cream who happily led me to the infirmary. "Are you alright," she asked as we walked through the sun filled building.

"I'll be okay. Thank you for asking," I told her. She nodded.

"If you ever need anything, I'm still here for you. I haven't checked on Sonic so I don't know how he's doing. The hunters know what you've done to him…"

"Are they angry?"

"His father isn't, that's the only thing that matters. He may hate vampires just as much as Sonic does but you saved his life and he can live with his son being a vampire rather than his son having been killed by one."

"Yea, now I can only hope Sonic will be able to see that."

"He will. He may need some time but he will." She gave my hand a squeeze. "Just be patient with him." I nodded.

"Thank you, Cream." She gave me a soft hug as we reached the door to the infirmary. I almost didn't want to let her go. Her warm, comforting hug made my still healing heart feel a bit better. She offered me a soft smile before holding the door open to the infirmary for me. I thanked her again as I walked in.

Immediately, my nose caught the scent of the blood of the wounded hunters. I glanced around to see many closed doors to rooms that held the bloody mortals. The sound of their soft moans of pain as the underwent different operations filled my ears as I continued to walk down the hallway. My nose picked up the familiar scent of peaches and sandalwood, causing my heart to beat quicker. I followed the scent to a room all the way in the back of the infirmary. Sally was standing outside the door, dressed in an outfit similar to mine but with less fabric – her signature look. She straightened up as she saw me. "Is he okay," I asked her.

"He'll be fine," Sally said. "Go see him; he's been asking for you."

"Thanks," I told her. I reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. Sonic was laying on the bed, dressed in only a pair of sweatpants. His tanned skin was completely clear of the bruises and other wounds that were on him before. In fact, his skin seemed to be perfectly clear of any blemishes at all. His eyes were closed, his lips in a soft line. His stomach was moving up and down to the rhythm of his breathing, a soft heartbeat sounding from his chest. Despite that though, I could sense his new vampire status. I understood why he could've thought I was human before though. The vampire scent is so low that you could barely sense it.

As I walked towards his bed, I noticed the container of food as well as the few empty bottles of blood sitting on the counter beside his bed. A soft smile came upon my lips at the sight. He was a vampire like me. We were the same race. Thank God. I hadn't even thought of him turning into a Bana or anything. The only thought I had was that I had to save his life. At least I knew that he was going to be okay.

I cautiously lay down next to him on the bed, trying not to wake him. I put my hand on his bicep, tracing his familiar muscles. The slight touch caused him to jerk awake, his green eyes flicking around the room frantically. They landed on me and I saw some anger flash through them. Before he could speak, I put my hand on his chest to lift myself up and press my lips against his. He stiffened under my sudden kiss but as I continued to mold my lips with his, he began to relax. His arm wrapped around my waist, pushing my chest and torso down against his. His other hand traveled up into my hair as his lips began to respond back to mine. My heart exploded with the love I felt for him as we kissed. I could feel the butterflies travel from my heart down to my toes, my heart beating a million times a minute.

"I'm pissed at you," he murmured against our kisses.

"Be pissed at me later," I replied. "Right now, just kiss me."

"With pleasure," he replied as he continued to mold my lips with his.

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