Galaxina smiled as she held a baby Seedrian girl tenderly in her arms. Starla looked up at her. "So this is the only baby that could grow from the seeds, Galaxina?"

At Starla's question, Galaxina closed her eyes and nodded sadly. "Yes. None of the other seeds showed signs of life."

"If this keeps up, our clan won't last for long!" Daisy said. "What should we do?"

"Earthia has been able to hang on so far due to the fake Planet Egg," Chrysanthemum said as she looked at the baby Seedrian girl. "But as time goes on, I see she's definitely getting weaker. That's her last child."

The Seedrian baby girl cried in Galaxina's arms, and Galaxina smiled tenderly. "Don't cry, dear!"

Galaxina's eyes shot in realization. "Oh, I almost forgot! We haven't given her a name yet!"

"Cosmo."

Starla, Daisy, Galaxina, and Chrysanthemum gasped, turning around to glance at Earthia's tree. "Cosmo." Earthia continued. "She is the last of my offspring and the last hope for the galaxy. Guard and protect her. Her future depends on it!"

"Did you hear Mother?" Galaxina smiled at the newly named Cosmo. "You're a very special baby!"

Penny shook the vision from her, her blue eyes wide with surprise. No way. Cosmo was to be the last hope for the Galaxy?

Her thoughts trailed off and she soon turned her gaze back towards the peach-seed-like planet. "What is that thing..." Penny whispered.

Cosmo placed a hand on her amulet as it glowed, and her eyes showing worry. "Mother..."

"This doesn't look good!" Tails gulped. "Its energy is increasing so rapidly, our scanners can't measure it!"

"Blast!" Eggman growled. "The forestation process is getting too powerful for us to stop!"

Shadow hopped off the Egg Crimson and flew to stop the pulsing planet.

"Shadow!" Penny and Chris yelped. Sonic looked at Chris. "Let's help him! Come on, Silver!"

Silver nodded and flew over to Chris's plane. Penny clung to the wing tightly as they sped up to him.

"RING TUNNEL!" Chris yelled. "Go, Sonic, and Silver!"

At Chris's demand, Silver and Sonic both zoomed through the ring tunnel to help Shadow. As they spun at the seed-like planet's holes, a weird dark purplish-black formula swished out, tossing Silver and Sonic back. Penny let out a yell as the formula slammed into Chris's plane.

Shadow tried using Chaos spheres at the planet, but the purplish-black formula smacked him away.

The Thorndyke siblings let out a yell as the plane tumbled backward, and Sonic caught Penny just in time before she got a concussion.

Penny groaned. She felt two hands on her shoulders, and she looked up to see Sonic and Shadow glancing down worriedly at her.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked, shooting Shadow dagger glares. But Shadow didn't even flinch. The three just stared at the planet.

...

"We got all the Emeralds!" Vector said. Knuckles frowned, pointing to the now faded Emeralds. "But look. They're useless now!"

Cream looked down. "Those poor Chaos Emeralds!" She whimpered. "All their power is gone!"

"Chao Chao!" Cheese said.

"The SOL Emeralds did their work," Blaze said, holding the SOL Emeralds close. "They're not like the Chaos Emeralds, but now they need to recharge. I can help with that." Blaze moaned and passed out in Cloud's arms. "She used too much power!" Cloud gasped.

Knuckles growled. "Just great! Without Blaze to help with the SOL Emeralds, we don't have a single working Emerald!"

"Now how can we fight that without extra power? The Chaos Emeralds are out!" Cloud said, frowning.

"Eggman!" Tails gasped, looking at the screen. Eggman peered down at them. "Listen. According to my calculations, there's a chance we can restore the power of the Chaos Emeralds. However, it will take the energy of both our ships!"

"Doctor, something's happening!" Bokkun cried, turning to face the planet.

A bright light surrounded the peach-seed- like-planet. Purple rays shot from the planet. A second later, Penny started feeling weak, falling into Sonic's arms. Plants started to grow around them.

"Penny?" Sonic asked. She moaned in response, and Sonic soon knelt to his knees, too. Shadow did his best to fight the weakness, but Penny could tell by his grunts he was having trouble too.

"I'm starting to feel weak..." Chris groaned, clutching his stomach.

Inside the Blue Typhoon, everyone was starting to feel the sudden change in their bodies too. Whisper grunted, clutching herself. "What's going on?"

"I can't keep my tail up anymore!" Tangle complained, her voice wavering a little like Whisper's.

"What's happening, Tails?" Cosmo asked.

"Dark Oak is taking the life energy out of our bodies!" Tails grunted out. "Just like the Metarex did to all the planets they attacked!"

"It's drawing in all energy it can find to spread plant life across the galaxy!" Eggman said. "It's the last stage of the forestation process!"

Cosmo stood up, wrapping the Chaos Emeralds in her hankie. Tails glanced at her. "Cosmo?"

"Dark Oak cannot take my life energy away from me, because we both come from the same species of plants. I'll take care of this!" Cosmo said, hurrying out the door.

Tails stared after her, shocked.

...

Cosmo stared up at Eggman's ship. "I'll take these Chaos Emeralds to Dr. Eggman so he can restore their power," Cosmo said. She started climbing up one of the roots leading towards Eggman's ship. "The Metarex want to wipe out all animal life in the galaxy, but I still believe it's possible for plant and animal species to coexist in peace. Just like how I made friends with Tails, Penny, and the others. Dark Oak, there's still time for me to stop your plan!"

Dark Oak growled at her. "You cannot win. It is hopeless! What can one girl do to stop the Metarex?"

Cosmo stopped for a second but kept moving. "Nothing you will say will make me give up. I have hope! Hope for a better future! A future of true peace! That's the kind of future my friends are fighting for!"

In response to that, Dark Oak sent out a red ray to control the vines. The vines grabbed Cosmo around the waist and she let out a yell of fear. The vines then smashed her headfirst against the Egg Crimson.

Tails's eyes widened. "COSMO!"

Cosmo was shocked for a moment, but she came too quickly and strained against the vines. But due to her weakness from the smash, Cosmo lost her grip on the Chaos Emeralds, and they fell deep into space.

"I LOST THE CHAOS EMERALDS!" Cosmo cried.

Hearing Cosmo yell, Penny opened up one eye and witnessed the seven dim lights of the Chaos Emeralds fall deep into space once again.

Sonic was about to go after them, but Penny grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with fear. Shadow shook his head and was about to retrieve them himself when a colorful rainbow of light came from the Metarex planet. A second later, the pain left Penny's body and Sonic finally placed her down.

"What's happening?" Hiro asked.

"We've stopped losing energy!" Tails explained.

"It's because of the Planet Egg!" Eggman said. "It appears the life force the Metarex stole from the planets is responding to the Chaos Emeralds!"

Cosmo smiled freed herself, floating gently to the ground. "Thank you..." She thought, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

The Seven Chaos Emeralds floated down towards Sonic, Silver, and Shadow.

Shadow stared at the Chaos Emeralds when Molly's voice appeared in his head. "Shadow!"

Shadow's eyes widened. He glared and turned around.

"You ready, Shadow and Silver?" Sonic asked.

"All set," Shadow growled.

"Let's finish this!" Silver added, getting into a fighting stance.

The three hedgehogs closed their eyes, and Penny witnessed the Chaos Emeralds turn them from their normal color to different shades of gold...their super form.

Cosmo stood on the deck and smiled happily as she watched her friends join up to fight the Metarex.

"What's going on?" Cream asked, running up with Cheese to join Cosmo.

"Shadow, Sonic, and Silver are teaming up to stop the Metarex!" Cosmo answered.

"They'll be okay... I hope." Chris muttered. Kat squeezed his hand reassuringly.

The three hedgehogs lunged towards the eerie planet, working together to destroy the planet. It seemed to be working. After several super punches, the planet split into two and exploded into a ball of bright light.

"It's gone..." Penny gasped.

Eggman's voice suddenly interrupted everyone's celebrations. "Something is wrong!" He exclaimed. "The energy levels are starting to reverse! Hmm! It seems like it's including now!"

Penny's eyes widened as she stared at the now spherical black planet. Dark Oak's voice rose from the planet. "Foolish hedgehogs! With the help of the Planet Egg, you have indeed stopped me from transforming the galaxy. But you can not win this battle! If the Metarex cannot rule the galaxy, then we will destroy it!"

Sonic grunted as he felt needles poke him. The planet was surrounded by it.

"The pressure inside that thing is growing fast!" Tails gasped.

"What's Dark Oak trying to do?!" Vector asked. Chris stepped up. "I know," the genius said. "He's producing a huge gravitational force! Because he's trying to crush the Planet Egg."

Cloud, who was still holding an unconscious Blaze, turned to Chris. "But why is he doing that?!"

Chris turned to Cloud. "Imagine it's like a big balloon. And you keep on squeezing it tighter and tighter. You know what happens sooner or later, don't you?"

"It goes BANG!" Charmy said enthusiastically.

Espio's eyes widened, and he held a hand up. "Hold on! Are you telling us that thing's going to explode?!"

"I'm afraid so..." Chris muttered.

"That sounds bad," Rouge hummed.

"Now what?!" Tangle gasped.

Whisper looked down, too worried to even say anything. Her wisps nuzzled her, looking worried.

"Dark Oak really is trying to destroy the galaxy..." Cosmo whispered, clutching her red amulet.

Penny watched as Sonic, Shadow, and Silver tried attacking it with the spin dash, but the force stopped them from smashing into the planet. They grunted as the gravity trapped them in place. Shadow grunted and raised his hands, trying to force the gravity away. Sonic and Silver did the same.

Bokkun turned to Eggman. "Isn't there anything we can do to help break through that gravity field?"

Eggman frowned, crossing his arms. "Well, I've got one plan that involves you robots, but you won't like it."

"Oh?" Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun asked.

"When you were built, I put special self-destruct circuits inside your bodies in case of an emergency such as this. I could send you all to break through the gravity field!"

All three robots looked queazy about this. "But Dr. Eggman, that will destroy us, too!" Decoe said.

"And besides, that gravity field is really powerful, so it will take a huge amount of energy to breakthrough!" Bocoe said.

"Good point!" Decoe cried.

"Eggman," Hiro said. "Please don't carry on with that plan."

Eggman sighed. "Don't worry, I won't. The explosion wouldn't be strong enough to penetrate the field!"

"DON'T YOU HAVE ANOTHER PLAN UP YOUR SLEEVE?!" Knuckles yelped. "WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME HERE!"

Rouge put a hand on her hip, frowning at Eggman. "You claim to be a scientific genius. This would be the perfect opportunity to prove it to us."

Shadow grunted, reaching for his ring. Sonic stopped him. "Don't use that ring yet."

Shadow looked at Sonic, surprised and a bit confused. The hedgehog continued. "In a few seconds, we're going to need all the power we can get!"

"Sonic's right." Silver nodded.

Shadow sighed but moved his hands away from his rings, going back to the position he was in before.

Sonic looked up and called out to the Blue Typhoon members. "Listen up, everybody!" He yelled. "Our only hope of saving the galaxy is to throw all the energy we've got at this gravity field in one shot! Use the Sonic Power Cannon and launch me and Silver at it!"

"It's way too risky!" Tails protested. "We've never launched it from the power cannon before when you were Super Sonic and Silver! We don't have any idea what will happen to you two!"

"That gravity field is extremely powerful, Sonic!" Chris gasped. "If you and Silver smash into it, the force could be too much for your body to take!"

"W-what?!" Penny choked out, glancing at Chris with wide eyes.

"You mean to tell us there's a good chance Sonic and Silver won't even survive the attack?!" Knuckles yelped.

"They can't do it!" Amy cried, clenching her hands. "We have to come up with another plan!"

"Silver and I don't know if we can save the galaxy, but we have to try! And there's no way anyone's going to talk us out of it, so save your breath! Now, are you going to help me or not?!"

"Let's do it!" Chris said. He hurried over to the Blue Typhoon's computer and started typing. "I'm routing all the energy in the network to the Power Cannon."

"We only have one chance to break through that field! We'll need all the energy we can get!" Tails said.

"Prepare to transfer all power to the Blue Typhoon!" Bocoe said.

"Cutting off the ship's energy supply now and sending it to the Sonic Power Cannon!"

Both ships went dark as all the energy drained from the ships to the Sonic Power Cannon.

"Be honest, doctor," Bokkun said. "I wanna know what you think. Do Sonic and Silver have a chance of saving the galaxy?"

Eggman didn't answer.

"I'm so nervous I can't even look!" Cream whimpered, squeezing her eyes tight.

"I feel helpless..." Cosmo whispered.

Cosmo's red amulet glowed, and she gasped as her mother spoke to her. "Cosmo. This is the moment we've been waiting for. You can help save the galaxy and our clan if you only believe in yourself."

Cosmo's heart pounded against her chest as she held her red amulet. "This is why I was sent here..." She muttered.

Cream looked up. "Are you okay?"

Cosmo turned to her, a peaceful expression on the girl's face, her shoulder-length green hair wavering in the wind. "I understand now! There can be peace in the galaxy, and I have the power to make it happen, Cream!"

"What do you mean?!" Cream asked, her eyes wide.

Cosmo sighed, and the amulet glowed brighter, lifting her off the ground.

"Where are you going?!" Cream cried, running up to the floating Cosmo.

Cosmo placed both hands on her amulet, and it cracked, allowing her to form from her childish self to a beautiful full-grown adult Seedrian. Her short green hair was now flowing down to her hips, her two flower buds that were above her ears bloomed into beautiful hot pink roses. She smiled peacefully as she floated towards the planet that Sonic, Silver, and Shadow were trying to destroy.

"NO!" Cream's plea came as she ran into the control room, stopping next to Penny. Cream was crying as she looked out the window. "COME BACK!"

"What's wrong?!" Tails asked, concerned for the bunny.

"Cosmo's out there to help stop Dark Oak!"

Penny's eyes widened with shock. "No..." She gasped. Chris grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

Feeling Cosmo's presence, Sonic turned around. "Why are you here?" He asked.

"Mother, I feel really happy now because I finally know what my purpose is!" Cosmo thought as she drifted towards Dark Oak's planet, passing through Sonic, Shadow, and Silver as she broke through the gravity field. "My friends mean more to me than anything. Which is why I'm giving up everything to save them!"

Cosmo smiled as she paralyzed Dark Oak, planting herself within his surface.

A second later, a bright light filled the spot where Dark Oak's planet was.

Tails gasped. "What's she doing?!"

Flower petals fell, and the light faded away, leaving Cosmo's fully bloomed cherry blossom tree. Earthia spoke to her daughter. "Cosmo. You can transform and pass through the gravity field. In your new form, you will be like me. Your destiny will be fulfilled. You have the power to stop Dark Oak, and bring new life to our clan."

Penny's eyes swelled with tears. Her heart was breaking, but not in the way Tails's heart was.

Cosmo spoke to them. "I'm in place. You can shoot now. I'm directly linked to Dark Oak. He's monopolized." She smiled softly. "I beg you, shoot me and you will be able to destroy him."

"No..." Penny whimpered. Tears formed at the edges of her eyes.

"Dark Oak..." Chris murmured. "They're one!"

"Cosmo..." Kat gasped, sniffling.

"That girl... will die?" Vector asked.

"No...it's not true!" Charmy whimpered.

"I don't want it to end like this, this isn't right!" Knuckles growled. "There must be another way! A way to save Cosmo and beat Dark Oak! Chris!" He yelled, turning to Chris. But Chris's back was turned to him, and Chris sniffed. He held his older sister in his arms. Penny looked shocked at what was happening right now. Chris sighed as he tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry..." Chris gasped, shedding a few tears. Kat covered her mouth, and Hiro looked down, squeezing her hand. But he looked saddened too.

"Cosmo seems sure about this, but I don't want this to happen!" Tangle said, her eyes wide and crying. Whisper looked upset as well.

"We have to do something, you can't let Cosmo sacrifice herself!" Knuckles continued. "She's going to die! TAILS!"

"Would you stop screaming?!" Rouge snapped, turning to him. Her eyes were full of tears. "We're all as sad and revolted as you are! Believe me, we all wanted to stop her!"

"Cosmo..." Penny whispered, falling to her knees. Her eyes wide with shock as tears slid down her cheeks. "Sonic... Shadow...Silver..."

Chris grabbed his older sister in his arms and tried to comfort her, but it was hard because he was grieving about Cosmo's choice too.

Cloud shook his head. Blaze, who had finally woken up, buried her face in her hands. "It can't be true..." She muttered.

"Everyone... can you leave me alone?" Tails finally spoke. Penny snapped out of her shocked trance and turned to Tails. His eyes were wide with shock, and he was looking down. "It pains me to ask, but I really insist."

Tails readied the Sonic Power Cannon. His heart was hurting. He clenched the Sonic Power Cannon lever in his hands.

"Tails! We must act immediately! Prepare to fire the cannon at my command!"

Tails lifted his head slightly.

Sonic and Silver launched themselves right into the cannon, but Shadow lingered back for a minute. He had to say goodbye to Penny before he did this. He teleported up to Penny's side, and she gasped, looking up at him through her teary-eyes. "S-Shadow..." She hiccuped. She hopped up and grabbed him in a hug.

"I'm going to help Sonic and Silver," The dark hedgehog whispered softly, patting her back gently. "But I wanted to say it in case anything were to happen."

Penny looked at him, wiping her eyes.

Shadow looked down. "I..love you." He stuttered out, clenching his fists.

Penny's eyes widened as she stared at the dark hedgehog. She smiled softly and grabbed him in another hug. "I..love you, too." She muttered. "Could you tell Sonic I said that, too? Even Silver?"

Shadow stiffened a little but slowly nodded. Penny gave his hand a final squeeze. "Go help them..." She whispered.

Shadow nodded, before teleporting back to help Sonic and Silver. Penny shrank to her knees.

"Lock cannon into place and take aim!" Eggman ordered. "Tails, it's time. There's no time to lose!"

Sonic and Silver zoomed into the opening of the cannon.

"Get ready, Sonic and Silver!"

Sonic stood there next to Silver, awaiting the order when a third ray of light appeared beside them.

Shadow.

He sent Sonic and Silver a grin, and they returned it.

Sonic, Shadow, and Silver started powering up the cannon with their spin dash.

"Sonic, Silver, and Shadow are fighting together!" Bocoe said.

"Which means this blast will be three times powerful!" Decoe said.

"Sonic...Shadow...Silver..." Penny whispered. Chris placed a hand on his sister's shoulder.

Knuckles squeezed his eyes shut. Hiro did the same, not willing to look.

"Sonic Power Cannon... FIRE!" Eggman ordered.

"ROGER!" Tails yelled. His thumb was over the button to fire the cannon, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shoot. He couldn't hurt Cosmo.

Tails let out an anguished scream and banged his head on the dashboard. He started crying. "Just as I thought. I can't do it." He sniffed. "No...I can't hurt Cosmo!"

"Tails. Do you want her sacrifice to be useless?"

"Impossible..." Tails whimpered, tears falling from his royal blue eyes. "I can't shoot her!"

"Do you know what type of feeling she's having right now? You traveled this far with her, of course you would understand! And Cosmo is carrying out her destiny. She was meant to save the galaxy, and we have to help her."

Tails hiccuped, looking up at Cosmo's beautiful cherry blossom tree, planted on the edge of Dark Oak's planet. "Sure I know." He whimpered. "But... I don't want to!"

"Tails," Cosmo said, her hands clasped over her chest into a praying motion. "Until the end, for all the problems I bought for you, excuse me."

"Cosmo. You never caused me problems! I've been happy with you!" Tails gasped.

"Trust me, Tails," Cosmo said gently. "You have to fire. It's the only way to save all of us!"

"I don't want to lose you!" Tails continued to protest.

Cosmo smiled. "You won't, Tails. You'll defeat the Metarex and spread the seeds of my clan through the galaxy. Just shoot, Tails!"

Tails' eyes widened, and his tears spilled faster. He squeezed his eyes shut. "I CAN'T DO IT!" He screamed, closing the lid to the Power Cannon fire button.

"Because...Cosmo..." Tails gasped. "I LOVE YOU!"

And he pressed the button.

Three rays of gold light...Sonic, Shadow, and Silver, shot through space and smashed into Cosmo and Dark Oak's planet.

Cosmo smiled as she floated away. "Thank you, Tails!" She cried happily. "I love you, too! I'll never forget you!"