Robotnik's message had been playing over the main radio channels all day.

Sonic dashed up the rope ladders, three rungs at a time, his green eyes bright with rage. Tails had switched to the station and Sonic had listened—and left. The words pounded in his mind.

He had to see for himself.

Sonic mounted the top of the ladder, He crawled out of the Underground crevice onto a cave on the side of the mountain. The Lookout.

The hedgehog stopped at the edge of the cave and froze, crouching in the open air. He stood up, the wind whipping into his face and through his head spikes.

Sonic searched over the mist-blurred horizon, the free blue sky, the gray sweeping mountains, the open blue-green plains…and Capital Aero….

Sonic caught his breath.

The skyline was gone.

Like he'd expected. But he hadn't expected the robots.

The remains of Aero glittered, filled to the brim with moving and shifting metal bodies. Already bulldozed ground circled around the city, with a single line shooting off from it-a line of machinery. It stretched on, from Capitol Aero to the faded city of Robotropolis on the horizon.

Ants. It was a hill crawling with ants.

Air cruisers and jetships and air freighters collected over the fallen city. One massive egg-shaped freighter hovered them all, casting a shadow across the land for miles.

Shock pierced Sonic's eyes.

He'd never seen anything like this before.

He'd never fought anything like this before.

"Oh man…" the hedgehog breathed.

His chest heaved.

And then, as if a physical weight had been throw over his shoulders, he slumped over, his legs dropping out from beneath him.

Sonic found himself on his knees, clutching the rock below him. He bowed his forehead to the earth.

Weight pressed on him, burying him, drowning him.

He kept breathing, clawing and fisting his hands.

He'd….he'd lost the planet.

Sonic lifted his head, his throat tight, his green eyes burning with terror, terror not so much at the scene before him, but the truth he could not run from—the truth that was riveting into him and paralyzing his limbs and locking his mind and ripping up all the empty holes inside of him—

He was pinned against the ground. He had to run. He had to move. He had to get away from here—he had to do something before it killed him—

his home was gone—and everyone he loved—it was gone again-

Behind Sonic, someone moved.

Sonic whipped his head up and jumped to a crouch, his pupils contracted.

It was enough. The weight released, and once again, Sonic's heart wound up tight, snapped shut.

She was there.

At the other end of the cave, at the edge of the cliff, Sally sat. The chipmunk knelt facing the city, her back to him. Her auburn hair fell in messy tendrils down her slight back and bowed shoulders. She looked as small as ever.

Sonic stared, still squatting on his sneakers.

He wiped at his eyes with his arm and sucked up a breath of air.

He stood up, and walked toward her.

Her ears were already flicked back. She'd heard him the minute he came up.

She did not turn to face him until he stood a few yard behind her. She looked over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes hollow. Tear streaks and dirt masked her face. In both hands, she clutched the Queen's sword, its point planted against the ground.

Sally leaned her face against the pommel.

"Sally…" Sonic said, fisting his hands. He stopped and swallowed.

She stared at him. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then stopped.

She turned back to stare at her ruined kingdom.

Sally shuddered out a sigh. She let the sword fall against her knees as she bowed her head. She released the hilt and ran her hands over her face, through her hair. "Sonic." Her voice sounded flat.

"…You okay, Sally?" Sonic asked, fidgeting.

Even he knew the words sounded stupid.

She didn't look at him. She shook her head to herself, taking a deep breath.

Sonic blinked. He cleared his throat and threw a fist pump. "Well, look who made it out, huh? Good thing we stuck together—always a good idea keeping me around—at least we still have our lives, that's something all things considering—"

"Be quiet." Sally snapped.

Sonic shoved his hands behind his back.

"I've been trying to think all morning…" Sally said. "I've tried everything…" she fell silent, her voice growing hoarse.

She kicked her boot against some scratches she had made in the dirt, scuffing over it. She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face.

Her shoulders began to shake.

Sonic stared at her.

Then he glanced out at the destroyed capital as Sally cried. He fisted his hands, and somehow, a spark of resolve rekindled in his eyes.

"He should have been there," Sally tried again, heaving. "He said he'd come back—but he wasn't there to protect her—and I wasn't there either." She clutched at her face, trying to still the sobs.

"Sal," Sonic dropped down on his knees right behind her. His voice was hard again. "Sal, you listen, okay? I—I don't know what-"

Sonic looked back out over Capitol Aero. He flung out his arm and pointed at the crawling mass of metal bodies and jet ships. He hissed the words with all his might, "I don't know what I am going to do—but, listen, Sal, as long as I can breathe and there's still Mobium in my veins, I'm going to do something!" He spat the word and his eyes flared. "We're going to be okay, Sally, you're going to be okay, we're gonna make it-"

Sally spun her head around and stared at him, her hair falling over her face. Only one of her wide blue eyes showed.

"Get out of here, Sonic," she whispered.

Sonic lurched closer to her. "Sal—don't—"

"Leave me alone," she hissed.

Sonic could not stop himself. He clutched onto her upper arms and met her gaze dead on. "Shut up, princess." he ordered. "I'm not going anywhere. Now you listen to me—you just lost everything out there, and you know what? You're probably going to lose more. I don't know how much we are going to have to lose, and I don't know if we're ever going to get a scrap of it back in this life—and that's not easy to take."

"Let go," Sally snarled, trying to worm out of his grasp, but he only held on tighter.

"I'm sorry it's like that, Sal," Sonic breathed hard, his eyes shining. "I'm sorry this happened to you. But you've gotta listen to me when I say it's gonna be okay—one way or another, Sal, it is—going—to be—okay—even if we don't live to see it."

Sally's eyes burned, but Sonic saw she had heard. She knew.

"We're not dead yet," Sonic said. "We've only got today and maybe tomorrow and maybe the next day, and I'm going to do everything I can so you can be alive to see that day—I'm your man and I'm going to fight for you—"

Sally's eyes went huge.

"No!" She burst out and she knocked his arms free with a release blow.

Sonic fell back from her with a wince.

"I don't want you to do anything for me, Sonic," Sally cried, crouching on all fours and shaking. "And I don't want to hear you say it's going to be okay ever, because nothing short of a miracle is going to make it okay, and it's already over for who knows how many people in that city, people I swore to protect. I don't want you to somehow enchant me into thinking I can go back down there when it's over. It's over. Planet Marto and the Mobian race is over." Tears dripped down her chin. She scowled, twisting her face. "Get out of here. Get out of here right now, I don't care what you do, but leave me alone!"

Sonic stood up, stepping back from her, his head cocked. He glared.

Sally watched, waiting.

"You really don't believe me?" Sonic asked.

Sally opened her mouth, but Sonic went on.

"The game isn't over until the game is over." Sonic said, raising his voice. "You're just gonna give up, huh? Some princess, Sal, that's your job, you were born with it, you can't run away from it—the Sal I know isn't a coward-!"

"You!" Sally's eyes flared. "You are a selfish immature boy."

"Sure, sure, selfish, immature, huh-?"

"-Yes, you always have been and always will be—"

"I took you into that palace, and got you out again, and when we were back in that cave, I would've taken those bullets for you." Sonic hissed.

"So would have any of my entourage had they lived," Sally tossed her hair. "Oh, do you want me to thank you? To flatter you? To call you my hero? Like all those other girls who suck up to you, simpering and falling all over you—Oh, fine—Thank you, Sonic, for everything," she spat, her voice flat. "I would have died without you back there countless times. You saved my life and now I can live to fight a battle I can never win and don't you dare pretend to tell me otherwise. You know why I don't believe you? Because you don't even believe yourself."

Sonic raised his eyebrows.

"You are a liar." she said. "And I don't trust you."

For a moment, neither one spoke, they only stared.

Liars are cowards. The oft-said phrase ran through their minds at the same time, their gazes locked on each other.

"So, who is the real coward?" Sally said, lifting her chin. "The one who lies to give false hope? Or the who looks at the world, accepts the truth, and plans accordingly?"

Sonic did not move. His limbs had locked and the light in his eyes had sharpened to needle points.

"I'll show you, Sal," he gritted out.

Bitter triumph settled over Sally's face and she lifted her chin. "Oh. And my name is not 'Sal'," she rose, standing with her feet apart, braced against the rocks beneath her. "My name is Sally Alicia, Princess of the House of Aero, Daughter of the exiled King Maximus and the late Queen Alicia, Sonic. This is my kingdom, and you are my subject, my Ringwielder, and I command you to shut your mouth and obey me and leave."

Sonic's cheeks began to burn.

He glared hard at her.

Turned on his heel.

And left her alone.


Finally, some updates! Happy New Year to you all. *bows* I'm hoping to be on here for the next few days with updates. Thank you to anyone who is still reading this! XD

~Connie/April