It was raining the day they said goodbye to Sonic.

For two days now, it had been raining nonstop. Ever since Sonic had died, it had been raining.

Some people would say it was a mere weather pattern, and that Sonic's death had no relation to it.

But Amy knew better.

She knew that the rain was Sonic. She knew that he had been crying when he died, what would be stopping him in the afterlife? He was mourning his death, and he was mourning the ones he left behind.

Thinking about Sonic and the afterlife brought tears to Amy's eyes, but she fought them back, at least for now. She had to be strong now, today more than ever.

After all, today was the day they were going to say goodbye.


"Um…we are gathered here today to say goodbye to our friend and ally, Sonic the Hedgehog." Knuckles, who had always been so strong, was barely able to fight back his sorrow as he began a eulogy for the fallen hero.

But he wasn't the only one unable to control his emotions. Tails, who had known Sonic longer than anybody else, had been his best friend, and was a complete wreck, sobbing uncontrollably like a small child. It was painful to watch the normally calm fox act like this.

Cream, who was the youngest, was crying quietly and clinging to Rouge's leg. Rouge, who was trying to comfort the young girl, was not much better than her, and she, like Tails and Cream, was crying. Just because Rouge and Sonic hadn't always seen eye to eye, it didn't mean she had wanted him to die.

Shadow remained emotionless. He didn't appear to be either sad or happy about the death of his rival, and Amy wondered, what was he thinking? Was he glad Sonic was gone, or did he miss him just like everybody else?

She probably would have kept wondering about Shadow's feelings, but Knuckles' worlds brought her out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Before we begin…Would anybody like to say a few words?"

For a moment, everybody was silent. They all wanted to say something, how much they missed Sonic, how much they had all cared, and how they all still needed him. But for all of them, how they had felt about Sonic was beyond words. He had been more than a friend and an ally. He had been more than a hero.

He had been more than a god.

After a long pause, Amy stepped forward. She knew she had to be strong now. It was her last chance to tell Sonic he was her friend, and she was sorry, and that she would always love him, no matter how many years go by.

She sighed, and then began to speak.

"Sonic…he was my hero. For the longest time, I just stayed at my home on the Little Planet and worshipped him from afar. And then…I met him…and he was so different from all the stories I'd ever heard. He was brave, and dashing, and he wouldn't stay still for more than five minutes, especially when there were people in trouble. He was a hero in every sense of the word, and I loved him. I always chased him around and made silly, childish demands of marriage, but I honestly and truly did love him. I don't know how he felt about me, and I guess I'll never know now…" She gulped. "I was with him when he died…and he died the way he lived."

She did not mention any of the details about his death, nor did she mention whose fault it was. She had said all that she had felt about Sonic, and as she stepped back, other came forth and told their stories. How they had met Sonic, how they felt about him, and how much they would miss him.

All of them, that is, except Shadow.

Knuckles looked around at the faces of Sonic's friends and allies as he prepared to begin the actual funeral. "Does anybody else have anything they would like to say?"

There was silence.

"Then let us begin."

"Sonic the Hedgehog. He was a hero, an enemy, a rival, and a friend. Many knew of him, and the few who knew him knew the true meaning of the word friend. He was loyal, caring, and a pain in the butt at times. But he never gave up on his friends or his enemies, and he always believed that there was good in everybody, no matter how evil they could act. I met Sonic when Eggman tricked me for the first time, and even though I had been willing to kill him then, he didn't believe I was evil, and he didn't give up on me. He felt that way about everybody, which is why he couldn't stand to see people being hurt. That is why he was a hero, and that is why he was our friend. And, sadly, that is why he died. He failed to see what was laid out before him, and his belief that there was good in all was part of his demise. He was greatly loved, and will also be greatly missed. May his soul continue to run in the afterlife."

It was at this time that Shadow, who had disappeared during Knuckle's eulogy, reappeared, carrying what appeared on the outside to be just a simple wooden coffin.

In reality, he was carrying the fallen god, Sonic the Hedgehog.

Without showing any emotions, he walked past Sonic's friends and gently placed the coffin carrying his remains in the grave that he and Knuckles had dug the day before. Then, still emotionless, he began to fill in Sonic's grave.

Amy didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but it seemed as with each shovel of dirt, the rain came down a little harder, and she even swore she heard thunder in the distance.

And soon, it was over. Everybody had stayed for a moment, simply looking at Sonic's tombstone, and observing one final moment of silence for the fallen hero. And then, they were gone.

Amy lingered on for a moment longer, though. She was just staring, absorbing the message on Sonic's tomb.

Sonic the Hedgehog.
Friend.
Ally.
Hero.

She was preparing to leave when she heard a voice behind her.

"I guess it's so long, faker."

Amy turned to face Shadow. His face was still blank and expressionless. They stared at each other for a moment, before he turned and walked away.

"Sayonara, Sonic the ultimate lifeform. I was wrong about you."

Amy watched the black hedgehog walk away into the rain.

I guess he really does miss Sonic after all…

She turned to face Sonic's grave one last time. Slowly, she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a torn, faded, ancient tarot card. To anybody else, it was just a piece of paper that should have been thrown out a long time ago, but to her…

This was the tarot card that had predicted her first meeting with Sonic.

Gently, she placed the card on Sonic's grave, and turned to walk away.

Farewell Sonic, my love…


"Egg Pawns, guard the area and keep watch. Anybody suspicious, like that knucklehead or the fox, or any other of Sonic's friends, stun them, but don't kill them."

"YES DOCTOR."

Doctor Ivo Robotnik, also known to his late adversary as Dr. Eggman, approached the last resting place of Sonic the Hedgehog and sighed.

"Well Sonic, it's come to this. Ever since we met, I've dreamed of this moment. The day that you finally bought the farm was supposed to be a glorious day for me. It was supposed to be everything I ever wanted. But it isn't. You foiled every plan I ever made, and yet…I suppose that I respected you, as a rival. Now you're gone. What's the point of trying to conquer the world if you're not going to be there to stop me?"

The doctor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a very old gold ring, its glow long since gone.

"You always did miss at least one of these…"

He placed it next to Amy's tarot card, and stared at the simple grave for a moment.

His rival and enemy was dead, and it was because of him.

"Come on Egg Pawns. We have to prepare for whatever Tails and his friends might have planned."

He looked at the grave one last time, and with his army of robots, he walked away from Sonic forever.

Farewell Sonic, my adversary…