Updating for the weekend, and then LEAVING IT UNTIL MONDAY. Why? Because I know I'm hyped and I need to slow down. So I'm forcing myself. No update until the 19th. And if I update before, I shall be slapped. Anyway, I hate leaving it where I did. =3 Yay for twists.

~Wolf~

I sat in the middle of the living room floor, reading the crumpled, tearstained paper over and over. It had been a week, and I still refused to leave his apartment. He really had cared. He really did love me, and all I did was scream at him; told him I hated him, no less, and he still loved me. If his death wasn't going to hit me hard before, it was now. And it did. I limply held the letter in my hand as I rested my head on my knees, weeping uncontrollably and gasping for air as I did so.

I couldn't forgive myself; there was no way. The last thing I told him was I hated him, and he loved me! How could I have been so cruel to him?! I didn't know what to do. My thoughts and emotions were going haywire, and my sanity had left me completely helpless. I just cried. I couldn't think of anything better to do. I was worthless. I couldn't think of a reason to live, even though I knew there had to be one. I chased after him for years, and just when I'd given up, he was ready to move forward. Now everything was completely ruined.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I glanced up. Behind me stood a red echidna, his gaze gentler than I'd ever seen it before. Gently, he helped me to my feet, even though I didn't want to move. I bit back tears and tried to hide the fact that I was crying, but it only made me start all over again.

He embraced me quietly, letting me cry and lean against his strong frame. He didn't even tremble. Did he care? I'm sure he did, but I didn't feel like asking. I was too busy shaking and sobbing. My fist clenched around the letter as I screamed my sorrow into his red and white chest fur, my hands pressed tightly in between me and him. My regret was overwhelming, and I poured it out in uncontrolled sobs.

Knuckles didn't even move, but held me the entire time. He didn't complain that I was taking too long, or snap at me for sobbing so much. He was patient with me, and that was something I wasn't used to. I was used to "suck it up and let's do something fun." Sonic would've… it doesn't matter what Sonic would've done. He couldn't comfort me when he was the one I lost. Life doesn't work that way.

Eventually, though, I calmed. In hindsight, it was probably because I couldn't really breathe. The tears still came, but the sobs weren't racking my entire body like before. Knuckles gently let me go and led me to sit on the couch. He sat beside me as I opened the letter and stared blankly at it. At first I thought he was reading, but he looked away not too long after his first glance at it.

"Are you alright?"

His voice surprised me, and my ears twitched slightly. I hadn't heard anything but my own cries for seven days. "No… No, I'm not."

"Everything'll work out, you know. I'm sure we can defeat Aeron without him."

"You really think I'm worried about Aeron?" I snapped, glaring directly at him. "Knuckles, Aeron is the least of my worries right now. Sonic's dead, Knuckles. Dead. And the last thing I told him was that I hated him. I can't take it back!"

"I know that, Ames. I'm sure the last thing I told him wasn't kind."

"What was it you told him, then?" I barked.

"I… I… don't remember, actually… probably something along the lines of 'See you later.'"

"See?!"

"What I'm trying to say is you can't let that get to you. He's gone, Ames. Deal."

"Deal?! The last words I said to him were 'I hate you.' How do I 'deal' with that?!"

"Ames, you two weren't meant to--"

"Shut up! We were… we were!" I cried, grabbing the ring and shoving it in front of his muzzle.

"Ames," murmured Knuckles, his eyes pained as he gazed first at the ring, then at me.

"Call me that again and I'll shoot you." At the time, it wasn't an idle threat, and he knew that. He glanced at the handgun on my belt, and then edged slowly back.

"Amy, he's gone, and you need to move on. We have Aeron to worry about."

I resisted the urge to shoot him. I figured I'd regret it later. "You try living with a dead loved one, who the last thing you told was you hated them. Then come back to me a week later, and we'll see if you've moved on."

Knuckles sighed and stood, walking towards the door. "Amy, I know it hurts. I hate to admit it, but I'll miss the blue blur too."

"Watch it, Red," I snapped, using the nickname I knew he hated. "I don't want to hear this right now."

He wasn't any better at conversation than Sonic; probably worse. "Amy, I… I don't know what else I can do. The best way I have to deal with pain is to focus on something else. Revenge is the best thing I can think of. You, Tails, and I; we can defeat Aeron.

"It'll take more than just us," barked a new voice. I glanced around Knuckles and saw a twin-tailed kitsune standing in the doorway. "I did some research and made some calls about Aeron and what happened last week. It seems Sonic's transmitter picked up all of the audio. Amy, did you see the one Sonic was fighting?"

"Yes."

"Describe her to me."

I wasn't used to Tails being so curt. I knew something other than Sonic's death must have been messing with him. "A feline. Dark chocolate brown fur with dark tips on her ears and tail. Ice blue eyes. Same style of clothing as me."

Tails glared at the floor before looking back up at me. "That's what I was worried about. That cat, who's really a lynx, is Luktani. She's the current leader of the Aeron assassins. She's cunning, dangerous, and has already proven to be a deadly enemy. Her weapon of choice is a throwing dagger, and she normally carries two. She also uses a pistol."

"And a Chaos Emerald," I added.

"What?!" exclaimed Tails, his eyes widening. "When was this?!"

"She used it to heal herself and give her an advantage when she was fighting Sonic. That's how she won."

"She only had one?"

"That I saw."

Tails shook his head and ran his fingers over his ears. "This isn't good. I didn't realize Luktani could channel the Chaos Emeralds. No one left on our team can channel them." I winced at his wording. No one left on our team…

"I thought you and Knuckles turned Super once," I stated.

"We did, but the Chaos Energy had to be channeled through Sonic to us. If we had tried to access it directly, it could have either ignored us, remaining dormant, or it could have killed us. We need Sonic for the Chaos Emeralds to do us any good!"

"Now, Luktani didn't turn Super, she just used the healing properties of the Emerald," I growled. My patience was running dangerously thin, and Tails jumping to conclusions like this wasn't helping.

"I know that, but it means she could potentially turn Super. I can't channel the Emerald's powers directly, and neither can Knuckles."

"But I can." Tails stared at me.

"You can use them?"

"A little. I can't turn Super like Sonic, but I can use them to summon hammers."

"I thought you could summon hammers anyway," snapped Tails.

"I can. But with a Chaos Emerald, I can make them a lot larger and still be able to carry them," I replied.

Tails rubbed his chin as he contemplated our situation. "Okay, that doesn't help much, but it does mean you have the potential to turn Super as well. Still, trying may get you killed. We can't afford to lose you, too."

I shook my head. "I know."

Tails glanced around the apartment, then spoke again. "It doesn't matter now. Go home, Ames, and get some sleep. Knux, you too. We'll meet again at the old Aeron base tomorrow morning."

"Why do we have to go back?!" I cried.

"We have to see if there's any evidence to convict Luktani of Sonic's murder."

"I'm a witness! What more do you want?!"

"Physical proof, or at least circumstantial evidence. Without either, our case is essentially nonexistent. We also need hints of where they've moved to. Don't worry, Ames. If you don't want to go in, you don't have to. Still, it's safe. I'm sure Aeron will have cleared out by now," assured Tails.

I snapped. "I swear, if you two keep calling me 'Ames' I'll give you a murder case to try! Now get out!" I shrieked, pointing towards the door. Tails' eyes widened and he immediately retreated. Knuckles didn't move. "I'm not kidding, Knux! Get out! I want to be alone!"

"Amy, I read that note."

I swear, I nearly shot him then and there. "What?! That was a personal letter, you idiot!"

"I know, I know! Calm down! I… He was right. I… I have fallen for you, Amy. I was always jealous about how you chased Sonic around all the time. You never gave me a chance."

I glared, but backed off a little. "You have Rouge."

"And she has Shadow! I've always been a loner. Did you ever think that I might not want to be alone all the time?! I was born on Angel Island alone, and I survived alone. I didn't even know others existed until Sonic infiltrated my island almost five years ago!"

"Knux, he just died! I know you always had a rivalry with him, but you can't expect me to fall for you a week after I saw Sonic murdered! It doesn't work that way!" I screamed, grabbing my handgun and shooting a round into the floor. Later, I was glad to discover no one was home below us. "Now get out!" Immediately, Knuckles turned and began walking out of the apartment.

"I'm always here, Amy Rose. Whenever you change your mind."

Some days I really hate men. I watched him go and slammed and locked the door behind him. I turned back around and gazed at the now-empty apartment. It wasn't mine, and I knew that, but I didn't want to leave it. His scent still lingered there, and I didn't want to be alone; even though I knew I was.

I walked over to the couch, but not before I saw his guitar leaned up against the wall. I gently picked it up before sitting down with it. Sonic had taught me a few chords, and I could play a few simple melodies, but nothing like he could. Whenever he played, I was mesmerized, as if with that single instrument he could hypnotize anyone. It was magical; enchanting. Yet never to be heard again.

I heard the soft plink of a tear against the finished wood, and I realized I was crying again. The images of his terrified expression, broken body, the crimson-stained floor and the fading light in his eyes flashed through my mind for the millionth time, and I couldn't help but shiver. Especially with the last image: the one where all he did was look at me. He just looked at me, and it made me tremble. He had been terrified, not for his life, which was fading faster than he could run, but for mine. I was unscarred. He was broken and bleeding. Dying. Yet he was relieved to see me. How could he, after what I did to him?!

I returned the guitar to its stand to see a shattered picture in the corner. The glass was everywhere, covering the hardwood floor and making it dangerous to walk around. I still had my shoes on, so I walked over it, wincing as I broke the shattered glass into even smaller pieces. I picked up the frame and gazed at the photograph. It was of me, an older one; before I had pierced my ears. I hadn't known he kept one. Not of me, anyway. If only I'd known that he cared enough, I wouldn't be in this position.

I placed it on the windowsill before curling up in the corner. (Yes, the same one with the glass. I was in too much emotional pain to feel it.) I didn't know why I laid there, and I still don't. Maybe it was because I knew he must have written the letter here. Maybe it was because I was in denial, and wanted him to come home. Or perhaps it was my way of punishing myself for what I'd done, even though nothing could ever bring him back. I don't think I'll ever know, and I'm not sure I want to.

***

It was black. That was all I knew. That and an immense pain I couldn't describe. I was disoriented and confused. My body would not respond. I wanted to open my eyes and see where I was. I wanted to lift a finger to ensure I was alive. I couldn't do it. I could only feel, think, and hear. If that alone wasn't torturous, the overwhelming blackness was. I was trapped with my own thoughts and memories, and those were scattered and fuzzy. I couldn't see anything, and it terrified me. Was I dead? Was I in some abyss, where no one could hear me?

Suddenly, the pain increased to a level I didn't know existed. And, figuring I was alone, I screamed. It helped relieve the pain a little, if only because I didn't bother to hold in how much I hurt. I was alone in this blackness; falling in it. I was, however, beginning to have some sort of conscious feeling in my body. Meaning I knew where my arms were and what position my legs were in. I couldn't move them, but I knew where they were. That was somewhat of a relief. I felt something brush against my backspines, and I involuntarily whimpered at the pain it caused. A soothing voice followed. It was soft and feminine, but not familiar. "Shhh… it's alright. You're seriously wounded. We're taking care of you." At least they were friendly. Then I realized I could hear another voice, in addition to the first.

"I don't know if we can keep him here. He's dying anyway. Luktani would be furious if she found out."

"I know that, but I can't just let him die. Aeron's fallen. Ever since Luktani took charge, we've become nothing. Don't you know who this is?"

"…no."

"Imbecile. He's only the most famous hero in the world. I can't believe you don't recognize him! Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"S-Sonic? Luktani killed Sonic?"

"No, she hasn't! Not yet!"

"He stopped breathing right after she shot him."

"That was his body's natural defense against the blood loss. He'll be alright, I think, so long as I care for him. I'm not letting Luktani get away with this. I'm sick of her. She has no respect for the law Okemo set when he founded Aeron. We just kill whoever we want anymore. There's no skill or grace involved. It's almost a massacre."

"Yes, but if Luktani finds out we have Sonic alive in this stupid base, we'll be killed, and so will he; probably by far worse means than if you'd let him die a week ago."

"He can't die. People still need him. I--" I heard a slam, and the two female conversationalists gasped.

"We have to get out of here! The guards are coming!"

"But I'm not done dressing his backsp--"

"It can wait! Come on!"

I heard the two run away, then there was silence. After that, I gave my consciousness to the inviting blackness. I didn't need it right now, since I was in good hands. I hoped.