THE SEVEN
Act II: THE FALL
Track 15: Rock 'n' Roll Suicide︎ ︎ ︎ ︎
︎3:23 PM
Silver sat alone in the seats of the arena, staring off at the massive, empty stadium while the crew began preparing for soundcheck. Silver clenched his fists, staring at his thumb as he moved it across his fingers.
He had spent the last twenty minutes in between crying, disassociating, and contemplating his entire relationship with Blaze, as well as the band itself.
He didn't even notice Blaze walking up to him, the heels of her boots clicking against the ground as she took a seat.
She kept distance between them, watching Silver's jaw clenching and his eyes glazing over. His nose was stuffy and red, and the sight of that shattered Blaze's heart and soul.
Blaze swallowed, staring at the stage in the distance before sighing.
"I tried to tell you."
"You said that you weren't sure, Blaze."
"No," Blaze began, her voice cracking softly, "I told you that life wasn't what I wanted. I told you that. I don't want it now, and I don't think I'll want it ever. It just didn't seem like you wanted to hear me."
Silver scoffed quietly, shaking his head.
"Check, check, one two, one two…"
"Give it another ten."
Silver's voice began to choke, shaking his head. "We could've talked about it more, Blaze. We could've tried to figure something out."
"Do you think we would have figured something out, Silver? Do you think it would've helped with that look on your face? It wouldn't have made any of this easier."
Silver shook his head, choking back tears. "Well, I don't think relationships are easy, Blaze. I don't think they're supposed to be. They're supposed to be honest and truthful."
"I tried being honest, Silver. I tried."
Silver hung his head low, shaking it as a tear made its way down his cheek. Blaze moved a hair from her head, unable to be there anymore. She stood up, turning around with a sigh as she held her coat tight across her body.
"What happens if you never want it, Blaze? Will you just…be okay being alone?"
Blaze turned, ignoring the tears that pricked her eyes. She sighed, her breath quivering.
"I've made peace with the life I want, Silver. I've made peace with that."
︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎"The last time I saw your face, was the church bells ringin'."
"Another wrong place, wrong time, that you've got me dreamin'."
Silver finally met Blaze's eyes on stage, feeling his bass playing begin to suffer with every longing look he gave the cat. She sighed, the wind blowing her hair into her face as tears lined her cheeks.
Amy turned to see a grinning Sonic approaching her as she sang, immediately turning away from him with a smile as he leaned closer to her, strumming on his guitar.
He leaned into her microphone, rubbing his cheek right on hers in front of the entire stadium.
"You're better off gone, better to miss,
You're better of gone, than to be with."
Amy and Sonic sang the chorus, with the pink hedgehog trying to ignore the burning sensation from Sonic's face rubbing onto hers. When the chorus ended, she turned, giving him a dead look, watching his eyes travel down from hers to her lips.
When she noticed that, she turned back to the microphone, opening her mouth and licking the microphone with her tongue, the cocaine clouding her rationality. She sang small melodies with her tongue hanging out, swirling it around on the microphone with wide, frantic eyes.
Sonic's eyes followed down to her tongue, feeling the sensation of passion and lust practically taking his mind hostage in chains. She turned to him again, squinting before she went back to singing the chorus.
Suddenly, Sonic walked around her, throwing his arms around her shoulders, and grabbing onto the microphone. Sonic's entire body was pushed up against her back, and while she would have loved this feeling at one point, now it only scared her. His body heat captivated her own, feeling his rugged arms wrapping her shoulders in his grasp.
"You're better off gone, better to miss,
You're better off gone, then to be with.
There's nothin' I can do for this,
You'll still be better to miss,
Better to miss!"
When Amy turned after the chorus, she watched Sonic smirking wildly at her, his lustful eyes piercing holes in her soul.
Her brow furrowed, with a smile unable to reach her face. Concern washed her eyes, studying the frenzied and manic hedgehog who was practically devouring her with his eyes.
Only fear raced through her mind.
︎ ︎ ︎ ︎ ︎4:02 PM
Sonic held the payphone to his ear, sweat practically cascading like waterfalls down his face. He rubbed his temples harshly, shaking his head.
He was in a bar, and he hadn't even realized he was. It was a decision made on complete impulse, shaking his head violently.
"Do you have a machine, or like, any way I can leave a message for when she comes back?"
Sonic shook his head, listening into the woman on the other end.
"Yes. Yes, it's room 313!"
Eventually, the operator patched him through to her room, a beep sounding when he was ready.
"Sal, hey, Sally," Sonic whispered, his voice quick and attempting to be soothing, "Hey, it's…me. I don't – I don't know where you are, and I – I know you said you were done, but, I – I-"
Sonic swallowed, biting the tears back harshly as his voice began to crack.
"I need you, o – okay? I don't know if you want to make this work, but please, just-just –I can't – I can't lose you. You're the – you're the only person who can keep me alive. You've been the only person who could keep me alive. I don't – I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you, Sally," He said, his voice breaking softly. "I need my girls. I – I can't go on without you."
Sonic stared at the payphone, before solemnly placing the phone back into its resting place. He rested his head against the phone, his fists lightly batting at it, ignoring the loud music from the bar outside of the booth. Sighing with a shake, he rubbed his eyes, dropping another group of quarters into the slot, and picking the phone back up.
"Sound Kingdom, this is Jewel."
"Uh, Espio, please?"
"Oh, he's in a session. I'm sorry, can I take a message?"
Sonic cursed quietly. "Uh, n – no, it's fine."
There was silence for a moment, before an enthusiastic voice chippered back.
"Wait, is that you, Sonic?"
"Yeah, uh – hi, Jewel," he said, his voice breaking.
"Jesus, let me get him!"
"No, no – it's fine. It's fine."
When there wasn't a response, he let his lips quiver, waiting for the voice of Espio to eventually crackle through the phone. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
He heard the chameleon's gruff laugh.
"Sonic the Hedgehog, my son. How are you, man?"
"Hey, Espio. Hey, hey…"
"Hey, what's goin' on? You don't sound alright. You have a show right now, don't you?"
"Yeah, I, uh, I just uh…"
There was silence.
"Sonic?"
"No, it – it's – I'm alright, uh – I'm good. I-I just wanted to hear your voice, and make sure you were okay, and taking care – taking care of yourself."
Espio chuckled gruffly.
"Don't sweat me, Sonic. I'm doing well."
Sonic nodded, feeling his voice break. "Good. Good. That's good."
"Sonic…is that truly why you called?"
Sonic scrunched his face, feeling the quiet sobs begin to form. Before he could let Espio break, he had to go.
"Sonic?"
"I – I love you, Espio."
"Sonic, what's goin-"
Sonic hung up, lying his head against the payphone. He rubbed his eyes, feeling his entire form shake slightly. He turned, pushing open the door from the payphone, walking utterly crestfallen.
"Sonic the Hedgehog?"
Sonic turned around, looking at a blonde gopher, who was clearly starstruck.
"Holy shit, I got tickets tonight!"
Sonic mustered up a soft smile, before attempting to leave.
Then the bell began to toll.
"Let me buy you a drink! Bartender, couple jacks for me and my man."
Sonic stared at him, watching as the bartender poured a glass of whiskey for him. Sonic ignored the tears freely flowing down his cheeks, biting his jaw harshly as the bartender slid the glass of whiskey over to him. Sonic felt his entire body shaking, staring with the utmost resistance to the alcohol that was sitting right before him.
He had to tell himself no.
He had to.
He couldn't fall off when he had come so far.
When he had stayed sober so long for his family, for everyone. He couldn't say yes.
So, if that was true, why was he reaching for the glass?
He stared at it in his hand, shaking slightly as he watched the surface of the whiskey whish back slightly. Swallowing, he clenched his eyes shut, feeling his mind race away from him.
Sally was gone. His rock was gone. His water was gone.
What he needed to survive had fizzled away, and with that, so did his control.
He washed the drink down his throat, before slamming it onto the bar. His eyes met the bartender, nodding as she began to pour him one more drink…
And sealing his grave.
︎The punk music was blaring through Amy's room, the pink hedgehog dancing around wildly as the phone rang and rang.
She leaned down to snort the fifth line of cocaine, practically destroying the self-realizing conversation she had with Sally.
Where the chipmunk encouraged her to get sober.
But…after the call with her mom? She didn't fucking care anymore.
She picked up the phone, ignoring Mighty as he loudly asked where she was, slamming it down and letting it ring once more.
Yeah, she was late for soundcheck, and she didn't fucking care anymore.
She snorted another powder of cocaine, whipping her hair wildly as the punk music pounded like jackhammers in her ears.
She stormed into the bathroom, practically burning out from the cocaine, ignoring the phone as it kept ringing. She lit a match, rubbing it into the ashtray of cigarettes to collect the ashes.
Reaching forward, she smeared the ashes on her eyes, dousing them in heavy black makeup fit for a cat.
She smiled in the mirror, before taking one more bump of coke, falling in love with the tar-black makeup on her eyes.
Mighty turned to the band onstage, sighing with frustrated breath.
"Anyone have any idea where the fuck Sonic and Amy might be?"
The band looked at him without a clue on stage, shrugging and shaking their heads.
"No one?" Vector asked, earning yet another round of hopeless glances.
"Jesus, they all look like they want a bullet between their eyes," Mighty said, sighing at the utterly devastated state of the band.
The managers stormed off, with the band returning to their silently forlorn ways. Shadow took a drag from his cigarette, staring at the space where Vector and Mighty were just standing.
"It's definitely not like Sonic to miss soundcheck," Shadow muttered, laughing to himself before turning to Knuckles, who was merely staring at his drum set, his eyes fluttering closed.
"You okay there, Knux?"
Knuckles didn't answer, only causing Shadow's concern to pique up more. Shadow sighed, taking his sunglasses off and tucking them on his shirt. He stepped up onto the drum riser, taking his guitar off and leaning it on an amp.
"Knuckles, what's going on, man?"
"Nothing, just – just stuff that needs to happen."
Shadow sighed, rubbing his head. "Look, Knuckles, I don't want you to get mad at me for saying this, but – but so what if Rouge left? So, what if your parents, and your teachers, and whoever the fuck said you're not worth shit? You're in the biggest band on the planet right now. We're flying on jets, sleeping in rich ass hotels, and playing songs that millions of people adore. They love us! They love you, Knuckles! Is it…is it not enough anymore?"
Knuckles sighed, "Shadow, it's-"
"I'm serious, Knuckles, is it not enough? Like, so what if Sonic can be an asshole, or Amy isn't reliable, or Rouge can't be around you – this shit doesn't just happen. Yeah, I used to think about leaving too, but you know what I realized? The people who love what we do are why I get out of bed in the morning. I mean, this doesn't just happen to anyone. We might be the luckiest people in the world because so many people love what we do. It does not happen to people who don't deserve it. You do fucking deserve this. We all do."
"Shadow, I can't do it anymore. I can't. That – that's all there is to say."
Shadow nodded, sighing as he hopped down from the riser, beginning to walk off stage. Knuckles' hazy eyes followed him.
"Where are – where are you going, Shadow?"
"I don't know," Shadow started, turning back at him, "I might go smoke a joint, or pop some expensive wine, or call my movie-star girlfriend – I don't know. I'll see you tonight, Knuckles."
And with that, the echidna watched Shadow walk off stage.
"You know, you really are lucky, Central City!" Amy said into the microphone, holding the microphone with her caped hands as the crowd went wild. She turned to the wings, seeing Tangle standing there with a smile.
"Please welcome, my best friend and sister, Tangle!"
Amy clapped, watching as Sonic rushed into the wings, wrapping the lemur into a hug. Tangle smiled, rocking the hedgehog back and forth as she walked onto the stage, leaping into Amy's arms. Tangle laughed, feeling tears well up in her eyes at just how far Amy had come, and how honored she was to sing this song with them in front of fifty-thousand people.
The band clapped for her, and Knuckles played an introductory drum riff to the lemur.
As Sonic threw his acoustic on in the wings, Vector grabbed his shoulder, giving him a concerned look.
"Sonic, are – are you okay?"
Sonic smiled, shaking his head. "I've never known what being okay is like."
Vector watched nervously as Sonic walked onto the stage, beginning to strum the intro to the song.
The band began to rev up, the blues-rock dance-banger soaring through the crowd, with Tangle dancing with her microphone and watching the two hedgehogs harmonize together.
"A zephyr riding on the wind,
I don't know why I still resist,
It's a lonely road, on my way home,
Still lookin' for your ghost."
Tangle gave Amy a beaming smile, grabbing the hedgehog's hands as the two began to dance back and forth.
"I'll never know why you're alone,
I'll never know why you left our home,
I guess we're alone.
On this road home."
Sonic smiled as Tangle joined the trio, watching how elated Amy was to be singing with her best friend on stage.
Then Tangle started the chorus alone, earning a roar of cheers.
"I'm runnin' with you in the shadows,
It's a hurricane, you and me,
I want you to be right here forever,
I want you to be here in my dreams,"
Tangle couldn't help but pour some of her disco-style dancing into the mix, shimmering a bright smile at Amy who approached her with the microphone, the two singing together.
"I'm runnin' with you in the shadows,
It's a hurricane, you and me,
I want you to be right here forever,
I want you to be here in my dreams,"
As Amy and Tangle harmonized on beautiful open vowels, the hedgehog threw her arm around Tangle's shoulder, the lemur leaning into her head as the pair sang together. It was the happiest Amy had been all night…
And that's why it would make leaving so damn hard.︎ ︎
︎ ︎ ︎8:25 PM
Vector and Mighty sauntered through the backstage, watching as the band was finished getting dressed and ready, the screaming crowd quietly pounding through the walls.
Vector sighed when Sonic finally stormed inside, throwing his arms around the two managers.
"Tryin' to fucking kill us, huh?" Mighty asked.
"Where've you been, man?" Vector replied, shaking his head.
Sonic pulled away, feeling the tears spiking in his eyes again. He shook his head, his voice breaking.
"Is – is Sally here?"
"Sally? No, man. She's not," Mighty replied, with the two managers rushing off to their next tasks as Sonic stared at the wall with a shaken sigh.
Sonic remembered washing his face off between heavy breathing in the backstage bathroom, staring at himself in the grimy, filthy mirror. He didn't recognize the man looking back at him, shaking his head in utter terror at who he had become.
His eyes moved down to the empty glass of whiskey on the sink, his hand shaking as he stared at it longingly.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a flask, popping the cap off and letting the smell of whiskey hit his nostrils. He took a swig, feeling the alcohol wash down his tongue once more.
SONIC: It tasted like comfort. It tasted like freedom. That's how it reels you back in after so long of rejecting it. I was…relieved when I felt it on my tongue. I kept thinking how I wished that Sally would run into the bathroom, grab the drink, and throw it to the wall and let it break onto the ground. But I knew she wasn't coming. I knew that the only person who could have stopped me from falling right back onto the bottle was me, and for that moment, there was no part of me that could've stopped it. I didn't feel strong enough to walk away from it.
[He pauses, swallowing].
Not in that moment, at least.
When Amy walked backstage, she saw Tangle talking with Shadow and Rouge at a table, the three sharing a cigarette. Tangle's eyes widened when she saw Amy's eyes, covered in tar-black ash.
"Oh…wow," Tangle said, taking a look at Amy's ethereal white cape, covering her see-through short dress.
Amy reached forward, taking Tangle's head in her hands, and pressing a kiss to it. When she pulled away, Tangle looked concerned for a moment, scanning her face.
"Um, Amy-"
"Alright, gang's finally all here," Mighty interrupted, putting his hands on his hips, and turning to Amy. His eyes widened, allowing Vector to take his side with an equally shocked look at the state of Amy's face. She reached forward, putting her hands on their shoulders.
"You guys look scared."
The managers took a confused look at each other.
"And…well, maybe you should be."
"Ooookay…" Vector trailed off, "Alright, this is it, folks. Showtime."
Sonic watched the band leave the dressing room, staring at the wall. His eyes moved to Amy, who took a swig from the champagne and set it down on the table, rubbing her eyes frantically, only smearing more of the black substance across them.
Amy turned around, flashing crazed eyes at Sonic with a wide smile. "What? You don't like my makeup?"
Sonic laughed, shaking his head. "No, I do. I fucking love it, actually."
Amy could immediately tell something was off. She squinted, inspecting his eyes and face for clues.
His drooping eyelids.
His dumb, lucid smile.
The way his hands shook slightly, and the way his movements were small and stumbled.
Then she smelled it.
"You're drinking again."
Sonic smirked, tucking his tongue in his cheek. She watched his eyes examine her like a hungry predator, immediately sending small shocks through her veins. He nodded, backing away with a small stumble, allowing Amy to watch him leave backstage, the hedgehog never ceasing to give her a hungry smile.
Amy stared in utter shock, smiling and betraying her inner thoughts.
She was terrified.
AMY: [She pauses, swallowing]. It's…quite a feeling when the one person who inspired you to – you know – want to stay sober and clean…falls off the wagon. It makes you think, well, what's the point? If the one person who was my beacon of hope for sobriety fell off, what's the issue if I do too?
[She sighs].
I kept thinking back to that conversation with Sally, though. I kept thinking back to what she said. I kept thinking back to the fact that before I even got to that show, somewhere deep in my mind, the decision had already been made.
"So, we have to go soon," Sonic started, earning a sad cheer from the crowd, listening to Knuckles, Silver, and Shadow jamming lightly to back up Sonic.
"But, not without paying some dues, first! I'm gonna need your help, so what, will you help me!?"
The crowd roared in applause, the lights shining onto the audience with a soft, golden glow.
"On drums! A man who works like a clock, and a man who knows the best beat, the best fills, and the best damn drummer there is – Knuckles the Echidna!"
The audience cheered as a spotlight shone on Knuckles, who gave a responsive drum fill. Sonic sauntered up to him, leaning over to Knuckles with a whisper.
Knuckles smiled softly, and Sonic could see that for a moment, the echidna was reconsidering.
"Do you really wanna leave this, Knuckles?"
Knuckles sighed, listening to the crowd's roar.
"We've come so far, man. Don't let it go now."
Knuckles watched Sonic drunkenly skip back to the microphone, reeling his nose back from the scent of alcohol on the hedgehog.
Sonic leaned into the microphone, flashing a charming smile that melted the crowd. He began walking backwards to Blaze.
"My friends…the classiest, and the coolest lady on the keyboards! Her organ cuts through rock like a knife – it's Blaze the Cat!"
The light shone on Blaze, earning a roar of applause. She played a riff on the organ, shimmering brightly.
Sonic smirked, walking across the stage at the grooving Silver, who gave Sonic a smile. The blue hedgehog shook his head, lifting his hand to gesture to him.
"And now, the best man you'll ever know. I can't explain how lucky I am that he's my brother. It's Silver the Hedgehog, everyone!"
The crowd roared as a spotlight shone on a smiling Silver, who slapped an upbeat bass riff in response. Sonic gave Silver a side hug, ruffling his quills before turning to the bat behind him.
"And here, well – the most out of the box addition to our crew! She shreds the violin, the viola, the cello – hell, any damn instrument you need someone to play, she can do it! It's our jack of all trades, Rouge the Bat!"
The spotlight shone onto her, the crowd roaring as the bat smirked, shredding a quick passage on her violin.
Sonic sauntered through the stage, pointing to Shadow.
"And here it is – the shredder, the man with the most fiery of riffs, the most electric of solos, and the damn best guitar player I've ever met. It's Shadow the Hedgehog!"
Shadow smiled behind his sunglasses, shredding a fast, burning solo as Sonic laughed. The blue hedgehog turned around, his eyes locking on a dancing Amy, with her flowing, white cape.
"And finally – well, shit, does she even need me to say anything!?"
Amy skipped to her microphone, stealing a snarky grin to Sonic. "Well, I want you to say something!"
Sonic smiled, leaning down into her microphone as their faces were mere millimeters apart. Their noses touched, the alcohol and cocaine laced breaths from the singers mixing, and Sonic's lips nearly grazed her own.
"It's Amy Rose."
The crowd roared, leaving Amy to watch with a smile as Sonic stumbled back from her, the two sharing a burning, lustful grin, yet Amy still couldn't shake what she was feeling.
"It's Sonic the Hedgehog!"
The crowd roared for Sonic, who put his microphone back into his own stand. The band began to launch into Selene, and unbeknownst to them, Sally Acorn entered the crowd.
She made her way into the stands, her fur coat tight across her frame. She smiled, looking around at the mere size of the crowd there.
Fifty-three-thousand-people.
It was not much of a shock to her, no – but it still rocked her world to see just how many people were there.
How many people loved them.
How far the band had come.
"You found me burning down,
In the sunlight where I changed,
Baby, all the bad is gone,
You're the moonlight on my arms,
Oh, Selene, you're my love,
You're the moonlight on my arms."
Sally watched with a smile as the band played, knowing that this song was one Sonic had written for her.
As far as she was told, anyways.
She doubted it when she saw how Sonic and Amy stared at one another.
Silver looked at Blaze, their longing stares burning into each other. Rouge turned to look at Knuckles, watching as his eyes stayed downcast to his drums.
Then Sonic walked towards Amy, singing into her microphone. The pair's faces were extremely close together, and Sally could see that even then, their connection was brilliant and destructive.
They were close enough to lock themselves in a brutal kiss, and Sally could swear she saw their noses kiss.
She thought about it all.
Her filming the band in the garages.
Their first shows on the Avenue.
The sing-along in her living room, while she cradled Sonia.
Watching Sonic talk to Amy on the phone in the backyard late at night.
Watching Sonic and Amy fight in the mountains at the photoshoot.
And watching them sing together now, their faces touching and their lips nearly grazing, the final pangs to Sally's heart were placed.
"Oh, Selene, you're my love,
You're the moonlight on my arms."
And Sonic leaned in, brushing his nose against her cheeks, and Amy felt his lips graze hers. She pulled back for a second, feeling her heart race. She kept singing the end of the song with him, the electric and passion dancing between them.
How close he was to throwing it all away right on that stage. He nearly kissed her, damnit, and it didn't make her happy – it fucking terrified her.
AMY: I think in that moment, right when Sonic was looking at me, I think I forgot we were two people in a band, singing to fifty-thousand people. I forgot the band was there. I forgot the crowd was there. I just existed. For three minutes, I was singing with the man I loved. Then, I remembered Sally, and I knew it was everything I couldn't ever have. But…I still remembered what she said to me, and I remembered that I still knew exactly what I needed to do.
When the song ended, Sally nodded with a smile, turning to leave as her hair blew in the wind.
The band gathered at the front of the stage, taking a bow in front of the screaming crowd, right before they would return for the encore.
They didn't know it would end up being their final song.
The lights on the stage turned blue, and the band went backstage to prepare for the final song.
The crowd roared in applause.
Sonic whipped open a tin of cocaine, snorting it deep into his nose as Amy stood in front of him, feeling the alcohol and drugs beaming from his breath. Amy was panting, watching the blue hedgehog swipe up another powder of cocaine, before washing it away with a swig of whiskey.
Amy leaned forward, studying Sonic in hurried breaths, and his face became frantically close to her known. She backed away for a second, the pair out of breath as she watched Sonic stared deeply, and hungrily into her eyes.
"What is this?" Amy panted between breaths, snorting another line.
"She left me."
"What?"
"She's leaving."
Sonic's nose was grazing hers, opening a tin of cocaine and pouring more powder. Amy's eyes flew down to it, her mouth hanging and her eyes wide with terror. She watched in utter shock as he poured another line of cocaine out, their faces extremely close.
"Sonic," Amy muttered in frantic breaths.
"What?" Sonic replied, staring down at the powder of cocaine.
She watched the hedgehog pouring the cocaine into his hand, leaning forward and snorting it into his nose. Amy felt a tear break from her eye and pour down her cheek, watching her beacon of hope for sobriety fade away.
It all clicked in her mind right then, and right there.
Sally had left him.
He needed her to survive.
She needed Sonic to survive – at least she thought.
Now she knew, she needed only herself to survive.
The man she loved, the man who gave her hope to be clean, broken down in front of her.
The crowd roared in applause.
"I love you, okay!" Silver said between sobs, holding Blaze's head in his hands. She sighed, watching him between her own wracking tears as Silver begged and pleaded with her.
"Blaze, if you want to live on tour buses for the rest of your life, I-" Silver said in hurried breaths, letting a cascade of tears down his cheeks, "I do too. I do!"
"You don't!" Blaze said, her voice cracking as Silver leaned her forehead against hers. She sobbed, shaking her head as Silver's panicked breaths flooded into her ears.
"Yes, I do! Kids, no kids, family, no family – I don't care, Blaze!" Silver exclaimed, his voice breaking in sobs, "I love you! I love you!"
Blaze shook her head, her mouth drying as she watched Silver's broken face, her own tear flying down her cheek.
She couldn't give him what he wanted.
And he couldn't do the same for her.
But she was not about to let Silver throw his dream away for her.
She would never allow it.
"Just say you'll feel the same, and we'll be fine. Just tell me you want this, and it'll be okay. We won't get married. We don't need to have a family. We can do this forever, just you and me! Just tell me you feel the same!" Silver exclaimed, his voice breaking with sobs.
Blaze stared at him, grabbing his hand as it rested on his cheek. She averted her eyes to the ground, closing them with the shake of a head, letting a few more tears slip down her muzzle.
"I'm so sorry, Silver. I – I can't,"
Silver's heart had been destroyed once he heard the final break in her voice. His hands began to shake, and his lips quivered as another tear poured down his cheek, and made it to the ground.
The crowd roared in applause.
Knuckles threw a bottle to the wall, letting it smash onto the floor. Rouge ran up behind him, throwing her arms around his back.
"Knuckles! Stop! Stop!"
Knuckles shook his head, clenching his face as drunken sobs wracked through his body. Rouge held onto him, stroking his face.
"You can do this. Put the bottles down, Knuckles. You can do-"
"I can't!" Knuckles said, his voice splitting in two as he turned around to face Rouge. The bat was utterly crestfallen, smelling the whiskey mixing with tears in his breath.
"I can't – please don't leave! I'll be better. I promise I'll be better. You don't have to leave. You don't have to lea-"
"Shhh," Rouge muttered, resting her forehead on his cheek. Knuckles let a tear hit her hair, which only made Rouge's water ducts in her eyes break more.
"I can't save you, Knuckles. Only you can save yourself. I can't do anything for you anymore. You need to get better. You need to save yourself. Until then…I can't be yours. I'm so sorry, Knucklehead."
Knuckles felt his head drop to the floor, a tear streaming down his cheek. She wiped it, nodding with a somber smile, her own tears falling.
"I'll always love you. You'll always be the love of my life. I can't watch you kill yourself. I'll never forget how you made me feel."
Knuckles watched her walk away forlornly, feeling the final tear of his cracked heart hit the floor.
The crowd roared in applause.
Back at the hotel, Sally tapped her foot quickly, letting the phone ring and ring. She prayed that they'd pick up, and even if she thought maybe, it wouldn't be, she needed to say what she felt.
"Hello?"
Sally sniffled quietly, rubbing her eyes. "Nicole it – it's me."
"Sal?"
"Hi."
There was silence for a moment.
"Is everything okay? You sound…torn up."
"Nicole, I just – I just need to be honest with you, okay? Just for this last time."
"Sally, I don't know if that's such a good idea. What happened to you?"
"Nicole, I-" Sally started, biting down on her lip, "In another life, I would've loved doing this with you. I was talking about how – how I loved the life I had made with my family, and how it wasn't perfect. But, in another life? I would've loved to have that same thing with you. Just laundry, taxes, whatever. I miss you, okay? I'm going to miss you forever, I think. It's tearing me up that this…had to end because I feel like I've always known you. In another life, I think we were together. I think it was written in the stars."
There was silence for a moment, before the lynx sighed shakenly on the other end.
"I would've loved that just as much, Sally-girl. I'll always know that you were my one true love. This connection we had…I know it'll never be the same with anyone else. I think we're two halves of the same soul, which we both know is something you only find once. I don't know, maybe I'm getting too dreamy here, but…I am so happy that even for a moment, just a small fraction of time, I got to spend time with the woman that I know I'll love forever."
Sally nodded, wiping her tears. Before she hung up, she let out one shaken sigh.
"Goodbye, Nicole. I love you forever. I miss you forever."
"Goodbye, Sally. I'll see you in my dreams."
And when Sally put the phone down, she knew that half of herself went died away, like the sound of the lynx's voice.
The crowd roared in applause.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Amy said between gasps, watching Sonic pour the cocaine on his hand. Before Amy could say something, he snorted it off his palm, eliciting a gasp from Amy as she grabbed his face, holding it close to hers. Her mind was toiled and tainted, watching as Sonic crashed his ship into the sound of the siren song, a melody of pain and addiction – one that he had resisted for so long, and that resistance inspired Amy to clean herself up.
Now, he crashed, and while she would have crashed with him, she knew that was not a choice anymore.
"Sonic, this is not you!"
"Yes, it is, Amy. I don't want to fucking fight this anymore!"
Amy shook her head, feeling the tears rush down her face. Her heart crumbled at the man in front of her, closing her eyes tightly as his own hand made it's way to her cheek. She sobbed quietly, feeling the beacon of hope that was Sonic the Hedgehog fading out and away.
"Sonic, please, it's not you!"
"We're two broken people, Amy. It's not fucking worth it to try and stay strong, right? Let's lose it together, okay? We don't have to fight it!" Sonic whispered, grabbing her face with a slight shake, his painful whisper breaking.
"No, stop," Amy whispered, feeling her entire body shake. Sonic shook his head, feeling a tear fly down his cheek.
"Amy, we can stop fighting together!"
"Sonic, I said stop!"
The crowd began to stomp rhythmically.
Sonic was taken aback, watching as Amy grabbed his hands from her cheeks, holding them tightly. Her eyes were enraged and furious, and at the same time, heartbroken. She shook her head, letting one more tear fly down her cheek.
"I don't want to lose. I want to fight."
Sonic watched as Amy turned away, storming off as her cape blew behind her. He turned around, feeling his heart crumble into dust.
SONIC: You know what hurt the most? It wasn't just the fact that she left, no. What hurt the most is that I realized in that moment that I was holding on so desperately to this possibility of Amy Rose, just for it to burn away. I think half of me died that night, and when that possibility is gone, and you know it should be gone…it only makes the heart want it even more.
"Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!"
The band had taken their place back onstage, their forlorn faces were dead, distraught, and devastated – the entire band had just broken-down backstage, and yet, they still had one more song to sing.
Knuckles sat down at his drum set, his eyes dead with tears staining his cheeks.
Rouge couldn't even turn to look at him, closing her eyes tight.
Sonic threw his guitar around his body, staring at his feet in anguish as he approached his microphone. The cheers were deafening, yet all he could truly hear was the sound of his own heart shattering.
Amy leaned against the microphone solemnly, exhaling a deep sigh as she closed her eyes.
"Here We Are Now! Here We Are Now!"
Amy looked at the crowd, watching them in anguish as they screamed for them, the blue stage lights casting them in a solemn glow.
Silver was still breathing heavily, choking back tears that were sure to start soon. Shadow crossed his arms over his guitar, staring blankly at the crowd. He knew this was the end.
He knew it too well.
"Here We Are Now! Here We Are Now!"
Amy swallowed, her gaze hard and cold as she watched the crowd, listening to them chanting for the band's biggest hit. She turned for a second, seeing Sonic's jaw clenched and lined with tears, staring off into space.
Amy nodded, leaning into the microphone.
"Are you all in love tonight?!"
A roar of applause erupted.
And with that, Amy turned to Sonic.
"I know what that's like! I know what it's like to be in love. Especially when it's someone who knows you so well, yet you know it'll never be what you want. I've burned, just like you all!"
"We love you, Amy!"
Sonic stared at her, his eyes full of devastation, as he watched Amy Rose slip further and further away from him.
She was addressing the crowd, but her eyes never left him.
She was addressing him all the same.
"I'll tell you – being in love? It hurts, right?"
The crowd roared in cheers and applause.
Silver bit his lip, staring out at the crowd. Blaze's glance was utterly devoid of feeling, staring down at the keyboard in front of her.
"But now I know, it doesn't need to hurt, right?!"
A roar of applause.
"I wish I had realized love wasn't supposed to feel like torture. I thought love was destruction, knives, tears, blood, and heartbreak."
Sonic stared at her, clenching his jaw as his lip quivered slightly. Tears littered his eyes, letting them freely flow down his face.
Knuckles stared at his snare drum, letting a tear hit it right in the center. Rouge couldn't dare to look his direction.
It would destroy her too much.
"I thought love was war," Amy said, before turning back to Sonic with a somber smile, "But it's not war, right? It's peace. It's soft. It's light. It's beautiful."
Sonic nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting up slightly, staring at the ground as his lips continued to quake.
"So," Amy said, before turning to address Sonic right in the eyes.
This message was for him.
Not her.
"If you're lucky enough to find someone who grounds you out, who lifts you up, who makes you whole – even if you don't deserve it – that's what love is. That's who you run too. That's…that's who will make you whole."
The crowd roared in applause, watching as Amy stared at Sonic, her own lip quivering now.
Sonic started to break down into careful sobs, his mind running to Sally and Sonia.
The ones who made him whole.
But he still knew that right then and there, Amy Rose was cutting him away.
She was setting him free.
"So, find someone who does that for you. That's who you run too, ladies and gentlemen."
The crowd roared, and Amy slowly turned to face Sonic.
Oh, there you are.
Goodbye.
Sonic's jaw clenched, his lips shaking and tears flooding his sweat-lined muzzle, feeling his entire body begin to quake.
Amy smiled softly at him, nodding. "This song is about love."
The crowd roared in utter delight, and Sonic felt his heart shattering.
Yet the thought of Sally, the one who lifted him up, made him whole, made him light? He felt his heart hanging on.
Hanging on for one more day.
He grabbed his face, his lips shaking as he began to sob now, shaking his head uncontrollably.
Sally. He needed to find Sally. He needed to make this right.
Knuckles rolled on the cymbals, beginning Here We Are Now with the utmost roar of applause in return.
Shadow played softly on his guitar, watching as Silver's head hung low.
Sonic leaned in, attempting to start singing…but he couldn't.
The sobbing wouldn't stop, and Amy could see it.
He was completely, and utterly, broken.
So, she started singing for him, and what shocked him the most?
She sang the original lyrics.
The original lyrics that were a love song to Sally.
She was setting him free.
She was telling him to save himself.
SONIC: When she started singing the original lines about a future that I wanted Sally and I too have, I realized how much doubt I really had. This entire time, I was riddled with it. All that doubt I could stay sober. All that doubt I could stay strong. But… [He breathes deeply], Amy was telling me that I still might fail. She was telling me I still might make mistakes, and even though she was saying that - she still sang those lyrics like she knew that in the end, I wouldn't fail. I needed that, and I didn't know I did – but she did. She knew. It didn't help me all the way. Amy doing that hurt just as much, because I knew if I wanted to be the man Sally wanted – well…I knew that I was still losing something. I was still saying goodbye to the possibility of Amy Rose.
"I don't know who we are,
I need you to tell me,
Where are we goin'
Where do we wanna be?
Is it all gonna end?
I need you to tell me,
How have we made it this far?"
Amy stared at the crowd, watching them waving candles back and forth. Knuckles' light thumping on the kick drum brought the world to a halt, losing them all in the music.
She turned to Sonic, smiling somberly as her ethereal white shawl blew in the distance. Sonic was still breaking down in sobs, attempting to keep it together as Amy stared at him – which only broke his heart even more.
She began singing to him, her own tears flying down her cheeks.
"Did we crash a long time ago?
Did the ship we were on lose control?
I wish it was easy to call me home,
Oh, I need you to tell me."
And as Sonic stared at her, his eyes full of tears, Amy threw the microphone to her side.
Through a choked sob, Amy nodded, whispering painfully to Sonic the Hedgehog.
"Go get her."
And just like that – Amy's heart exploded into a million sparks, never to be the same again.
Sonic nodded, taking his guitar off and running off stage, cocaine lining his shirt. The band watched him while they played, knowing exactly where he was going.
Knowing exactly how this all would end tonight.
"Oh! I know we can make it right!
Oh! I know we can make it right!"
Amy's own voice was full of sobs now, watching as Sonic disappeared into the wings, not to be seen once more.
Tails took his guitar, staring at Sonic as he ran from the stadium.
Once he made it into the car, he slammed the door, hurriedly ordering the driver.
"Back to the hotel."
The driver nodded, stepping on the gas as the car flew down the city streets.
Amy whipped her hair around, dancing to Shadow's fiery solo, knowing it would be the last time.
Silver stared at the ground as he grooved along with Shadow, knowing it would be the last time.
Rouge plucked her viola, filling the air with beautiful, staccato notes, knowing it would be the last time.
Blaze nodded her head, her hair blowing in the wind as her fingers danced across the keys, knowing it would be the last time.
Knuckles' drumming was tight and rhythmic, staring into the crowd, knowing it would be the last time.
Sonic stared out the window in deep sobs, clutching his face harshly as he watched the city lights pass by.
He lost the fire, and he was running to the ocean of his life.
"You're the light of my world, the light of it all,
But I know I put us in the dark,
You're my hemlock girl,
And I will lift this up!"
Blaze and Silver sang along with Amy, allowing the rocking groove to fill their bodies for one final time.
Sonic sighed shakingly, seeing the hotel approaching in the distance.
And as the band slowed down, Amy belted into the microphone, taking in the crowd one last time. She saw the faces of those who loved what they did, what they said, and what they were. She hated that this would be the way they say goodbye to them, but this was truly the end of the road.
But this song was Sonic's love to Sally.
Amy knew that was the only way this song could exist now.
She sang the chorus again, her hair blowing freely behind her. She lifted her arms, allowing her long cape to blow behind her, feeling like she was standing on the edge of a cliff.
"I know we can get outta here…
It's not workin' out, but I know you can be mine now…"
Blaze stared at Silver as she played, watching him staring into the sky. Amy turned around, taking in each band member one more time.
She smiled, her lip quivering as she watched them, closing her eyes tightly.
"Sally! Sally! Wait!"
Sally turned around, holding a sleeping Sonia in her arms. Her face dropped when she saw Sonic running up to her, her lip quivering into a somber smile. Sonic was breathing heavily, his tear-ridden eyes meeting her own.
"You're the light of my world, the light of it all,
But I know I put us in the dark,
You're my hemlock girl,
And I will lift this up!"
Sally stared at him, swallowing with a nod. She inspected his body, immediately smelling the alcohol, and taking notice of the remnants of cocaine on his shirt.
"Oh, here we are now!
Oh, here we are now!"
Amy sang to each member individually, giving them her final goodbye. She turned to the crowd, flipping the final verse into falsetto as the band played out the end of the song.
And with the final hit from Knuckles, Amy hung over, her hair dangling in her face. The crowd roared in applause, electricity soaring through the air. Amy lifted up, her lips quivering into a sad smile, scoffing a small laugh of disbelief.
She felt the band members coming to her side, all of them locking their arms together. Amy allowed herself one last look at all her band members.
Blaze.
Rouge.
Silver.
Knuckles.
Shadow.
Her family.
She smiled, watching the black hedgehog lift his hand up, and lead the band into a bow.
The final bow of The Seven.