Slowly, one eyelid rose. It was dark all around him. His body ached, but he felt his body. He would've touched his skin and fur had his arm not been too sore to move. Was he really... alive? It wasn't exactly comfortable, but he turned his head.

The area around him resembled Amy's house. Could it really be?

He snapped open his other eye as he slowly adjusted to the darkness of the room. He knew he would almost certainly die at some point in the near past, but he couldn't put a finger on exactly what happened. He tried to push the memories too him, but it hurt, ultimately giving him a big headache in the end, not memories. On second thought, he didn't think he really wanted memories of suffering, at least not then.

Forgetting about it all, he focused on what matter most at the moment. The fact that he was alive and breathing again. A smile formed on his lips. It felt good.

He lifted his head up without moving a limb and looked to his right. There stood a pink body. If only his arms weren't in such bad shape, he would've touched her face. Her breathing was slow and she wasn't moving. He realized she was asleep.

Her face was wet though, probably from tears. Her hands were bloody, but why? Was she alright? He wondered. He prayed she wasn't as badly wounded as he was. When she didn't awake, it was starting to alarm him. What happened to her? He didn't even know what had happened to himself, how could he know about her?

He tried not to worry about that at the moment. All the thinking just made his head hurt whenever he tried. He just wanted morning to come already, that way hopefully she'd wake up.

It was overwhelming. He was overcome with joy. With nothing else to do, he just broke down, and cried.

-The next morning-

She came awake with a jump as her dream ended. Her eyes opened and she realized the sun was up and the birds were singing. It seemed like a nice day, but it wasn't. It just wasn't. It was all because of the hedgehog behind her.

The hedgehog who changed her life so much just by being a part of the world just radically changed her life again by leaving it. She put her head down and sobbed, which turned into a hard cry.

Minutes later, she sniffed and propped herself up. She turned to the resting hedgehog on the couch.

"Sonic..."

She leaned her head in and placed a kiss right on his lips, something she'd always wanted to do to Sonic, although she would have preferred it to be while he was alive and feeling. The blue hedgehog's cheeks turned a deep red.

She collapsed next to the couch again and began to cry. All the painful memories from being told to save herself to when she thought it would be a good idea to go back out and see if everything was OK. It was all her fault. She was too late. And now she had to face the consequences; a life without Sonic the Hedgehog.

While she was crying, she didn't notice the couch shaking a little or the head behind her that rose up. She didn't even notice it speak.

"Amy!" it coughed weakly. "Amy! Amy!"

She felt something bump into her back. She looked behind her quickly. She must've been feeling things. Sonic's body was still motionless behind her. She went back to crying.

"Amy!"

"Sonic. It's just not fair. Why did you have to leave? Why couldn't it be me? At least then there wouldn't be heartbreak and there would still be the hero. It's just not fair!"

"Amy."

"Why Sonic?" She thought for a moment and then it occurred to her, "Wait, Sonic?"

She whipped her head around. There, right behind her, was Sonic. He had propped himself up and had his trademark smile on.

Wait a minute; was this really happening?

Amy was in disbelief. She couldn't control herself at all and launched her body into his, grabbing him into a big hug. She gripped tightly, not allowing herself to let go again.

Maybe life wouldn't be so miserable after all.

"Sonic!" She cried into his chest.

Meanwhile Sonic was hurting from the contact he just endured, not that he really minded it. But now he was suffocating.

"Eh! A-Amy, l-l-let g-go!"

"Oh..." She released him from the bear hug, "Sorry." She blushed.

"Sonic," She had to ask him, "Are you really alive? Or are you just a figment of my imagination?"

"Well, am I?"

Amy let her tears of joy drip down now.

"How did you survive?"

"You."

"Me?"

"You must have saved me. All I remember was fighting Eggman. Then I woke up late last night and realized I was all bandaged up. It hurts though, so go easy on me for today, OK?"

Amy nodded. She couldn't even begin to believe what was happening.

"Do you want to watch TV or something?"

"Sure, that works."

Amy picked up her remote and turned the television on, bringing a chair over because Sonic was laying on the entire couch. It started on the news.

"And reports from multiple sources have come in that Sonic the Hedgehog is dead. Sources say that Dr. Eggman defeated the heroic hedgehog during their last fight, in which he sliced through Sonic's back," the reporter took a long, solemn pause, "Rest in peace, Sonic the Hedgehog. And thank you for all that you have done for us."

"Hey! I'm alive!" Sonic screamed at the TV.

He jumped up and started to run, but only got about 2 feet before he collapsed in pain. He groaned and rolled over onto his back.

"Sonic! You can't move around yet. Give your body some time to heal."

Amy shook her head and picked him up, carefully placing him back down on the couch.

"Thanks."

"No problem. You know, if you want, we can tape a quick video and send it in to the news so that they know you're alive."

"Yeah, that'd be great! That way none of my friends worry in case they've seen anything."

"Alright, I'll go get my video camera."

She ran up her staircase. By the time she'd gotten down, her phone rang.

"One minute, I'll answer it," Amy said and picked up the phone, placing it by her ear.

"Hello? ... Oh, hey Tails, what's up? ... Sonic? He's alive actually. ... Really. ... I know, it's unbelievable. ... What? Oh, okay, sure."

Amy handed the phone to Sonic, "It's Tails."

"Hey buddy!" Sonic squeaked weakly.

"Yeah, I'm doing alright. ... I'm staying at Amy's house right now. ... Oh definitely, I just need a couple days, then I'll be all better. ... OK, bye."

Sonic gave Amy her phone back. Amy picked the video camera back up and asked if Sonic was ready. He smiled and said yes. She began recording him.

"Hey everyone!" he put up two fingers in the peace sign, "It's me Sonic. Just want you to know I am alive and doing well. I'll be out of action for the next few days, but I'll be perfectly fine. I am right now. OK, that's all I wanted to say. So there, take that Eggman, you can't stop me. Oh, and hello to all my friends!"

Amy stopped the recording. She explained to Sonic that she was going to upload the video and email it to the news station. The phone rang again.

"Can you reach it? It's probably for you anyways," Amy said.

"Yeah."

He picked it up and answered.

"Hello? ... Yeah it's me. ... Yes, I'm still breathing. ... Knuckles, calm down. Take a deep breath. ... I am fine, OK? ... Alright, the question now is whether or not you'll be OK? He laughed jokingly. ... Alright. ... Amy's house. She's been nice enough to take care of me, I really owe her one."

Amy, who was overhearing the conversation, couldn't help but well up with joy hearing that.

"OK, bye Knucklehead," he laughed and hung up. Amy walked back into the room.

"OK Sonic, I sent the video out." They should get it real soon now."

"OK, thanks a lot Amy. For everything you've done."

"You're very welcome Sonic, don't mention it."

Sonic sighed. It was good to be alive.

"This breaking news just in!" the news reporter said, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, "Sonic the Hedgehog is alive. I repeat Sonic the Hedgehog is alive. The speed demon, who was thought to be dead by many sources, is officially alive and resting in a close friend's house. Here is footage taken by Amy Rose."

The screen turned to Sonic's smiling face.

"Hey everyone!" He put up two fingers in the peace sign, "It's me Sonic. Just want you to know I am alive and doing well. I'll be out of action for the next few days, but I'll be perfectly fine. I am right now. OK, that's all I wanted to say. So there, take that Eggman, you can't stop me. Oh, and hello to all my friends!"

Everyone, the cameramen and all, were cheering loudly in the background, chanting Sonic's name.

"How? It's not possible!" Doctor Eggman snapped. He threw his high-tech remote at the huge TV screen and it buzzed a couple times before exploding and shutting down.

"It can't be true! How could he possibly survive. My blade had cut through him deep!" Eggman fell to his laboratory floor.

"I'll get you yet Sonic the Hedgehog!"