A/N: This one-shot marks the official beginning of the second collab, the one about fancy Sonic couples... For more informations, take a look at chapter 16.

Enjoy!

PERSPECTIVE

By

The Conflicted Writer

Perception is a strange thing.

It is the single view of one specific person, from where they stand.

From many different points of view, things assemble like a puzzle…

But with only one point of view, you will see only a small portion of a whole story.

Take, for example, this one…

Sonic the Hedgehog and Amy Rose. They are sweet hearts. They have been for the past great while. The scene is a beach, despite Sonic's fear of water. It's a summer home. When you're the hero of the world, practically everything is yours. It is night time. It has been three days to themselves, with only each other as company.

"Hey, Amy!" Sonic called from the couch, apparently bored. "How much longer? I've been waiting forever!"

"Sonic, you know it's only been ten minutes" Amy called back.

"That's still a pretty long time" Sonic said to himself. "Seriously, how long does it take to put on her skirt thing?"

"Alright, my speedy hero, I'm ready." At this, Amy walked down the stairs, not wearing her usual attire, as Sonic had secretly expected. It was a flattering green dress that she wore, decorated with seashells and the like. Sonic grinned.

"Don't tell me you forgot?" Amy said as she came all the way down the steps. She appeared almost hurt.

Sonic stood up and reached into his quills and pulled out an obvious jewelry box. "Now what would make you think I'd forget something like that?" he asked sarcastically.

Amy beamed. "Oh Sonic you did remember!" She grabbed Sonic in a hug, having to struggle to remember not to squeeze too hard. She still couldn't get over the fact that he wouldn't run away, it seemed.

Sonic embraced Amy back, looking very pleased. "I'll never forget anything about you, Amy."

"Does that include the first time we met?"

"Especially that."

--

Metal Sonic looked at him and then her. He was running, she was running. He was trying to escape, she was trying to catch him. Metal Sonic ran over his mission again.

'Lure hedgehog to Little Planet. Use whatever means to do so. Show no mercy. Await further instructions.'

Metal Sonic studied the two runners better. He was running. She was chasing.

Why?

What was the point?

He searched his data banks for an answer.

'Possible cause of a female chasing a male: Rage at male'

Not likely. She was smiling and cheering, indications of joy.

'Male could have stolen something from female'

This would fall under rage. Again, she is laughing. Not a likely answer.

'Male and female are in love; male is running because he is playing hard to get, a way to get a female to desire the male more'

This seemed plausible. The female was chasing him, and he was acting annoyed. This answer makes sense.

Best course of action: kidnap female. If male loves female, male will give chase.

Metal Sonic picked his target and he charged.

--

"I was so scarred when he grabbed me."

"Yeah, I bet it was scary."

"But he's gone now" Amy cooed as he nuzzled into Sonic's embrace. "So, what did you get me?"

Sonic pulled back a bit and held out the jewelry box to Amy. "Open it and find out."

Amy squealed in glee and opened the box in an instant, Sonic almost missing her doing it she was so fast. Amy gasped as she looked at the golden bracelet inside, littered with jeweled flowers, all of them roses.

"Roses for my rose" Sonic said with a smirk. "And they'll never wither. Like my love for you."

Amy become teary eyed. "Oh, Sonic, that's so beautiful. You never said anything like that before to me."

"No, I suppose I didn't."

--

The Overlord of all things metal sat in his chair, a hand to his chin to indicate boredom. He was watching a screen of the male and female fighting, though he now knew their names.

"Sonic…" he said in spite.

"Amy, what are you doing here!?"

Still he did not acknowledge the female, even after all this time. He was very good at playing 'hard to get'. To prove this, he was even attacking the female.

"Amy…" he said mockingly.

"Come on, Sonic! You know we'll get married!"

"You are so foolish to want him if he is willing to do this to you. You are perhaps the most idiotic person I've ever seen."

"You are crazy and need therapy! And I need a restraining order!"

Of course, to the Overlord, it did not matter. There was only one point to anything.

"The hedgehog must be eliminated."

--

They stepped out into the brisk night air, the waves splashing in a calm and even pattern.

"You've done so much for me Sonic" Amy stated passionately, leaning into her hero's shoulder.

Sonic, with his arm around, blushed and looked embarrassed. "Aww, that's not true. I haven't done that much."

"You even learned how to swim for me, Sonic! And you sink like a rock."

"All I do is put a life jacket on."

"But you do it for me. I want you to know that it means a lot to me."

Again, Sonic blushed. "You're welcome, Amy. I'd do anything for you. I'd even fix the moon, if that's what you wanted."

Amy smiled, closing her eyes. "What happened, Sonic?"

"What do you mean?"

"You used to always run, and running was all you were. But you stopped running so much, and now you stay with me. What happened that made you do that?"

Sonic frowned, gripping at the five scars on his chest.

--

"Come on, Metal head!" Sonic taunted as he smacked his rear end towards Metal Sonic. "I'm right here! What are you waiting for?"

For the perfect moment to strike.

"What are you doing!?" Sonic yelled. "You walk up to me and you're just gonna stand there? Attack already!"

Metal Sonic did not move, though he desperately wanted to. It took all he had to hold his rage back. But it would be worth it.

"Well? I'm right here! Come on, I thought you hated me!" Sonic was sweating.

This pleased Metal Sonic. Sonic could not stand the wait, for he himself could not hold still.

"Alright, if you won't move, I will!" Sonic charged forward.

Metal Sonic held out his clawed hand.

--

"It was my last fight a while back. Remember when I was gone for a few months?"

"Yeah, everyone all over the world was so worried."

"I had a lot of time to think things over. All my rampaging around, all my running for no reason. I decided I needed a reason, and not to run, but to live."

Amu smiled again. "And I'm it?"

"Yeah." Sonic chuckled a little.

Amy appeared solemn. "What did happen to you? I mean, all I know was that he attacked you and gave you those scars."

Sonic took a breath through his nose, frowning.

--

Sonic ran at Metal Sonic, using all his speed, all his strength. A single head-butt could take Metal Sonic out, but Sonic thought he would move and they would battle.

He thought.

Metal Sonic did not move. Metal took the attack. He did not defend. He clinged to Sonic with his claws, scratching him. Sonic stopped abruptly, causing Metal Sonic to fly off.

"Ha!" Sonic taunted. "Is that the best you can do?"

Metal Sonic stood up and shook a single finger, similar to how Sonic would do. "Yes… it is." Then Sonic noticed something. One of Metal Sonic's hands was gone.

Sonic felt a gripping pain. It was on his chest. It was in his chest.

Sonic found Metal Sonic's hand. His sharp, clawed hand.

--

"Oh my" said Amy as her eyes shrunk.

Sonic nodded. "I wasn't afraid, though. No, it wasn't until after it was done that I was scarred. His hand stayed there for a while." Sonic paused and let go of Amy and looked up at the starry sky.

"What's wrong, Sonic" Amy asked.

"I need to know something, Amy… do you like the new Sonic better, or the old one?"

Amy seemed taken back by the question. "Sonic, what do you mean?"

"You said it yourself. I'm different. Do you like the new Sonic better or the old one?"

Amy blinked slowly, frowning as she did so. "I fell in love with the old Sonic… but I like the new Sonic better."

Sonic smiled and turned back to face her. "Thanks, Amy. Let's head back to the house."

Amy, however, did not stop frowning.

"What's wrong?"

Amy sniffled, surprising Sonic as tears began to poor. "I need to know something" said Amy. "You've always told the truth, I noticed. Now answer truthfully: when were you going to tell me?"

Sonic gulped. "Tell you what?"

"That the old Sonic died."

Sonic's eyes shrunk. He gripped at his chest a breathed deeply. After a moment of this, he looked down, ashamed. "I was never going to tell you."

Amy was silent.

"How long have you known?"

"… from the moment you took swimming lessons. The old Sonic wouldn't get in water for anything, not even me."

Sonic was silent.

"What made you do this? Was that what you were always meant to do all along?"

"No."

"Was it me? Have you always felt this way about me?"

"No."

"Then what? From what I can see, you only did it because you could."

"You are right. I did it because I could."

Amy took a step back from Sonic.

"Wait, Amy it's not like that."

"Then what? What is it like?"

"In my perspective, it is…"

--

Sonic could not breathe. When he tried, blood would squirt from his mouth.

"How ironic, hedgehog. All this time, I've been trying to be faster than you. Now, when I hardly move at all, you have lost."

Sonic's eyes widened, most likely in fear, and in regret.

"What is the matter? I had expected you to smile, to give one last remark of smug, idiotic joy."

Sonic fell, gripping at his chest.

"I do believe that you're lungs and heart has been punctured. Even if someone found us now, no one could save you. How does that feel? With there being no possible way out at all. You always found some lucky way out. But this time was all about planning."

Sonic opened his mouth to say something. It never came out. His eyes rolled back and his face fell.

Metal Sonic stood there, starring. Sonic was dead. After all this time, all this work, all this madness, Sonic was dead.

… Now what?

He had never, EVER, thought this far. Sonic was dead. Metal Sonic did it. That was it.

What was he to do now?

Was there anything?

There was nothing left. Not even the anger that he had held for so long.

Metal Sonic starred at Sonic. He was now as lifeless as himself, he noted. Metal Sonic had no where to go, no purpose.

This was success for a machine. Afterwards, you were useless.

--

Amy was still crying.

"Amy, please. I'm sorry. I understand if you hate me. But please, understand. I had nothing but hate. When he was gone, it left." Sonic looked like he wanted to cry himself now.

"If you had nothing left, why did you… do this to yourself?"

"I… couldn't let Sonic die."

--

Metal Sonic looked at the no longer moving body. All of his insides had basically shut down. They could still work, but his brain had no more oxygen. It had died. With it, Sonic did too.

Metal Sonic was worried. Without that miracle hedgehog, who would protect this planet from all the strange things that appeared? The planet could have been destroyed on multiple occasions, but he stopped the unstoppable. Without Sonic, there would be no world. Without the world, he could not exist.

What was he to do? Did he desire anything? Did he even care if he died?

No. Metal Sonic did not care. He had no care in the world. And not in the happy-go-lucky way.

So, for a long while, all Metal Sonic did was stand and stare, with no where to go, nothing to do.

Metal Sonic…

Wait.

He was Sonic.

Metal Sonic.

Sonic.

Take away the metal.

He was Sonic.

… He could be Sonic.

Metal Sonic looked at the body, and made a decision.

Sonic had not died. He had been remade.

Metal Sonic picked up the body and took it away to the nearest Eggman facility.

If he wanted to be Sonic… well, what better way

--

then to use Sonic's actual form?" Sonic held his head down in apparent shame.

"You… repaired Sonic's body?" Amu asked shakily.

Sonic nodded and gripped at his scars again. "The lungs are now plastic. The heart is synthetic. The ripped veins healed themselves. The brain is still dead. My processor is connected to the spinal cord."

"You thought you could replace Sonic?"

"I am Sonic. My original being is a part of him. My original blueprints used his brain patterns. Everything he likes, I like. Everything he hates," he sighed and pointed at himself, "I hate. Everything he loves," he held a hand out to Amy, "I love."

Amy, through her tears, smiled. "I could look at this in two ways. You are a monster who should be left alone to rot."

Sonic took a step back.

"Or I could see it as you being Sonic. The better one."

Now tell me. From your perspective…

What do you see?