No doubt about it, Sonic was dead.

But that didn’t mean that it was over.

Because of the attacks, everyone was scattered and nothing worked. Electricity flared in the dark, night sky and obliterated any view of the stars that would normally illuminate the village of Knothole. Normally, these would be fireworks.

Normally, this would be celebration.

But, Sonic is dead.

And these words kept repeating through everyone’s heads. Sure, Robotnik and Snively were dead too, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t cause for celebration or happiness if it meant that someone very loved was lost. Happiness cut short by tragedy.

Knothole, or what was left of it, was in a state of post-orgasmic recovery. The enemy vanquished, the city acquired back, and many loved ones lost. It should be catharsis, but all there is only doubt and fear.

Sonic is dead.

“Shut up.”

The village was now mostly burned down huts and crushed splinters into dust. Despite Robotropolis exploding in a shower of green and the missiles from space raining down on the forest, the village was about halfway still intact.

“Get out of here.”

Sort of.

“Why? I want to see him…”

“We all do. Just… right now I want to be alone with him…”

Sonic is dead.

There was this one hut, with half of it blown away by the wind, still standing even though the roof and two walls were gone, was where Sonic’s body was placed. On top of a wooden table where Rotor, Tails, and Bunnie placed his body.

Now, Knuckles was standing watch to whoever wanted to bear witness. But the problem was that he wouldn’t let anyone.

“Leave. You don’t deserve to look at him…”

“Why not?! He was our friend.”

Knuckles had the soberest look on his face. “He saved our lives. All of us…”

After everyone gave up trying to see Sonic’s mutilated body, Knuckles kneeled down next to the table and cried.

**********

Day 2.

Sally was not doing well.

But it’s not as though everyone was dancing in the street. It hit everyone hard, Sonic’s death. It just hit Sally the hardest.

Quite ironic. Not many died at the final assault except for him, and he saved all of them by letting himself be killed. Quite a gesture towards his friends.

Even though the city was liberated, the tyrant killed, and a full working Robotosizer captured, it was still hardly cause for celebration, even though it probably should have been.

It had been two days after it happened before Knuckles was finally subdued by the Freedom Fighters so they could bury Sonic’s corpse. Rotor, always thinking, thought it would be best to get the… corpse as soon as possible, before it started decaying. This way, more feelings are spared and Sonic’s memory is preserved in the best light possible.

Knuckles was not easy to trick. He’s had practice guarding the Master Emerald all his life, and is super alert. In fact, it took the entire village to finally bring him down. And most suffered broken noses and arms for their trouble.

But if you asked them later they’d have said it was worth it.

“Anything for Sonic. Anything…”

**********

Tails had that faraway look in his eyes, a look that would probably stay with him for the rest of his life.

First his parents. Now him.

This sucks.

Tails looked at the ground at his feet, the ground where the funeral was going to be held in a few hours. Already, people were setting up. Makeshift shovels were brought out and set in the ground, but nobody wanted to make the first move.

Sonic’s was the only body to be buried that day.

Tails kicked at the ground, digging with his foot.

“This is where he’ll be buried…”

Sonic, buried, along with the fox’s innocence. Never to be seen again.

Gone, like everything eventually becomes.

It was starting to drizzle. Dark storm clouds came for the funeral too. And heaven would cry. Like Tails.

For the rest of his life, Tails would let the tears flow. He would never allow himself to forget what a great hero he had once had. Internally, he would pay his everlasting respects to his friend, partner, mentor, savior. God. Crying on the inside, much longer than heaven ever could.

Difficult boy. Tragic loss.

Tails walked over to the nearest shovel, picked it up, and ignored the tears that came as he dug into the ground.

**********

Rotor, of course, was in charge of preparing the body for burial. Not a very savory task.

Sonic had holes in his back from plasma burns, broken limbs that needed to be straightened, wide open eyes, and one shoe was missing.

Closed casket or open casket?

Cremation? No way. Nobody had the heart, or the stomach.

Don’t worry, thought Rotor to himself, there is a process for everything. A list. Step by step, you do what you can.

First, glue the eyes shut. They’re creepy.

Check.

Next, straighten the limbs…

Snap. Check.

Next…

**********

Today we are gathered.

Today we mourn.

Today we bury.

Today we say goodbye.

Today we cry.

Today we look one last time.

Never again.

It was the hardest thing anybody ever had to do, attending Sonic’s funeral. Torture. No. Worse than torture. Much.

It seemed to drag on even though it was only ten minutes long.

And even then it was screwed up.

For eight minutes after everyone arrived, ten minutes ahead of schedule, dripping and soaked in the rain, nobody spoke.

Nobody had anything to say, anything that could be put into words. It wasn’t possible to, and anything would have ruined the entire ceremony.

Somehow.

Sonic didn’t seem to mind the wait. All he did was clutch a power ring in his hands, pressed against his chest, a slight smile on his face. Rain pelting him, the sorrow of a creator.

After nine minutes, someone, dripping with moisture from tears from heaven and from his face, finally reached the casket to pick it up. Others followed until everyone who could touch it did. Then it was hoisted into the air by damp arms and hands, and brought forth over the crowd of onlookers.

When it reached a tear stricken Sally, she broke down in tears and hugged the corpse in the casket. Then it went moving again.

It reached the end of the line where his closes friends: Knuckles, Antoine, Rotor, and Bunnie. All four of them put the casket into the earth that Tails had helped dig.

Symbolism too much to handle.

When the casket hit bottom everyone gathered around the hole.

Goodbye hero.

Goodbye.

When Bunnie put the lid on, a sudden, piercing cry hit the air.

Grief personified. Bawling. Unanimous and in harmony.

As the entire procession cried out, thunder and lightning hit the sky, in perfect unison. So sad, so sad.

With thuds, dirt hit the top of the coffin, burying it according to the plan.

When finished, the crowd stood, still crying unbearable tears.

So long.

Dearly departed.

**********

Day 3.

There’s work to be done.

“I know.”

There’s work to be done.

“Shut up.”

You can’t sulk forever. Death is part of life.

Sally, still in her bed, was not relishing the idea of trying to concentrate on her duties as a princess, the only real ruler in commission.

It was hard to get over. Not easy, not easy.

Don’t think about it. Instead, think about things you need to do:

1) Develop DeRobotosizor

2) Return citizens free will

3) Begin restoration of city

4) . . . . . . . . . . ?

“If we make it that far at all…”

It didn’t even seem worth it anymore. Nothing did.

Not starting a family.

Not starting a new world. Not if it was going to end up just as bad as the last one. Starting over was the last thing Sally wanted to do.

But.

“Okay… here we go… time to work…”

First, Rotor wanted to speak to her.

**********

“I’ve done some research on the DeRobotosizor, and I’ve found some interesting things…”

“Really?”

“Yes. Turns out the energy used to create the magnetic, metal field is almost exactly inverse of a simple power ring…”

Whoops.

“I mean… I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright.”

Seems like anything would remind them…

“Continue, please,” the tears already wanting to come.

“Alright, well, I figure, we can find a way to harness the energy of a power ring to reverse the entire process.”

“Sounds good…”

Long pause.

“Princess, are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“You sure?”

“Sure.”

Rotor gently put his gloved hands on Sally’s shoulders. “Look, this has hit us all hard. We’ll all probably never get over it, but we can try really hard, right?”

“I know.”

“We have a lot of work to do, and we can’t do it without you…”

“I know.”

“Right now, we can barely do without him. We lose you and we lose everything.”

Tears were starting to run down her face. “I know, I know, I know. I just miss him so much…”

Rotor knew, just as everyone else had, the feelings that she harbored for that blue hedgehog. Rotor brought his face close to hers. “He’s dead.”

And she let it all out, sobbing heavily. She embraced the giant walrus tightly, squeezing. His arms felt like the soft limbs of a tree.

Sonic is dead.

Sonic is dead.

Sally felt tiny tear drops hit the top of her head, Rotor crying as well, but not sobbing like she was, like a little child who lost a toy.

Kinda cruel to put it in those terms.

“But…” she withdrew, wiping her face. “What do I do now?”

Rotor, tears in his eyes, smiled.

**********

Knuckles had been pissed off at everything lately. Trying to get Knothole Village working again was a tough challenge. Little or no patience. No room.

Like grating teeth on bark.

Knuckles sat up against the nearest tree, tired. Exhausted. Agitated. He was allowing himself a quick nap before helping everyone haul lumber around to rebuild most of the huts.

“Hey, Knux.”

His eyes snapped open to see Sally standing in front of him.

“How is everything going?”

He frowned. “Bad. People can’t seem to get any kind of work done. I’m takin a break.” He closed his eyes again. He felt Sally walk over and sit down next to him.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Looks like you already have.” Knuckles didn’t mean for that to sound so cold. But he was tired. Of everything. “Look, Princess, just tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I…”

“Look, if it’s about him, then I already know.”

Sally looked to the ground. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “Sorry. But… you miss him too, don’t you?”

For awhile, the red echidna didn’t answer. His fist placed on the ground unnoticed. His legs crossed. Dreads ran low and sweaty. Then:

“I do, but… I hated him.” Truth.

Although it shouldn’t have been a surprise, the princess still gasped involuntarily.

“He was my best friend. He was good enough to be called my equal, matching me in almost every aspect. And… before I continue, I must ask you something, something you may not want to answer.”

“Okay… go ahead,” she said, not relishing where this was going. Her eye twitched.

“Did you love him?”

Boom.

Explosion.

The memories flooded in like a tidal wave.

The kiss… deep and soft… his hands, so careful yet so sure of themselves, moved with precision, felt good against her when he carried her across the ruins of Mobotropolis, to safety and out of danger. Sonic felt better to touch than anyone she knew.

Zoom ahead to sitting alone with him at the edge of the ring pond, chatting idly, becoming uncomfortable whenever the conversation shifted to their relationship. Sally walked away then, and now she kicked herself for it.

Zoom back to when they were just kids, when Sonic spent most of his time running around, rarely did he ever stop to talk to her, to say something to her that he felt needed saying. She never noticed it before, but she was the one he spent most of his time with.

Zoom ahead to memories of that last day with him… the fall of Robotnik. The plan going smoothly… then…

Zoom a little further ahead. Zoom to Sonic’s body inside of a Robotosization tube. Zoom to Sally’s face pressed right up against the glass, crying, begging. Sonic, a weak but true smile on his face, traced the glass in front of him with his finger. He mouthed some words… looked like… either Goodbye… or I Love You…

“Yes. I loved him.”

Knuckles, eyes lowered, looked straight at Sally’s face. “I thought so. This is why… this is why I hated him. He was my equal, which meant that he was my nemesis. We fought, we competed, and we battled, for everything… including you.”

Gasp, again. Intake.

“Knuckles,” she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“No. I don’t love him. I love you. I always have. Even when I knew I couldn’t have you because he was keeping me from it.” Knuckles stopped. “I’m… sorry. I don’t mean to sound this way. I can’t only concentrate on the bad and leave out the good. It’ll ruin my memory of him… he saved us all… and here I am being selfish, like always! I don’t deserve sympathy! I don’t deserve ANYTHING! Not even…”

No more words.

They just embraced. Suddenly. Wrapped their arms around each other and found comfort. It was to ease the pain of loss, of blame.

And even though nothing compared to her late blue hero, she still thought that the hug wasn’t half bad.

**********

Day 5.

Finally, things were getting done. Huts were rebuilt along with the command hut and the housing quarters. Much was devastated after Robotnik’s cannon, but at least what was destroyed could be rebuilt.

Well, most.

Sonic’s was the only body that was buried. All other casualties were eradicated in cannon fire. Still, wooden grave markers were set on an isolated little clearing in the forest to help people remember…

Tails was still locked up alone in his hut, but was showing signs of wanting to return by talking to people from his window on occasion. Progress. Of some kind.

Rotor continued his research and was actually making some startling revelations about technology. He predicted that within the week he could find a cure for Robotosization.

Speaking of which, Bunnie was keeping her mind occupied by looking after all of the Robotosized Mobian citizens still in Robotropolis. They were lost and confused after the initial explosion of the computer core, but were harmless and aimless. Never said it went perfectly.

Antoine… so lost, almost not worth mentioning. Almost.

Dulcy spent her time mostly around the graveyard, mourning. Crying a lot, she said. She can’t seem to get over anything.

As for the citizens in general, moral was gaining as the city progressed, but it was still a little low. Reaping benefits first need patience, and sowing takes a lot of that.

Sally… and Knuckles…

**********

It was the first time she had laughed in days. And it felt so good.

Sure, it was a cheap thrill. A way to rebound. A way to feel right again. Sure, it’s using someone to feel better, but it’s okay as long as nobody gets hurt, as long as there is nothing unexpected. No surprises.

“Thank you for accepting this invitation, Knux.”

“Heh, no problem, Princess. I enjoy talking with you.”

Tenderness. Not sure how to respond. “I actually feel… alive again, Knux, as though I’m not just waiting, for it all to finish itself off, or for me to do it first.”

Recovery, right? A long road. Patience.

It wasn’t really a date. Just a period of talking. Hanging out. And it already was almost over.

“So, are we going to do this again, or is this just your way of teasing me?” He smiled, warm. His eyes sparkled.

“I don’t know,” she said. It may be too soon. “Just… be patient with me. I need time…”

“We all do,” he said, his hand coming into contact with hers, squeezing. “We’ll just be here for each other for the ordeal, right?”

Sally felt like she was going to cry.

“Sure. I just need to do something first…”

**********

Zoom backwards, back to the capsule. One trapped inside, one trapped out. Face pressed against the glass, finger tracing, with the tender, warm hands. Sonic’s goodbye, heard by no one except himself.

If nobody hears it, does it even really exist in the first place?

Sally stood at the foot of Sonic’s grave, standing six feet above his final resting place, staring at the headstone, at the inscription that the entire village of Knothole chose, that they all finally agreed on. It was a little run together, but the message rang true.

“Hi Sonic.”

No response. Not a surprise.

“I just came to…”

This was hard.

“I came to return the goodbye.”

Sally walked closer to the headstone.

“I realize I never told you how much I really cared, how much I… Sonic I…”

This is a good a time as any.

“I love you.”

And she kissed the top of the headstone.

“Goodbye.”

Sally, underneath the clearing storm clouds and the rays of sunlight, and the chirping birds, tried to feel like something good happened. Like she was leaving something behind.

And she left the graveyard. Went away. Like him.

Away.

**********

“In our dreams we will always see you soar above the skies,

Racing with destiny and winning.

In our hearts you will remain, and in a way, it will be like you never left us.”

**********

Sally went straight to her hut from the graveyard and fell onto her bed in her repaired hut. The walls, although dark, were visible enough to know that it was a patchwork design. The original materials never to be recovered again.

Oh well. Sally was tired. It was the first time in days she wanted to sleep. The weights lifted, her heart light again, she wanted rest.

Real rest.

She closed her eyes.

And the last thing she saw before she went to sleep was Knuckles, smiling at her.

**********

That night, the village slept soundly. Serene. Calm. Peaceful. Real this time.

**********

Sally woke up extra early the next morning. Chipper and relaxed.

She ignored the lost nature of her hut and got dressed. Content.

Outside, she said a friendly “Hi,” to whoever happened to be up that early. She was a little disappointed to see that Knuckles wasn’t one of them.

The princess thought briefly about going to his hut, but she didn’t want to wake him.

Too bad too. He was probably going back to the island that afternoon…

Looking for something to do, Sally went to Rotor’s hut to see his progress.

After opening the door and walking inside, Sally immediately got a bad feeling. Rotor, suddenly and very quickly, with a stone hard expression on his face, turn to her.

“Sally…”

Uh oh.

“What’s wrong?” Not as if she wanted to know.

“I’ve… found something…”

Sally… just… looked…

**********

Out of the hut. Stumbling along the street.

Sally felt sick to her stomach. Sally felt angry.

But most of all, Sally didn’t know how to feel.

Her mind just kept repeating the words Rotor had said to her:

“We can bring him back.”