A Shooting Star ~Kirby and Sonic crossover~

Chapter 56: Anger and Sorrow

When Sonic arrived at Tails' house, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. He saw no sign of Shadow, but spotted a large patch of blood on the front lawn, as vivid as a crown of grieving poppies. With a cold sense of dread, Sonic stumbled his way toward the pool of blood, pinning back his ears in disbelief. His legs shook.

No. This couldn't be... Shadow's, could it? It was an abnormal amount of blood, and Sonic knew this much could easily be the result of a fatal injury. With a heavy heart, Sonic searched the area, using his senses to their fullest. At last, when he picked up the sweet tang of blood rising in the air like a curling beacon of smoke, he ran over toward the smell, trying to stifle his terror with a heavy swallow.

The smell of blood came from underneath the shelter of a palm tree in Tails' backyard, and what Sonic saw horrified him to his core.

It was Shadow, holding the limp body of Amy Rose in his arms.

His scarlet eyes shimmered with tears, and his hip was bloodied and mangled, a patch of pink skin showing beside his thick tufts of ebony fur.

Immediately, Sonic kneeled beside his lover, making sure there wasn't anymore injuries. He didn't dare attempt to cast Chaos Recover: his chaos energy was far too tainted for it to work. He was scared that if their chaos energies tried to mingle, it would also taint Shadow's own. It was just too risky.

Once Sonic was satisfied that Shadow's injuries weren't life-threatening, he turned to Amy, touching her face gently. Cold. He pushed away his dread, hoping she was just messing with him. It wouldn't be the first time she pulled a move like this.

Sonic shook her softly. "Amy. Get up. I'm here now. It's okay."

She didn't respond.

Shadow looked up at him, clearly distressed. It was obvious by the way his ears and quills drooped. "Sonic, she's..." He trailed off into silence, choking on his words.

That was when panic began to settle in. Sonic gripped her harder now, desperate for any kind of answer.

No. She can't be... He couldn't finish the thought.

It was impossible. This was Amy, after all! Even after everything that had happened—from getting kidnapped repeatedly by Eggman to witnessing the world break apart in front of her eyes by Dark Gaia—she had still managed to draw herself up, making it clear she wasn't some girl that could be easily pushed around. "Amy, I'm not falling for this again. You've done this once too many times!" Sonic expected her to wake up and start whining, vowing to get him next time with a stubborn cross of her arms.

Instead, he was met with an uncomfortable silence. The energetic hedgehog was still, unmoving.

"She's dead, Sonic. I'm... I'm sorry."

Dead?

Sonic brushed aside her hair. Her eyes were closed, lashes curled elegantly over her eyelids as if she was only sleeping. But the blood on her chest had marked her fate too well, a grim truth in Sonic's vision of his crumbling hope. His hand shook, and strands of her hair fell on her pale face, strewn carelessly like pieces of fallen petals in the presence of the wind. He placed a hand in her heart, despite knowing that he would feel nothing in return.

Her chest didn't move. Not even a little.

But why was it that in death, Amy looked so peaceful? Why did she look so beautiful, like an unmarked rose, her sharp thorns carefully hidden away by the blooming petals of a young flower? He gently brushed Amy's muzzle with a hand, wiping away the blood that dribbled from her lips. Red stained his glove, but he didn't care. How could he care, when all he could feel was pain and guilt?