Beauty and the .EXE

Chapter Sixteen: You Came Back

Sonic continued to try and climb up the roof but his injury was really taking a toll on him. Eggman yelled that he was coming for him. Sonic slid down the roof, just barely staying on as the old tiles fell off. Eggman slid down a slanted roof and used a stuck-out window to put him on another part of the castle, all the while Maddie was following. Sonic used all his strength to jump onto another roof, just barely catching it. As Maddie ran, she had to jump over a crumbling bridge just to find a safe way to get to Sonic or Eggman's pistol. Sonic, once again, jumped onto another roof, sliding down it a bit but managed to get his grip and climb.

Maddie made it to a tower window where she could see Sonic. He managed to get onto a small platform on the roof and stand there for a bit. But he almost slipped getting up there, making Maddie yell out to him. Hearing her voice, Sonic looked over to see Maddie just a few feet away. He had never been happier to see her. Maddie explained that she tried to stop the mob from coming for him but he didn't care. He told her to stay there while he made his way over to her. Eggman heard their yelling and watched as Sonic made a leap of faith to make it onto another rooftop.

He landed perfectly before attempting a slightly further jump. He just barely made it, grabbing onto the crumbling platform and pulling himself up. He tried to use a safe way to get to Maddie but Eggman made a part of the castle fall on Sonic before jumping down himself. Seeing this, Maddie left to try and find a way to help him. Eggman took a piece of architecture from the castle and used it to bash Sonic into a wall and onto a walkway. With Sonic down, Eggman kicked him to a sheltered tower, Maddie watching from the other side, next to Sonic's room. She tried yelling at Eggman to stop but he wouldn't listen. But Sonic had finally had enough.

Before Eggman could take another swing, Sonic caught it and stood up, stopping Eggman from hitting him again. He got the architecture out of Eggman's hands before taking him by the neck, leaning Eggman over the edge. Seeing how close he was to death, Eggman begged for his life, saying he would do anything to stay alive. Sonic pulled him close, telling Eggman that he wasn't a .EXE as that's what Eggman had called him during his pleas. Sonic threw Eggman to the ground, telling him to leave. As quick as a flash, Eggman ran away. Seeing Maddie just a jump away, Sonic made a run and jump, just barely making it.

He had to climb up the balcony but he made it to Maddie, safe and sound. Until he wasn't. Eggman had found his pistol and shot Sonic in the back. Sonic collapsed forward and Maddie started to attempt to drag him back into the castle and away from Eggman who was reloading his pistol. And, once he had, he shot Sonic in the back once more, the force of the blow throwing Sonic into the West Wing. Maddie ran over to Sonic as Eggman started to realise he was in danger. The walkway he was standing on was collapsing. And, before Eggman could react, the walkway fell, making him fall all the way to the world below him. Meanwhile, Maddie remained with Sonic as he lay dying on the floor. She supported his head and held his hand.

"You came back," Sonic said, breathlessly

"Of course, I came back," Maddie said with tears in her eyes, "I'll never leave you again."

"I'm afraid it's my turn to leave."

"We're together now. It's gonna be fine."

"At least I got to see you... One last time."

And, with that, the last petal fell. Sonic quickly gave in to his injuries, dying in Maddie's arms. She begged him to come back to her but it was too late. As the petal hit the table, and the villagers left, Tails was celebrating with Rouge when she suddenly went limp in his arms. Seeing this, Tails realised that the last petal had fallen. She has become like any other feather duster. He placed her on the ground as he wallowed in sorrow at his lover's final moments. Next to him and Shadow, Blaze felt her time coming too. She bid her lover goodbye before becoming an ordinary wardrobe.

Silver begged her not to leave him before his music slowly faded away. He had become a normal Piano. Vector saw what had happened and ran up to his owners, whimpering and scratching at them, hoping to get a reaction, only to fall backward and become an ordinary footstool. Cream came forward on her tea trolly, trying to find Amy as she had disappeared during the fight. But, before they could reunite, Cream's face faded away and she was now an ordinary, china teapot. Hearing her cries, Amy jumped down from a window to see her, only to become a normal teacup mid-fall. She was thankfully caught by the coat hanger, placing Amy next to her mother before turning into a normal coathanger. With only Shadow and Tails left, Shadow felt himself stiffen.

"Tails..." Shadow struggled to get his words out, "I can't... speak."

"It's all right, Shadow," Tails assured him

"I can't... Tails... my friend. It was an honor to serve... with you."

With that, Shadow stopped moving and his hands went to Twelve AM.

"The honor was mine."

Tails spun, accepting that it was now his time to go, making himself into a normal candelabra. With the spell still unbroken, they had become the objects they had been cursed into. Meanwhile, Maddie was still crying over Sonic's dead body. She begged him desperately to come back to her. But he was already gone. Honey had walked into the West Wing, watching the scene in front of her. Yet she did nothing. Just watched. But, as she stood near the rose, she heard the three words that Maddie needed to say.

"I love you."

And an added kiss on his fangs. Seeing what she needed to see, Honey made the rose's fallen petals float back up in the glass casing. The petals regained their red appearance as the glass suddenly disappeared. Honey made the petals float over to Sonic, clouding him in a golden mist that lifted him up, away from Maddie. Maddie stood up and macked away as the petals and mist took Sonic into the air, surrounding him and facing him away from her. There, the magic started changing his appearance and brought him back to life. When the magic had done its part, it lowered him back to the ground where he started to take in what he was feeling.

He looked back to Maddie to show his new appearance. He now had blue fur which had been spiked up. Maddie walked up to him, taking in his appearance. While she liked the new fur, there was one thing she didn't like. The gloves. So, she took them off, revealing that his red hands stayed. But she didn't care. She loved him just as he was. And, with that, the two shared their first kiss, officially breaking the curse. All of the broken parts of the castle started to rebuild itself. But that was just the beginning.