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As the resistance worked on cleaning up all of Eggman’s and the metal virus’s mess, they could only hope and pray that their beloved hero was safe.
Between breaks, they would all search around Mobius for the blue hedgehog but had no luck finding him.
Silver was apologetic with how little information he knew. He only saw Sonic get sucked into the Topaz portal; he didn’t see where he went.
After a couple of days, the worst possible scenario played out in front of everyone. Blaze had come to their dimension. However, she looked distraught as she carried a large figure bridal style in her arms, covered with a blanket.
Amy was quick to approach her friend. “Blaze? You look awful! Is everything alright?” She put her hand on the cat's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.
Blaze only closed her eyes and looked down. “I’m sorry. He was found in critical condition, and there was nothing we could do-“ She carefully and slowly removed the blanket of the figure.
Everyone present gasped; they couldn’t believe their eyes. Sonic the Hedgehog, their resilient blue hero, was lifeless in Blaze's arms.
Amy fell to her knees and just sobbed. She couldn't believe it. There was no way he died. Except all the evidence was right in front of her face.
Tail's couldn’t bear to look anymore as he also began sobbing. He turned into Knuckles, hiding his face in his now-only brother.
Knuckles held Tails close to him. He tried to remain strong, but it was just too much. Tears rolled down his face as he closed his eyes and looked down to mourn.
Rouge put a hand over her mouth as her ears fell flat. She wasn’t the closest to the blue blur like everyone else, but they were still friends. She fought off tears.
Shadow leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He rolled his eyes and seemed unphased by everything unfolding in front of him.
The next day, they held a funeral for the hero. Everyone cried, shared stories, gave speeches, and praised him. A statue replica of Sonic was made for his tombstone. People left flowers, chili dogs, and other knickknacks around the grave.
Once it got dark with clouds and started pouring, everyone went to continue mourning at home.
Everyone but Shadow and Rouge. Rouge was a few feet away from Shadow, holding a black umbrella to keep herself dry.
Shadow just stood there with his arms crossed as he scoffed at the grave. “He was a foolish man, and died like a fool.”
Rouge couldn’t take it. Yes, this was normal Shadow behavior, but someone they knew died. Died saving them. “He died bravely. He died protecting us.” She snapped at the inconsiderate hedgehog.
Shadow clenched his teeth and snarled as he looked away from the statue and Rouge.“Of course he did. The fool.” He could stop the choked-up sound that came from his voice as he spoke.
Rouge didn’t fail to miss it. She quickly moved in front of Shadow to see his face and to see how he truly felt.
Her eyes widened as she saw Shadow's face slowly soak with tears. “Oh, hun-“ She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a comforting embrace.
He could fight the tears back as he just let his thoughts run. “If only I had listened. I could’ve helped. Shit- Why’d the idiot have to go and sacrifice himself like that. There must’ve been another solution.”
He regretted all the negative things he said to Sonic that day. While he shouldn’t have trusted Eggman, that’s just who Sonic was, so why expect anything different?
Rouge petted the dark hedgehog's back. “It’s alright, Shadow. We’ll get through this. It’ll- just take some time- for everyone.” She buried her head into Shadow should for comfort. She was glad to have her brother by her side.
Shadow nodes lightly, “Ya—time—“ He hasn’t gotten over Maria’s death, and it’s been over 50 years. How long would it take to get over Sonic’s death?
The two stood there holding each other for a little while longer. Eventually, the ground around them turned from dirt to mud from the rain, and the two headed back to their shared home. They called it a day as they went to their rooms and attempted to fall asleep.