Sonic and the Reaper/Chapter 30: One Loss Too Many

Time froze. Amy had her gaze locked onto Sonic's. In his eyes were all the things that had no more chance to escape from his lips. As though mentally linked, Amy could hear Sonic's voice in his mind. Amy... Always remember... that I love you.
Then everything happened in a rush. Sonic's head came cleanly off his neck, and Zyx spun, then plunged the tip of his scythe into it, realizing too late it was the wrong foe. But it was done. Sonic's head melted into the blade. The dark mist flew into the scythe, and it dematerialized into shadows. It soon reemerged as a huge beast. Even Zyx reeled back.
It was humanoid, that much was clear, as its body was sturdily built. It was somewhat like a Mobian hedgehog, that was also evident, as its head curved into the shape of quills that, like Zyx in a mood swing, wavered between slick, flared, and parted. Yet it was at the same time, and this was what shocked Zyx, draconic, as its body had a scaly appearance. From its back emerged two smooth wings that resembled that of a Dracon's. Its eyes were almost like that of a feral beast as it threw its arms to its sides.
What were those words of the bladed djinn? he asked no one. I am... the creator. The stories of this world are... mine! Zyx laughed and formed his scythe.
Yet there was a sudden energy burst from Amy. Excalibur faded from her hands as she screamed. Crimson armour leggings slammed into her legs, and a crimson chestpiece almost like a dress onto her body, covered in rubies. Onto her arms slid crimson sleeves, and from her neck a bright, ruby red cape. Finally, a solid platinum helmet slammed over her head, and it was with rage that she slammed the visor down, bringing a platinum arc over her quills.
The pink hedgehog threw an arm to the side as a ruby energy took the form of a blade. She twirled it and held it before her, splitting her image in half before a golden burst blocked it. When it faded, Excalibur was back in her hands, only it was ruby and crimson as opposed to golden.
"And what were the words of the enraged hedgehog?" she screamed. "If this is your world, than it's a world that I don't want any part of!" She shot forward, leaping into the air before wildly slashing through the dark beast. It reeled back, and Amy flipped next to Sonic's body. She gripped him in a protective hold and shot through the roof like a drill.
She emerged onto the ground before long. The armour faded from her in wisps of silver magic, and she hit the ground weakly. "Why?" she asked. "Why did it have to be him? Why did he have to die for my mistake?"
She sensed Shadow's presence as he approached her. Infera was at his side. Both were bruised up, but upon seeing Amy their own pain was forgotten. Infera dashed up next to Amy and kneeled over Sonic's body. "Amy?" she asked, turning to her. "What... what happened?"
Amy's eyes were flooded with tears. "I was trapped," she managed to choke out through tears. "Zyx tried to bring the Dark Master to full power. The weapon of a darkness - that was his scythe. The flesh of a god, a spike off Mephiles' quill and a smear of Iblis' magma. The blood of a servant, his own. And..." she gasped and froze up.
Infera turned to Sonic's body. "And?"
"He tried to kill me," Amy stated. "He used his death-stained scythe. He tried to kill me. But Sonic got in the way. He gave me his power." The Scabbard of Excalibur fell to the ground, alongside Caliburn. "But in the process, he lost his life. The head of a foe." She collapsed and said no more.
Shadow stepped over Sonic's body. Red and blue Chaos Energy were gathering in his hands. "We have to bring him back. Silver's still got the Chaos Emeralds. It might be possible to use their power and revive him..."
Amy shook her head, cutting him off. Infera understood what she was trying to say. "No. It's too risky. He's still got his Dracon transformation. It'll kill him. It'll fail. Or at the very least, it'll drive him insane."
Shadow pondered. "I might be able to bring him back with my own Chaos Energy..."
Amy turned to him in shock. "But...?" she managed to gasp out, sensing one coming.
The dark hedgehog's eyes closed. "But it will cost my own life."
Infera's head jerked to him in a burst of dark fire. "What?" she said. "But... no. But how? You're immortal? How!?"
Shadow took a stance. "I have to do this, Infera. You two, back away, or it might be redirected."
Amy nodded, then grabbed Infera's hand and pulled her away. Infera screamed. "No! Shadow! You can't do this! You are the Ultimate Lifeform!"
"I know," he said in response to the pyrokinetic's calls. "But Sonic is Mobius' true hero." He crossed his arms over his body and bowed his head. His body slowly raised into the air. "Chaos..."
"NO!" Infera's body burst into dark fire, knocking Amy back. "Shadow!"
"Regeneration!"
Shadow's arms flew to his sides, and he was coated in a white aura. A wavy beam connected to Sonic's body, which wrathed like it was struck by electric shocks. He jerked, shouting in pain as his body started to fade. He couldn't speak, but his shouts flew to even the far side of Mobius. His vision was going white...
A heated burst knocked him out of the aura suddenly. He skidded on the ground as his body started to rematerialize, but the pain did not strike him. He looked up, trying to find what had caused his movement...
...to see Infera in his place in the aura.
Sound lost meaning. No, sound vanished altogether. Infera's body wracked with pain, but no sound reached Shadow's ears. He screamed Infera's name, but the sound was lost before it could go anywhere. He saw Infera's lips moving, and though he couldn't hear it, he knew what she was saying.
I love you.
Then, her body faded, enveloped in the white aura. Shadow's eyes flooded with tears. Sound returned as he screamed, "No! Infera!" His eyes traced the path as the white aura condensed into an orb that vanished as the beam retracted into Sonic's body.
It jerked once more and fell still.
Shadow's heart shattered. His mind went numb. His soul was crushed. He was at a loss for words. "No," he managed to gasp. "No. No! NO!" He ran over to where Infera had just been before collapsing. "NOOO!"
"What's going on?" Silver's voice asked as he appeared in a blur of silver lines, Blaze at his side. They looked around. "What happened to Sonic? Where is Infera?"
"Gone," Shadow stated like a curse. "Zyx killed Sonic. I tried to bring him back, knowing it would take my life." He inhaled deeply, trying to calm his wracking shudders. "But Infera took my place at the last second." He slammed his hand into the ground. "It should have worked! Sonic should have been revived!"
Blaze shook her head. "No, Shadow. Beyond life is a void where power, where even immortality means nothing. If you try and bring someone back to life, all you're going to do is loose your own."
Shadow's eyes closed as he gave a shuddering gasp. Tears started to fall from his eyes. Finally he gave a harsh laugh. "Ironic, isn't it?"
Everyone else was confused. "What are you talking about?" Amy asked him. His smile fell angrily, and he turned away.
"Think about it," he replied. "Maria. Rouge. And now Infera." He slowly started to walk away. "I never could hold on to a love interest."
Amy reached towards him. "Shadow..."
In a snap and a blur of black energy, the Shadow Rifle was back in the black hedgehog's hand. He threw it to the sky, jerked it back, and swung it towards Amy. "Bitch off, Rose!" he shouted. "Or I'll make you!"
The pink hedgehog was paralyzed as Shadow levelled his weapon on Amy's head. Then he turned away, the gun vanishing as the red Chaos Emerald appeared in his hand. "Chaos Control!"
He vanished in a flash of blue, leaving Amy, Silver, and Blaze alone.Category:Sub-pages