Moving Forward

What do you think? The black, right? 'Cause it should be something...
serious."

Amy was holding the dress in front of herself, then brought it down to
look at it again.

"No, that's too much. It'll be like I'm trying too hard."

She went back to her closet and returned with a pinker, more summery
top. "This is more cheerful. Wouldn't it be nice to be... No, that's
stupid, I can't go there like this, like it's a normal day."

She tossed it onto the bed. "If I had my red dress... He liked that
dress. Are you sure I didn't leave it at your place?"

Blaze had dressed in her purple regal garb, as she often did. She
didn't consider putting as much thought into her appearance as Amy
did. "I could go back and look again."

"No, forget it. I'll just wear the black. Black is... it's what you're
supposed to wear, right?"

"Black is traditionally worn in mourning, yes."

Amy appeared to have had the air sucked out of her by the word.
"That's what I am, aren't I? I'm mourning. But... I have to be the
supportive one. I mean, Tails, and..."

She stormed back to the closet, sweeping every piece of clothing from
one side to the other. "Why? Why is it all pink? Why do I always...
Why do I dress like some damsel in distress?"

She turned back to Blaze. Her eyes were wet and turning pink as the
rest of her. "How come I can't be the rescuer? Why can't I save
anyone?"

"Amy."

"I can't."

"It's okay, Amy."

"I cant do this!"

Blaze suddenly took Amy's head in her hands and pulled her close. She
began to breathe in a slow, steady rhythm. Amy began breathing with
her, quivering. When she calmed, Blaze cupped her face in her hands
and their eyes met.

"We can do this."

"I know. I know we can. We can be there for... Oh, Tails, little Tails..."

Blaze tightened her grip, as though to wring the doubt from her. "We
can be strong."

"Yeah. We can."

She stepped back and stood up straight, looking around her room.

"I wish I had the red one."

* * *

"You."

Heads turned to see the a visitor standing in the doorway of the
vestibule. Though he had traded his familiar red flight jacket for a
black trench coat, there was no mistaking his ovoid frame.

"You!"

Tails had already lurched out from his pew. He struggled to stand
straight as he walked toward the huge, round man, but grief and fury
wracked his body with tremors. He was always the youngest of them, and
now he was shaking like an old man.

He stopped halfway down the aisle, lifted his head, and opened his
arms as though to invite Eggman to take in the sight of the
congregation, their empty faces, the altar, Knuckles standing at the
lectern, the box holding his dearest friend.

"Congratulations. This is what you've wanted, right? Everything you've
built, everything you've destroyed. It was all for this view, right?"
Tails began to stagger toward him again. "You made it. Was it... worth
it?"

Tails' body seized, and he fell down to his knees. Vector, who was in
the nearest pew, came to his side and offered a hand. Tails slapped it
away and leapt up at Eggman, no longer hiding his tears.

"Why are you here? To gloat? You've always hated him, and now look
what you've done, look what you've made!"

His fists pounded hollowly against Eggman's soft exterior until he
didn't have the strength to hold himself up, and he slumped against
the rounded doctor and whimpered.

Slowly, gently, Eggman put his arms around the small fox.

Once he was certain there would be no resistance, Vector pulled Tails
away and brought him back to his seat. Then Eggman sat down in the
nearest pew and, along with the rest of the congregation, politely
turned his attention to the lectern.

That man could deliver a better eulogy than I ever could. Knuckles
cleared his throat and took a moment for the air to clear. They knew
each other longer than any of us.

He would never have thought of giving the eulogy if Tails hadn't
asked. He expected the departed's closest friend to speak, since
Knuckles himself was making all of the other arrangements, but in the
end Tails yielded this last responsibility to the taciturn echidna as
well. Even after all this time, in many ways, Tails still had growing
to do.

"As some of you know, my first encounter with Sonic was on less than
amicable terms.

"I... adopted the belief that he and Miles had invaded Angel Island to
take away the Master Emerald, which my people held sacred. I
challenged Sonic at every turn, not realizing what I was doing. I did
not realize I was being deceived."

He was unsurprised to see heads turning to look for any reaction from
Eggman, who feigned ignorance either out of pride or courtesy.

Knuckles sighed and shook his head. "I know what some of you are
thinking, and I'm afraid you're mistaken. There's one person to blame
for what I did - and that's me.

"I deluded myself into thinking that the world ended with me. I didn't
trust anyone from outside to let me be safe. To let me be myself. I
was stronger by myself. I was stronger alone.

"It wasn't until I lost everything that I realized I had nothing. I
was the custodian of a floating tomb and I didn't know anyone who
would call me friend."

Knuckles looked over at the blown up picture resting on the easel next
to the coffin: the arms rebelliously crossed, the eyes wide with
expectation, looking as he did when they first met. Is this how he
will be remembered, while the rest of us get older?

He gathered himself again. "He pointed me in the right direction and
he showed me what could be accomplished if you have the courage to
trust someone. As he trusted Tails. As he trusted me. And most
importantly, as he trusted himself.

"Sonic was a risk taker, and he would be the first to admit that -
like any of us - he'd made mistakes. But that's what life is. It's
mistakes. Live and learn.

"He never regretted a single thing he did. He learned, and he kept
moving forward. He had a steadfast heart of gold. No matter what
happened, no matter what anyone said, everything he did was a step in
the right direction. And it's because Sonic was such a risk-taker that
we're all here today."

It wasn't until then that Knuckles noticed the irony in those words.

He took another moment and looked out at the faces staring back at
him. Amy and Blaze and Cream. Vector and them. The bird rogues he
never really knew, but he was glad they were here. Shadow, Rouge. Big.
Tails. He never would have known any of them if he had stayed on that
island.

"It's because of Sonic that we're together right now. He was open to
every possibility that life could offer him and his world exploded and
grew to include each and every one of you.

"He was strong. He could fly. He reached the other side of the
rainbow. But if you look around, you'll see that he's still here in
each of us. In the way we live each day. Always moving forward, with
no regrets."

As Knuckles stepped down from the lectern, he felt lighter. Whether he
had gained something or lost something, he didn't know.

* * *

"That was really wonderful, Knuckles." Rouge leaned in to touch him on
the shoulder.

Shadow draped his coat over his other arm and checked his watch again.
Why is everything she wears cut so low? She seemed set on showing
herself off to everybody in attendance.

Knuckles turned his attention from the Babylon Rogues to Rouge with a
sense of relief that didn't escape Shadow's notice. "Thanks. I
appreciate it. I hope he would've liked it."

"The eulogy he would've enjoyed, but the reception! I don't even see
any chili dogs here."

Knuckles laughed politely. "I still have some things to clear up
before I go. But, hey, Cream's family is having people over later,
though, so... I'll meet you guys there?"

"Oh, a get-together? That's nice." Rouge looked back expectantly at
Shadow, who made an exaggerated show of checking his watch. "Well, I
guess we'll... go and change first. See you later, Knuckles."

She hugged him, then turned toward Shadow, who was already walking out
the door into the cool dusk. She hurried to catch up to him.
"Somewhere to be?"

"We do now, evidently."

"Come on, just go with me. You don't have to say anything to anyone."

"I've had enough of that today." Shadow still couldn't feign vapid
optimism the way he assumed everyone else did, no matter how often he
was subjected to it. Sonic had pulled him into this world and Rouge
was keeping him in it.

He fished his keys out of his coat and unlocked the Escalade from
afar. They stopped when, in its headlights, he saw the silhouette of a
boy with two tails.

"Oh," said Rouge, "Hello, Tails. Do you...?"

He looked up at her with dry, steely eyes. "Knuckles is staying here.
Can I... get a ride home?"

Shadow looked sidelong at Rouge. He had no intention of acquiescing,
so he left the honor to her.

"Of course you can. Come on in."

As they pulled out of the lot, Shadow spotted Eggman walking along the
curb toward his Eggomatic hovercraft. Rouge waved politely as they
passed, but it was too dark then to tell if he had noticed.

She crossed her legs and sank back into her seat. "What a lonely man."

As they approached the intersection, Shadow turned his head to look
for oncoming traffic, and in the corner of his eye he saw Tails
looking out of the window back at Eggman without a hint of scorn.



Written for a contest at 1UP. The winning entry is here, with a runner-
up here. Like mine, they all confront Sonic's characters with the simple
tragedies of civilian life. And I am only half joking when I say that.