LAST CHAPTER GUYS! It's been fun! :)

SEQUEL WILL BE CALLED: SAVING GOLD

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This chapter is 8 months later...just in case you miss the calendar date ;)

Chapter 27: Take A Breath

March 9th, 5:30pm

Sonic the Hedgehog's point of view:

Amy and I were married at sunset on August 4th, exactly a month after I confessed my love to her. We decided for her safety, we were to keep our marriage a secret. Everyone who attended our wedding were sworn into secrecy. The entire gang was there…excluding Cream.

Not long after arriving to Southside Island, we did find a small group of settlers. They had formed a small town called Summerdale around 10 years ago with a population of about 150 anthropoids. After we explained our situation, and what was happening in the main land, we teamed up with the town leaders and small group of militia to start preparing for war. Shadow and Espio still warped over seas to gather supplies and medicine for General Tom and I's health. The medical center the settlers had built here in Summerdale could only treat patients with minor illnesses such as the flu, though they also had midwives for women with child.

After testing, we were told that Amy was indeed pregnant. The gender could not be determined until birth. We announced the pregnancy after we were married, she is due in April.

My lungs are still very weak. I can hardly walk at times. Even getting out of bed leaves me tired and out of breath. But everyday I push myself. I have to. Because Amy's pregnancy…was not a healthy one.

Because of our situation, we could not tell if anything was wrong with our child but Amy's energy seemed to drain more and more everyday. She could barely stand and was put on bed rest. She was extremely sick and was in and out of the medical center several times. Though, her belly grew everyday. She smiled often and giggled every time she felt our little one kick.

"I think we're gonna have a stubborn one," she would tell me, "If the baby is anything like the both of us, we're gonna have trouble!"

I pushed myself to stay confident. I met with the militia leaders everyday. We were a small group but in time, I knew we were going to be strong enough to take on Lord Ivo and his armies.

Ha, I'm starting to sound like my old self again. Jumping into things I know are too big for me or my friends.

Tonight, I sit in the forest that surrounds Summerdale. The crisp spring air rushes under my fur. Every now and then, like tonight, I go for a walk. Much like I used to go on runs. The walks were nice and quiet and allowed me to think. I will soon be a father. Things are about to change. They will be hard, especially now that war is upon us. But I have to stay strong.

I stand up and look at the orange sky as the sun sets. I can barely see it through the thick woods. I begin to walk, farther away from Summerdale.

Everyday, I walk further. Eventually, I know that I will be strong enough to walk all the way across the Island. "Maybe I'll find somewhere Amy and I can build a house…maybe near the ocean…"

I stopped. Ahead of me was a trail. I have never seen a trail before. The forest was very overgrown.

All I saw was a path with no obstacles. "Heh, this would be awesome if…I could…"

If I could run.

I started walking on the trail. I wonder where it leads. "It looks to go on for miles…" I say out loud, "Maybe all the way to the end of the forest, to the other side of Southside Island…"

As I continued to walk, the longing to speed up and inevitable impatience fills my legs. My hands start to tingle as I walk just a little faster…

"I know I'm really far away from Summerdale…but…I just want to…try…"

I pick up my pace, watching for the twinges of pain in my chest. I breathe out slow as I come to a jog. There was no pain. I smile and start to run.

I wasn't going fast…probably as fast as any human being could run. The spring air hit my face lightly and I breathed it in. The feeling was amazing. And still, no pain.

My heart quickens and my breaths get longer and harder. I pick up my pace, now going a lot faster than any human. The trail never seemed to end.

"Surely…if I could just get up to at least 100mph, that would prove that I'm stronger…"

I pick up speed and inhaled. Suddenly, a sharp pain races through my chest. My eyes widen as I force myself to slow down. My lungs feel as if I'm breathing glass. I come to a complete stop and fall to my knees. "Shit…I went too far…"

I cough, my eyes clinched tight as I feel more pain. I look down at the ground. My breath catches in my throat as I see dark spots of wet dirt. I then taste…"Blood?!"

I wipe my mouth and look at my glove. Fresh blood stained the white fabric. I inhaled. More sharp pains. I could hardly breathe now.

"Shit, shit, shit! I went too far…I've got to get back to Summerdale"

I stood slowly and spit the blood out. My cell phone rings. "Hello?" I answer, wheezing.

"Sonic! It's Tails! W-Where are you?!"

He sounds panicked, "I'm out…in the forest taking a walk. Why—"

"Sonic! Get back here as quickly as you can! Amy! She's in labor!"

My heart stops. I'm so far away from Summerdale.

"Tails! She's not due for another month—"

"Bro, you need to get back here NOW! It's bad…she has lost a lot of blood! Sonic, you're going to have to run!"

"I CAN'T run Tails!"

"You HAVE TO!"

He hangs up and I place my phone in my pocket, my hands shaking. I start to run again, tears starting to form in my eyes. The pain in my chest prevents me from running faster than a jog. "How could I have been so stupid?! Now I can't run back to Amy…"

Stars dance in my eyes as I press forward. Reality hits me along with more pain "I'm not going to make it…"

March 9th, 6:05pm

Miles Tails Prower's point of view:

I pace the halls and try to drown out Amy's screams of pain from the room ahead of me. Tears flood my eyes and I finally sit down on a chair. "This is so…awful…"

I look up as I hear the front doors to the medical center swing open. Knuckles and Rouge rush in and stop before me. "How is she?!" Rouge exclaimed, "Can I go in there?"

I shook my head. "Only Sonic is allowed back there…and he's not even here yet…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Knuckles exclaimed, "Where is he?!"

"He was out walking…You know he's been trying to get his strength up. He didn't know this was gonna happen! She wasn't due for another month…"

Rouge bit her lip as we hear another cry of pain from Amy. "She's had such a hard pregnancy…and now this…"

I nod. "She lost so much blood…they…they're not even sure if the baby—"

"No!" Rouge cut me off, "Do not say anything negative…we need to just sit here and pray for good things…Amy needs it all right now…"

The doors swing open again and I stand expecting Sonic. But instead, General Tom rolls in on his wheelchair with his wife pushing him. "We just heard…is Sonic here yet?" he asked.

I shake my head. "No…he's trying…he was out walking and can't just run back…"

General Tom's eyes widen. "He's not going to make it…"

Suddenly the doors to the delivery room swing open. A woman steps towards as with her head hung low and her face solemn. We all stand to face her, awaiting news.

"I'm…afraid…" she cleared her throat, "I'm sorry…but she didn't make it."

March 9th, 6:55pm

Sonic the Hedgehog's point of view:

I taste more blood. The pain in my chest is so intense and I can barely breathe. Only at a jog, I see the lights of the medical center. "Please…please…don't let me miss this…please let Amy be ok…"

I can see someone outside. His face looks sad and as he comes more into view, I see that it is General Tom. "Tom!" I force out. He looks up at me and his eyes widen. He starts to wheel towards me slowly.

Just ten feet away from the medical center doors, I collapse to my knees. Tears flow down my face as I feel blood trickle from my lips and nose. "T-Tom…" I wheeze out.

"Sonic! Stay there…I'll come to you!"

"I have…to get…to Amy and the baby…"

My breaths shorten and the air feels thin. I hear Tom roll up next to me and he puts a hand on my shoulder. I look up and my heart stops. His eyes were filled with tears. "Sonic…you are so strong…you have come so far these past months…emotional and physically…"

He grips my shoulder tighter. "As your mentor, I need you to be stronger than ever now…you need to have your lung checked out but if you think you can, you need to go to Amy first…"

"How…is…she?" I wheeze.

Tom would not make eye contact with me. "Just…go son…" he tells me, "Go be with your wife…"

Tears flood my eyes. I could tell something was wrong. "No…"

I force myself to my feet and hurry inside. I swing open the door to the medical center and I find my friends huddled around in the hall. Tears were in every eye, faces dark with sorrow. Even Knuckles, who seemed to sometimes hide his feelings, was holding Rouge close with tears streaming down his face.

And then I saw Shadow. Tears had formed in his eyes but had not fallen. He stood and walked to me.

"Shadow…" I wheezed, "I—"

He held up a hand and his tears fell. "Go to your wife…"

I gulped and nodded, walking past him. The group divided so I could walk between them. No one spoke, no one made eye contact with me, no one breathed.

I met the midwife before going into the delivery room. She cleared her throat, "Hello, you must be Sonic…"

I nod and she continues, "Amy is asleep right now…she fell unconscious after the baby was delivered. She lost a lot of blood as her womb collapsed…"

My eyes widen. "But…she is alive?"

She nods, "Yes…she is…but…your baby girl…I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but given the circumstances, I have to…"

Her eyes downcast she said with a heavy heart, "The baby girl did not survive birth…"

My eyes flooded with tears as her words hit me like bricks. "No…" I cried, burying my face in my hands.

The weight was heavy and I fell to the ground as tears and blood continued to pour from my face. I couldn't tell if it was my lung that was broken or my heart. "Why?!" I cried out, coughing up more blood after doing so.

I heard my friends step up and surround me, each placing a hand on my shoulders. Rouge cradled my neck, Tails wrapped his arms around my stomach and I continue to cry as my friends held me.

I felt nothing but love and encouragement from them. It was what I needed all along.

March 9th, 7:30pm

Sonic the Hedgehog's point of view:

I walk into the delivery room and to Amy's side. She slept peacefully, her eyes tired and dark circles underneath them. I bend over and kissed her forehead whispering, "I love you…so much…"

I notice something out of the corner of my eyes and turn to it. My hearts stops.

In a bassinet, with an IV and monitor still hooked up, lay my baby daughter. I walk over to her slowly.

She was so small. The small amount of fur that she had was a brilliant gold- Super Sonic gold- with traces of blue and pink streaks through her premature spines.

Tears fell softly from my eyes as I hold her miniature hand. They were cold.

"You are so beautiful," I whispered to her, as if she could here me, "You shine just like a gold star…I think that's what your name is. Your mom would approve-" I let out a small cry- "Gold Star Rose…my beautiful daughter…"

More cries tore from my lips and I looked away. "I wish I could've met you…I know…in my heart…you would've been an amazing, strong women. If I could sacrifice my life…for you to have one…I would… My broken body caused by my anger…and selfishness… I wish I could give you everything good I ever had in me to see you run faster than I could imagine… to grow to become much better than I ever could hope to be…"

I stood and slowly bend down, kissing her tiny cheek. "Sweet dreams, little one…"

I turned from her and slowly walk back towards Amy. "I need to find a nurse…so I can get my lung checked out…"

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the "beep" of a heart monitor behind me. I turned around slowly. Surely it was just my imagination…

"Beep"

There it was again. I looked over at Gold. "Beep Beep"

Gold's heart monitor was picking up a pulse. I gasped and rushed over to her. "Beep Beep" "Beep Beep"

Breathing hard, I watch for any movement from Gold. The heart monitor continued to beep and then, a small breath and squeak escape from Gold's lips.

Her eyes shot open and they meet mine. Her emerald green eyes stared at me in awe and then she let out a loud cry.

"NURSE!" I cried out. I panic and grab a swaddling cloth. Wrapping Gold in it, I pick her up softly. She continues to cry a little and nuzzles her face against my chest.

The nurse and my friends rush in. The nurse gasps and rushes to me. Lost for words, she looks at me and shakes her head. "S-She…was…H-How can this be?!"

I cradle my daughter softly, shushing her. Looking up at my friends, with tears flowing down my face, I smile and gasp, "She's alive."

THIS STORY WILL CONTINUE IN THE SEQUEL: SAVING GOLD

It's finished! Please leave me a review! And thank you so much for reading! I can't wait to get started on the sequel!

EDIT: SAVING GOLD AVAILABLE NOW! Please go to my profile to view.