Opening my eyes, I stretched out from the bed in my cluttered workshop. Scattered about the room were all sorts of works of mine – random robots that I designed to counter Eggman's crazed plans that strangely were decreasing in frequency, various forgotten machines that I lacked the ambition to work on, and scrapped inventions of all sorts. Wrenches were littered across the floor, but none of this fazed me as I looked up at the marble windowsill just above my bed.

Upon the windowsill rested a potted plant. Its rounded, waxy green leaves and crimson, nearly triangular flower buds soothed me in a way that only my past experiences could explain. This was no ordinary plant, it was the remains of my first, and hopefully, last and only, love.

I met Cosmo just over five years ago. That short, blissful period of time with her was not quite two weeks in length, but it seemed much longer. Supposedly animals and plants do not get along well, but Cosmo defied this stereotype.

Mentally counting down the days, I then realized that I also ended it all exactly five years ago to this day. Ultimately, Cosmo was to sacrifice her very life for the universe's sake. In retrospect, I felt that it was more painful to me than to her.

"Tails, just shoot me! It's no big deal, it's nothing…" The ethereal being in front of me emanated with fuchsia light. In order to save us, she forced herself to become an adult in her ultimate form. Her jade-tone, leafy hair was ankle-length in some places, but in others, it went down to her shoulders. In her ultimate form, the twin red flower buds, where her ears would be if she were an animal, bloomed into delicate roses. However, her entire appearance, just like her roses, gave off the impression of a life lived against the odds, an unusual strength akin to a dandelion sprouting and flowering in a concrete fissure.

This act of Cosmo's was not very convincing. I detested how she was making out her sacrifice to be simple, like bending down to retrieve a dropped pencil. It was ending not just her life, but our love.

But then, I came to a realization. If I didn't kill her, Cosmo's life would end, and our love would end, too. And not just would that occur, but everything else would cease to be. Sonic, my childhood hero whom I had become more distanced from at that time, would die, as would my other friends.

Sobbing, I finally responded "O-okay. I'm doing this…because I not just love you, Cosmo, but be-because…I love my friends too. But…I can't live with this! I love you, and I don't want to live without you!"

Just as I said those words, I pulled the trigger. The golden beam of energy sped towards Cosmo, and created a hole that gaped out magenta and lime-green light.

"Tails…I…" Although I loved Cosmo so dearly, I could not recall her last words. They blurred off into nothingness, and scouring my brain for a hint of what she said led to nothing but nightmares the next evening.

To that very day, that memory still brought a mist of tears to my eyes. With several tears dripping down my furry cheeks, I looked down at the last of what Sonic could salvage of Cosmo.

I was devastated, yet again. Mysteriously, the plant, which had been flourishing the previous night just before I went to bed, had turned almost completely brown and crinkly. The last link to Cosmo had finally perished, just has she had five years before.

With this, I grabbed the sole remaining live part of the plant, a now-opening rose, and crumpled down on the floor. I burst into a furious explosion of tears. Nothing seemed right without that remnant of Cosmo, that rose plant.

…

My recollection of the rest of that day was a haze. I didn't leave my workshop, not even to touch base with Sonic, wherever he may have been. In fact, I don't remember even eating or drinking.

Sometime the next day, a knock rang out on my locked bedroom door. Suddenly, I awakened from my restless slumber on the floor, sprung to unlock the door.

As I opened the door, I was mildly surprised. A teenaged, pink hedgehog girl dressed in red and violet was at the other side. Her eyes, the same shade of green as Cosmo's hair, glimmered at me before she grinned with joy. It was Amy Rose, and she was here, and as much as I hated to admit it, looking better than usual. But why was I here?

"Hi, Tails!" the girl exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

Before I could even respond, Amy was hit by the obvious fact that it was the anniversary of Cosmo's death, and wide-eyed, she grimaced.

"Oh…I dunno, Amy. It's not so much Cosmo's death, but…" I whimpered out a half-hearted response, not intending to finish.

Amy looked shocked as she turned my head towards me, her thick, spiky pink bangs undulating. "Sonic says that you've been acting odd lately, and this was even before the month we met Cosmo. What is it?" She walked within spitting distance of me, and I blushed out of the awkwardness of the position.

"It's nothing, really…please lay off." I walked away a little, stooping my shoulders.

The other Rose in the room smiled mischievously at me. "Hmmm…I see, Mile-oh wait, Tails…you think I'm pretty, don't you."

This statement of Amy's completely caught me off-guard. First off, I always hated being called Miles, as Amy almost did. But it was not as much that part that boiled my blood. It was her true assumption that I was attracted to her.

The air was filled with silence. After about a minute or so, I finally spoke up.

"Well, Amy…I suppose I do find you pretty. But I can never forget about Cosmo. I don't even know if she could stomach me loving someone else like that, even if she may be gone."

Amy flipped one of her quills, which had grown longer since she had ridden the Blue Typhoon. It was nearly the same length as Cosmo's hair just before she died. Keeping my observation private, I just watched her for a little while.

Sounding quite uncertain, Amy then stuttered "O-okay. I think you're really cute. And yes, I still like Sonic, but he's beginning to fade to me."

And with this, Amy leaned over and flicked my bangs back. After my hair had bounced back, she reached even further over. My heart raced like Sonic trying to avoid another of Eggman's traps, but I never expected what would actually happen.

Amy's lips pressed down on my forehead. And they stayed there. As she kissed me, Amy embraced me as well. Not even Cosmo had done this to me before, and I continued to sit, silently elated, savoring that moment.

"T-th-thanks?" As I expressed my baffled appreciation, I mumbled and put my hand on my head. But now I was even more confused. What would Cosmo do if she was mutually attracted to someone, but she had someone holding her back in her past that she could not let go of?

Still, my heart continued to pound, and things were about to get even odder. Some sort of jade-toned spirit was beckoning me, and I could see the orb in front of my eyes, next to Amy. It motioned and swayed towards the hedgehog girl, but I could not listen to it. I could not give Cosmo's rose to Amy.

Sympathetically, Amy leaned down again. "What's wrong? Do you want to give me that rose?"

Just then, I had made up my mind. I pivoted towards Amy, giving her a robust hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this before, Amy… but the real reason I was depressed yesterday was that…the p-plant that c-Cosmo left behind…it d-died overnight." The tears seemed to be returning, but somehow I felt comforted, and not just by Amy. "I-I suppose you can have it, Amy, as long a-as you keep it. Forever."

Amy gasped "Really? Thanks!" After giggling for a moment, the hedgehog solemnly spoke "Everyone misses Cosmo. Even I do, and so does Cream. But sometimes people just have to move on in life, and as much as it hurts, we can't live in the past. I think that's why her plant died."

Just then, the orb from before echoed with a voice. "T-Tails…, I may be gone, and you may always remember me, but…please…make yourself happy!"

The jade orb moved in front of my eyes one last time. Laughing , it chortled "You're such a great guy that others can, and will, love you in all sorts of ways. Amy's just one of them, and she can never replace me in your heart. We're different people, and we'll just both be there." With that, the ball of green light slowly faded away.

…

I was still hugging Amy when I whispered in her ear. "A-Amy? I think Cosmo just came back to me a couple of minutes ago. She told me to make myself happy, and that I-I can have both her and you in my heart."

"That's good!" Amy smiled even more widely than before in celebration. "I knew all along that Cosmo would never stop you from loving someone else. She was just that sort of person."

After breaking up our embrace, Amy began to exit the workshop, before turning back. "Oh, one more thing, Tails…" Amy toyed with the Cosmo's rose in her hands.

I nodded, and Amy continued. "How would it sound if you decided to stop thinking about Cosmo, while I stopped following Sonic? Cosmo's okay with us being together, and Sonic will probably never think of me as anything but his friend."

Walking over to Amy, I placed my hand in hers. "Sounds like a plan!" I exclaimed. "But…can I come with you to Cream's place, and then go to Twinkle Park with you tomorrow? That's the only way I'll stay with you." I chuckled in order to clear up my joke.

Laughing, Amy smiled back. "Of course! But let's see Cream first; she'll be happy for the both of us!

FIN