Sorry for the relative shortness of this last chapter. Most of the sequel will probably be around this length.

AFTER THE METAREX: TAILS' STORY

Last Chapter

"The Shining Road"

February 6:

Tails woke feeling surprisingly happy, considering that Cosmo had said she wouldn't be back. He wondered if it was because she was so obviously happy, or if it was what she'd said that he hadn't understood.

He went out to his greenhouse to check on Cosmo's plant. The flower looked as if it were just about to open. He was eager to see it finally at full bloom.

"Can't wait to hold you, whoever you are!" he said softly, gently stroking the flower. The heartbeat was very strong today. As strong as his.

Tails whistled as he prepared breakfast. There wasn't much food in the house. He'd have to go grocery shopping today.

As he ate breakfast, Tails thought that he should go see his friends. He hadn't seen Cream since Knuckles' birthday party, four days ago. She was his best friend now, and he loved her like a sister. He didn't want to think of the little bunny as anything else. While he was no longer depressed when he thought of Cosmo, he still had no interest in finding another girl. Maybe in a few years he'd think about it. Then again, maybe he wouldn't.

Tails was working on attaching a sticky webbing weapon onto Cream's plane when he felt a breeze.

"Hi, Sonic!" he called.

"Hey, Tails!" Sonic said. "How you doing, little buddy?"

"Much better," Tails said.

"I thought we could hang out today," Sonic said.

"Well, I was thinking of going over and seeing Cream and Cheese in a couple of hours," Tails said. "Just let me finish fixing up this new weapon for Cream. I know she hates violence, so I'm sure she'll like being able to catch enemies in a net. I started this months ago and never finished it. I got the idea from that movie we saw with the man in the spider costume."

"That's a great idea," Sonic said. "You never fail to amaze me, little buddy!"

"You know," Tails said, suddenly wistful, "it's kind of funny. I never thought I could go on after…what happened last year. I still miss her, of course. I know I always will. But the sun is still rising in the morning, and I know I'll see her again some day. I…I think I can move on now."

"It's okay to leave her a piece of your heart," Sonic said. "I know it's not the same thing, but even though Princess Sally has made it clear again and again that we're through, I'll always love her."

"Well…what about Amy?" Tails asked.

"I'm…not quite ready to think about something like that," Sonic admitted.

"It's funny, Sonic," Tails said, leaning against Cream's ship. "You're one of the most powerful beings in the universe, and I have an extremely high I.Q., but neither of those things affect our feelings one bit. Our hearts are just as fragile as anyone else's." He shook his head. "Sorry. I'm…not going back to my bad place again, don't worry. I think I'm past that. I guess I…had to hit rock bottom before I could pull myself back up again."

He turned back to his work, and suddenly realized he was humming "I'm Henry the Eighth, I am! I am!" "D'oh! My brother sang that so many times, sometimes it starts playing in my head, and I can't get it out!"

"Yeah, I know," Sonic said. "I had the same problem the other day with 'I'm My Own Grandpa.' Your brother's probably infected all of Mobius with corny old Earth songs. Well, I'll just check to make sure Eggman isn't plotting any of his nonsense, then I'll be back to go with you to Cream's house."

"You should invite Amy," Tails suggested. "You two make a great couple, Sonic."

"Yeah, um…we'll see," Sonic said, speeding off.

"Great," Tails muttered. "Now I'm playing matchmaker!" He chuckled, then went back to work.

When he finished, he showered, dried himself with his hydraulic tube, then got dressed. Despite the fact that most of the outfits his mother had bought him would get him beat up if he wore them in public, he'd started getting into the habit of wearing clothes. It was cold today, but his fur protected him from all but the coldest of weather, so he just put on a shirt and jeans. He knew that Sonic wouldn't invite Amy, so he looked for his phone. He couldn't find it. Snorting, he dialed its number on his land phone. It rang, and he left the land phone off the hook while he searched for his cell.

"There you are!" he said, digging through the couch. "I really am getting to be one of those absent-minded professors!" He called Amy.

"Hello!" Amy's happy voice came over the phone. "Is this my little mushy-wushy, Sonikku?"

"Um…sorry, Amy, it's just me, Tails."

"Oh! Oh!" He could practically her blush over the phone. "Hi, Tails! How are you today?"

"Pretty good, actually," Tails said. "Sonic and I were planning to go over to see Cream and Vanilla pretty soon. Would you like to join us?"

"Is Eggman fat?" Amy asked, giggling. "I'd love to see Sonic…oh, and you too, of course!"

"Okay," Tails said. "We'll see you as soon as Sonic gets back. He's checking to make sure Eggman doesn't spoil our day with one of his hairbrained schemes."

"If he does, then smashie-smashie!" Amy said, giggling again. "I was just going over to see Cream, so I'll meet you guys there. See ya!"
"See ya, Amy!" Tails said. He hung up. Sonic might be awhile. Uncle Chuck had just announced the other day that he'd come up with a new type of chili dog. He decided to try reading for awhile. Maybe he could finish his new book today.

Tails read a chapter, then put his book away. He was restless these days, as if expecting something important to happen soon. He wondered how long his parents would be away. Sure, they could be embarrassing, especially around his friends, but he missed not having them around. Maybe he'd build something for them. He wondered yet again if he should have gone with them, helped them. But they were too proud to ask for help. Maybe that was his problem. He knew his friends had super powers, while all he could do was fly. He shouldn't complain every time he needed help. He contributed. He mattered. Well, Cosmo had thought so. And Cream…No, going out with Cream would only end up hurting her. There was a piece of his heart that he could never give to her. The fact that she knew that, but still wanted to be with him just made it worse. She deserved someone that could give her his whole heart.

He wondered how Knuckles could go back and forth between Julie-Su and Rouge. Probably didn't really love either one of them. He could never do something like that.

Merlin Prower had traveled far into the wilderness. Finally, he'd reached the lost city of the echidnas. It was made of stone, and mostly underground. He walked slowly, waving about his lantern. His nephew would have been happy to provide him with flashlights, but Merlin had little use for technology. He was an antiquarian, had been since his father had passed on when he was little, and he and his mother and little brother had moved in with their grandfather. He came to a flight of steps cut into the side of the building. Carefully, leaning heavily on his cane, he started down them.

Tails looked out his window. He couldn't see them because the sun was out, but astronomical charts had told him that there would be shooting stars today. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. There had been shooting stars in the sky when Cosmo had first come into his life. He had seen them again when she had left him. Now they were back. He wondered if that was a sign. That her flower would bloom tonight. Many people thought shooting stars were omens. They certainly had been for him. Hadn't he seen them the day he'd first teamed up with Sonic, what seemed like so many, many years ago?

He thought about Cosmo's shrine. He would have to take everything down soon. He had needed the shrine at first. Now, it just reopened old wounds to go in there. And the shrine's continued existence would just have his family and friends talking about him. Reminding them of what had happened. Of where he'd ended up. He tried not to think of those weeks. That horrible day they strapped him down and gave him something to put the fight out of him. That little room he was forced to stay in. And he still didn't think he'd ever really gotten that bad, really. If only Amy and Vector and his parents hadn't driven him up the wall, maybe he could have gotten through it all easier. Maybe he could have dealt with everything. If they hadn't kept telling him to cheer up, and looking at him so pitifully. But he wouldn't, couldn't play the blame game. That would send him on the spiral path right back into hating himself, and Sonic, for Cosmo's death. The guilt would never go away, but he could deal with it now. He had followed her wishes. And she was happy and content with her family.

And Cosmo's happiness was all he had ever wanted. Her wishes were the important ones.

Amy called Cream. "Hello!" came her best friend's voice. "Yamato residence! Who may I say is calling, please?"

Amy laughed. "You sound so professional!" she said. "Are you thinking about being a secretary someday?"

"Oh! Amy, hi!" Cream said. "No, I'm just being polite. Do I sound stupid?"

Amy opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a tube of lipstick. "No, no, just kidding. Hey, did Tails say he was coming over to your house later?"

"Huh?" Cream said. "No, why?"

Amy grinned. "Well, he just called and said he and Sonic will be coming over. He invited me to come too. I guess to chaperone!"

Cream gasped. "Amy! Tails isn't interested in me. I wish he was. But he wouldn't have invited you and Mr. Sonic if he was, would he?"

"Maybe," Amy said, applying her lipstick. "He may be too shy to come and see you by himself." She giggled. "Of course, it you want, I can drag Sonic off someplace so that the two of you can be alone!"

Cream made sound like she was choking. "Wha-what do you mean, alone? I…I don't' know what you're talking about, but…but I'm sure my mother would never approve, whatever you're talking about!"

"You're blushing, aren't you?" Amy sang, checking her hair in her vanity mirror. "I think you understand more than you're admitting!"

"Please stop, Amy!" Cream begged. "You're really embarrassing me now!"

"Okay, okay!" Amy said. "We should be over pretty soon! So make sure you're dressed up real pretty for your Tailsy-Wailsy!"

Cream sputtered. "I would never call him that! And you shouldn't either!"

"My bad!" Amy said, shutting one eye and sticking out her tongue. "Anyway, I'll be on my way soon. Have fun, Cream!" She giggled again, then hung up. She looked over her wardrobe. "I set Tails up with Cosmo, and it would have worked if she were still here. Looks like I've worked magic again!" She looked up. "Sorry, Cosmo! Please don't think I'm trying to push you out of Tails' life. But he needs this." She started going through her outfits, trying to pick just the right dress to entice her Sonikku.

Tails sighed. Everyone was right. That room really wasn't healthy for him. But he wasn't ready to take down her tribute. Not yet. Even though there was another tribute. He wondered how she would have felt, knowing that there was now a memorial garden named after her. He guessed she'd be embarrassed to see the statue he'd had made of her. It was so lifelike.

He passed the room, determined not to go in again until he was ready to put everything away.

Tails found himself yet again wondering how he could have prevented that final tragedy. Yes, he thought Super Sonic and Super Shadow could have beaten Dark Oak without her, although they probably would have both been killed. He no longer wanted Shadow dead and suffering, but he still hated that hedgehog. He searched his heart, and found there was still a spark that hated Sonic for his part in Cosmo's death. But the Unbreakable Bond still held. Sonic was still his brother. More so than his flesh and blood brother would ever be.

Tails briefly considered trying to fix his time machine and try again. But time travel was very risky, and there was always the possibility that he would save the Cosmo of another reality, not his. He didn't want the Cosmo of Mobius-2. That would be living a lie. Besides, she would want to be with her Tails. No, time travel probably would never get him what he wanted.

Cream looked at herself in the mirror. "Do you think I'm pretty, Cheese?" she asked.

"Of course you are, Cream!" Cheese said. "You're beautiful!"

"Well…maybe if I looked a little more like my mom," she said, examining herself in her mirror. "Hmm…what if I grow out my hair?" She sighed. "I wonder how long it'll be before Mom will let me wear make-up?"

"You don't need that stuff," Cheese insisted. "If Tails doesn't want you, that's his mistake."

Cream hugged her best friend. "Thank you, Cheese," she said. "But it's not that easy. Tails is afraid to open his heart up again, and I can't really blame him. I didn't love Emerl, but…but I'll never forget him. Or what I had to do to him!"

Cheese laid his head against her arm. "It's okay," he said. "You did what you had to do. I'm sure Emerl would have told you that if he could have."

"Just like Cosmo told Tails not to worry about her," Cream said. "I want her to come back, but…but if she does…I lose Tails forever. But…but…"

Sonic still wasn't back. Maybe he'd ran into trouble. Eggman might have shown up with a new scheme. It was so hard to tell with that guy. Most of his plans were harebrained, but every once in awhile, he'd actually come up with something brilliant. He was just starting to worry, when he got a call.

"Yo, dude!" Sonic said. "I'm gonna pick up a movie or two for later. I've got my phone you gave me on the Blue Typhoon, so you can call me if you need something."
"Sure, Sonic," Tails said. "How about a comedy? No monster movies, please. I always feel sorry for them now."

"Sure," Sonic said. "I'll get a Three Stooges marathon, and something with dinosaurs."

Dinosaurs? "Sure, why not?" Tails said out loud. "So, anything going on with Eggman?"

"Nah," Sonic said. "He was pigging out on a giant pizza when I checked on him. While he was yelling at me to get out, Bokkun ate most of it! So when I left, he was chasing Bokkun around his hideout, yelling, 'Cough it up, you weird little freak!' Sonic did a pretty good imitation of Eggman. "And Bokkun actually tried to barf it up! So Eggy's like, 'Hey, gross! I'm not that hungry!' And that's when I cut out!"

"That is so weird!" Tails said, "But you know, Bokkun helped me and Amy out. So maybe he's starting to change."

"Maybe," Sonic said. "What the heck is Bokkun, anyway? I mean, he's a robot that eats food!"

"Well, he's probably a roboticized…er, something or other. I have no idea what!" Tails said.

"Yeah, he's got horns, so I'm thinking, goat maybe?" Sonic said. "Anyway, I'll see you soon, little buddy!"

"See you, Sonic!" He hung up his phone. Well, he had some time to waste before Sonic finished. You could rent up to six discs, and Sonic usually took out the limit, so he'd be awhile. Tails decided, since he didn't want to get dirty again working on another invention, he'd just try to watch some television. Of course, he found now that the remote was missing. "I'm going to have to fix it so I can call it on my phone!" he decided. It turned up under the couch.

"Hey," he told his couch, "stop eating my stuff!" He sputtered. "Oh, man, did I just talk to the couch?" he asked himself. "Better watch it, Tails. Huh. And now I'm talking to myself. Oh well, as long as I don't answer, it should be okay!"

Tails channel surfed for awhile. Talk show. Game show. Talk show. Golf. Shopping channel selling stuff from the old Knothole Village. Incredibly badly dubbed kung fu movie. Imperial guards were discussing their favorite tv shows. Some guy was walking around telling everybody that his name was Jackie Chan. "You are not Jackie Chan!" "No, not that Jackie Chan! I'm the other one!" Tails shut off the television.

"I've got to stop just killing time," Tails told himself. "I need to start developing new interests. I wonder if the new school they're building needs somebody to make the playground? I should call Princess Sally tomorrow or the next day. Been a long time since I've heard from her."

Actually, it had been awhile since he'd talked to a lot of friends. Including Debbie. He'd heard she'd gone home last week, but hadn't gotten around to seeing how she was doing. It wasn't her fault that her parents had been so different. Why should she suffer for something that shouldn't even have mattered?

Thinking about Debbie, the girl Amy had tried to set him up with, reminded him of the one Vector had arranged to see him. Ginger was still on the loose. He hoped she had left the city. He didn't want to start carrying weapons. He still hated guns, but a taser or pepper spray might be a good idea.

Merlin examined the stone tablets he'd discovered. They told him more than he had hoped for. Many questions had been answered, although they suggested still greater mysteries.

"I must take these back! Show Miles! He needs to know this at once!" He took the tablets, and began his return to the surface. Something told him he wouldn't have much time.

Tails realized he had been depressed for so long, nine months now, that it was difficult for him to remember what he used to do with his spare time. That was sad. Cosmo would be so disappointed in him. But the dream he'd had last night hadn't faded away. He hadn't just seen her and heard her voice, he'd smelled her scent, and felt her hands touch his face. He'd never had such a realistic dream. She'd said she wouldn't be able to come back to see him again. He felt the tears well up again. But he pushed them back. He should be grateful that he got to see her the times he had. Most people never got to see or hear from dead loved ones again. He winced. It still hurt to think of her that way. Dead. He didn't like that word. Never had. It was an ugly, cruel word in a world that had too much ugliness and cruelty in it already.

"Now I'm getting maudlin again," he scolded himself.

"When you think of me, Tails, laugh, don't cry," she'd said. And he wanted to do that.

He picked up his phone and called the palace. "Hello! Nicole speaking! Whom may I say is calling, please?"

"Hey, Nicole," Tails said. "How are things at the palace?"

"Tails, Hi! Great to hear from you again! I'm afraid that Sally's in a meeting with the king and his council. So how are you?"

"Better," Tails said. "Sorry I've been out of touch for awhile. I promised you and Sally that I wouldn't be a stranger, and I haven't been keeping that promise. So how are you, Nicole?"

"Oh, can't complain," Nicole said. "Don't see much of Sally these days, but at least she seems to be doing better. I guess she's finally…you know…"

"Gotten over her break up with Sonic?" Tails asked. "If she still loves him, then…"

"She says she doesn't'," Nicole said. "I think she's upset that she hurt him. It's a terrible thing, to love someone and not be loved back, but I'm sure it's difficult for the person that's loved as well."

"Yeah," Tails said. He knew what she meant. Cream had dropped so many hints lately, and he had pretended that he hadn't noticed any of them. "You feel like you've done something to lead them on, and you wonder if you meant to hurt them."

"I'm sorry if I've upset you, Tails," Nicole said.

"No, no, I'm okay," Tails assured her. "I'm not as fragile as I used to be. At least, I don't think I am."

"You're still seeing your therapist, right?"

"Yes, Mother!" Tails said. "Sorry. Sonic and Amy ask me that all the time. I've just gotten into the habit of answering them that way." Actually, Doctor Gantan had cut back their sessions to once a month.

They spoke for a little longer. It turned out that Bunny and Antoine were expecting their first child. Darcy had taken up gardening. And Amy had been by to yell at Sally and Nicole for not telling her where Sonic had been.

"Still can't believe Sonic actually found his little sister after all these years," Nicole said.

'Yeah, she's got some problems, though," Tails said. "In fact, she's seeing the same therapist I am. But Sonic says she's acting more and more like the little pest that used to follow him around all day annoying him."

"Is that good?" Nicole asked, sounding confused.

"Well…he's used to her being that way," Tails said. "And I guess it's a good thing if she's acting like her old self again."

They spoke for a few more minutes, then Tails placed his phone on the mantel, where, hopefully, he wouldn't have trouble finding it again.

Once outside of the ruins, Uncle Merlin reached for the phone Tails had given him. What he had learned couldn't wait!

"Hello?" he said. "Miles?" He heard loud static. He shook the phone. "Blast it! Why won't you work?" He turned it off. Machines had always hated him. It made his nephew's great skill with them all the stranger to him.

"Well, I'll have to wait until I get back to…what was that?!?"

Tails looked out his window. The sun had disappeared behind a cloud. He determined not to let that ruin his mood. A few minutes later, he saw a shooting star. What had Cream told him? That if you made a wish five times on a shooting star it would come true? Well, why not? He had wished that day for a girlfriend for just a little while, and that was exactly what he had gotten. A girlfriend for just a little shut his eyes.

"I wish--I wish you could come back to me, Cosmo. If you want to, that is. I-I would never ask you to leave your family. But I love you, Cosmo. Please, if you'll give me just one chance, I swear I'll devote my life to making you happy!"

There was no response. Of course, Tails had long ago given up hoping there would be.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I promise I won't disturb you again, Cosmo. I just--just had to try just this one last time. I mean, there are shooting stars in the sky again. Remember? Like that first day? And that last day,too. I'll always think of you when I see them." He sighed. "Okay, Prower, time to say good-bye."

"Good-bye, Cosmo! Now I know that I have to get on with my life. I have to let you go. Please, put up with my actions, my upsetting you, a little longer. You were never a bother or a burden or trouble to me. But that's just what I've been to you. I'm so sorry! Good-bye, Cosmo! I'll always love you. But it's time I moved on. Time I let you move on! Say hi to your mom and sisters for me. May God bless you until we meet again."

Tails checked his watch. Where was that Sonic? Fastest thing alive, but sometimes he seemed to take forever to show. Well, maybe he decided he didn't want to spend the day running from Amy again.

Tails suddenly realized he had opened a can of soda. "Another bad habit I picked up last year I'm going to need to break myself of," he thought. Well, at least it was corn syrup and not alcohol. He took a sip, then burped. "Yeah, definitely going to have to cut back on this stuff."

There was no time left to lose. Merlin clutched the tablets in one wrinkled hand, held up his staff with the other. "Chaos Control!" He found himself in front of his nephew's house. But he didn't go in there. Instead, he headed for the greenhouse. Tails had given him access to it. Despite his dislike for technology, he allowed his eye to be scanned, then hurriedly opened the door and stepped inside. He knew immediately where to go.

Tails cleaned out his kitchen. Tomorrow he'd go shopping for groceries. He found some bread that had little blue spots on it. He started to throw it out, then thought that it might be interesting to look at the mold under his microscope. He tore off the blue parts, then tossed out the rest of the bread. He took them to his lab, set them aside for later. It would be good to finally get back to his work full time.

Cream put on her prettiest party dress. Then, eager to see Tails, she went to her mother.

"Oh, my! Aren't you pretty today!" Vanilla said, sorting out the laundry. "Going somewhere?"

"Tails and Amy and Mister Sonic are coming over," Cream said. "I thought I'd go to Tails' house and walk him over here."

"That's nice," Vanilla said. "You're so helpful to your friends! Take good care of her, Cheese!"

"Chao chao!"

Cream and Cheese started towards Tails' house.

Tails analyzed the blue mold for a few moments, writing down some notes, then put it away in a freezer for later. He washed his hands at the sink in his lab, then returned to his kitchen. He shook his head. "A partial bag of rice, a jelly jar with a couple inches of jelly at the bottom, a half full box of cereal. I'm going to get yelled at for only having this much food in the house. Cream will cry, and Sonic and Amy will look at each other and shake their heads again. I hate when they do that! Well, guess I'll make a grocery list."

Tails heard a knock at the door. He started towards the front door, then stopped. The knock was coming from the back door. Who would come in that way? He set his soda can down, thereby avoiding a big spill. He reentered the kitchen. Walked to the back door. "I'm coming!" he called. "Just a minute!"

He opened the door…

And there she was. Standing on his doorstep. Looking just the way she always had before he'd been forced to take her away from him.

Tails bit his lower lip. "I--I thought I was doing better," he said. "I thought I was coping." He sighed. "Well, come on in. At least I'm having a beautiful hallucination."

"I'm not an hallucination, Tails," the vision said. He blinked. The illusions had never spoken to him before. Was he dreaming, then? Had he fallen asleep waiting for Sonic? "It's me, Tails!"

"Wha-wha-what?" Tails stammered. He could feel himself shaking.

She took his hand, removed his glove. "Here," she said softly, placing his bare hand against her cheek. "Touch me. Feel me. I'm not a vision, Tails. Not a dream. It's really me, Tails! I've come back to be with you! That is…if you still want me."

Tails opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. The world started to spin.

"Tails?" she asked. "Tails, are you all right?" Her voice seemed to be coming from very far away, and moving further off.

"Tails? Tails! What's wrong?"

Everything seemed dim, and growing dimmer. What was wrong with him?

Then, the floor seemed to rush up and smash into his face. From far, far away, he heard a scream.

"Tails! Tails, what's wrong? Speak to me! Tails! Tails! Tails!"

Then everything went black.

Cosmo's alive! But is Tails all right? Before finding out, don't miss the final chapter of After the Metarex: Cosmo's Story, coming soon!