Here we go, guys. Here is the final chapter. :) Written a bit earlier than I was planning, but thought I'd get it done, so that I can start some new stories.

So, hope you enjoy this last chapter, where all the suspense ends. Let's find out if Tails lives or dies, and if the ending is happy or sad...

Shadow slowly opened his eyes.

He immediately had to put up a hand to protect his face, as he was blinded by a bright white light. When he lowered his hand and opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on his back in an atmosphere, made up of nothing but bright white light. He appeared to be floating on thin air. The pain in his chest was gone. Confused, Shadow tried to stand up, but he felt too weak, as if he only had a short amount of energy.

Shadow lay where he was for a moment, wondering what was happening and what was going to happen.

And then, he saw, up ahead, floating down towards him, a human girl, which made him gasp.

She came floating down and stopped a few feet away from him. He took in all her features, which made him unable to believe who he was seeing. The girl had long blond hair, in which she wore a blue hairband. She was dressed in blue and she was looking at Shadow with sad blue eyes.

Shadow, still unable to believe it, reached out a hand to try to touch the girl, but she was out of his reach. He blinked and shook his head, then he beamed happily. "Maria!"

Maria continued to look down at Shadow, then said in a quiet and sad voice, "Shadow...why have you done this?"

"Huh?" Shadow's smile faded and his beaming expression changed to a puzzled one. He hadn't expected Maria to greet him like that.

"I wanted you to make friends...not kill innocent souls."

Shadow blinked and continued to look puzzled at Maria, then he smiled and shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Maria. I don't want new friends. All I want is to be with you. And now, I can be..."

"I'm sorry, Shadow," Maria apologised quietly. "But you cannot."

"What?" Shadow cried in despair.

"You have turned into someone I do not know; a killer. You are not the same hedgehog that was my friend. You have done terrible things. I am sorry Shadow, but you cannot be with me...ever. You must suffer for your actions...for ever."

"Maria...!"

Maria began to slowly fade away, and as she did, she called out one last time to Shadow.

"Syranora...Shadow the killer."

With that, Maria faded away completely. Shadow continued to call out for her. Then suddenly, he felt himself beginning to fall backwards. As he fell, he continued to call out to Maria, but received no response. Then, the white atmosphere turned into a black one. Shadow called out one final time, before his vision faded into blackness and he fell as silent as his black surroundings.

"MARIA...!"

Amy continued to weep softly over Tails' body. Blood was still leaking out of the wounds Shadow had put into his body, but he lay still, not seeming to feel any pain from the wounds, or being able to hear Amy crying over him.

Amy wiped her eyes and looked at his face. Despite the wounds, after everything she had put him through for a crime which was not his fault, Tails looked peaceful. The fear and sadness that had been on his face, caused by the terrifying and upsetting time he had been though, had faded away. It now looked as if he was only sleeping. How Amy wished that were the case. She hated herself for giving Tails a terrible time, running for his life and freedom, for something that was all down to Shadow. Amy had no idea right now how she had possibly let herself believe that this fox, who had been kind and gentle, and who had just saved her life, was sly and cunning, like other foxes, and was a cold-blooded killer, responsible for the death of the one she loved, when in fact, that loved one was his best friend, who he wouldn't dream of killing. All the time, the killer had been someone who she had trusted, who thought cared about and who she thought she might have started to have feelings for. But that individual had been planning to kill her. He had killed the one she loved and led her to think that the fox was to blame, when in fact, all the fox had been doing was suffering from a broken heart.

And right now, Amy was suffering the same way he had been. Her heart was ripped to pieces. Shadow had tried to take her life, and instead, he had taken Tails', because the brave little fox had tried to save her. After the way she had treated him, Amy felt as though she did not deserve to live. Now that her life was spared, innocent Tails' was lost.

Amy had not felt so weaker. Not even all the times Eggman had kidnapped her had made her feel as helpless as she was feeling now. The grief was taking over her, as if deep inside, Shadow had killed her. There was nothing she could do, except hold Tails' body and weep.

"I'm so s-s-orry, Tails...for everything I've p-put you through. I know now you d-d-didn't k-k-kill Sonic. But it's too late...you're d-d-dead now." Amy let out a huge sob. "You did not deserve to die. Shadow sh-should have killed me. I do n-n-n-not deserve to live. Not after everything I put you through." Amy hugged Tails closer to her and continued to sob, letting the tears leak out of her sparkling green eyes and fall freely down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Tails."

"Uh..."

Amy's heart. Her teary eyes widened. She had heard what had sounded like a groan, and it had sounded like it had come from Tails. She pulled his motionless bleeding body away from her a little bit and kept her eyes fixed on him, her heart beating fast. Then, sure enough, the little fox's eyes slowly opened - making her gasp in disbelief - and turned onto her. Tails looked at Amy with a dazed expression - his mouth hanging open and eyes half closed - while she continued to stare in disbelief. Finally, Tails' mouth curled turned into a smile. "Hi...Amy."

"Tails...you're alive!"

Amy was about to hug him tight, when she looked at the bleeding wounds, horrified. If she didn't do something quick, she would certainly lose Tails. She gently lowered him down to the ground until he was lying on his back on the ground again. "I'll be right back! Don't worry, Tails!"

She hurried away towards her house. Tails lay where he was, next to Shadow's body. He was losing blood fast, but for some reason, he was smiling. Somehow, he felt like everything was going to be alright now.

Amy hurried back, carrying a first-aid box. She got down on her knees beside Tails and opened the box. She pulled out a large roll of bandages. She unravel some of the white material off the roll and pulled it away from the rest. She asked Tails to sit up, and he managed to do so, with a bit of difficulty, still feeling a bit weak. Amy wrapped the bandage firmly around his abdomen, covering the bleeding cut which Shadow had caused. Next, Amy took some more bandage off the roll and wrapped it around Tails' right arm, which Shadow had weakened earlier by quickly drawing the knife across, causing a cut which was bleeding. but the blood was quickly prevented from leaking when it was covered up by bandage.

After Amy finished nursing Tails' wounds, she helped him to his feet. "Are you alright, Tails?"

"Yeah," Tails replied hoarsely, still smiling weakly. "I'm fine, Amy."

Amy looked at the injured fox which stood before her, smiling at her. Then she suddenly threw her arms around him and began weeping again.

Tails, taken by surprise, hugged her back. "Hey, don't cry, Amy. I'm still alive."

Amy looked miserably at Tails, her tears leaking fast. "Oh, Tails...I'm so sorry that I've made your life a misery these past few days. I've been trying to make you suffer." She shook her head frantically, sniffing. "But you didn't deserve to suffer. You're a good-hearted guy. you always have been...and I thought you were a cold-blooded killer. But I know now that you aren't. I was wrong about you...and I've treated you so horribly..."

Amy continued to weep hard on Tails' shoulder. Tails ran his fingers along her soft back. "It's okay, Amy-"

"No it isn't!" Amy's teary green eyes looked into Tails' tired blue ones. "You nearly died just now...because you tried to save me! You shouldn't have, Tails. Not after the way I've treated you. You should have just let Shadow kill me. I don't deserve to live."

"Hey, don't say that!" yelled Tails firmly. He placed his hands on Amy's shoulders and looked into her forcefully into her eyes. "I couldn't let Shadow kill you! And don't go saying you shouldn't be aloud to live! Sonic shouldn't want you saying that!"

Then Tails' expression to one of realisation, as he suddenly remembered. "Oh, that reminds me. C'mon, Amy!" And Tails grabbed Amy's hand and began pulling her hasily down the street.

"Um, Tails," said Amy in puzzlement, as she was pulled along. "Where are we going?"

"To see someone." Tails looked back at her and winked, before looking straight ahead again, as he walked quickly down the street. Amy followed along, her hand in Tails', feeling puzzled.

Forty-five minutes later, Tails found himself with Amy in the grasslands he had been to earlier that night. They were standing in the same position that Tails had stood in earlier. Tails was waiting with an excited expression.

Amy, however, was waiting with puzzled expression. "Um, Tails...there's nobody here."

"They'll be here," retorted Tails excitedly. "I'm sure they'll come soon."

They waited for ten minutes, but nobody came. It was then Tails' turn to be puzzled.

"Listen, Tails," said Amy kindly. "Nobody would be coming to see us this time of the night."

"But-"

"I think you're just tired, after running away from all of us for the past few days. Come on. I'll take you home and you can get some sleep." Amy turned around and began to walk away.

"Oh, and I thought you'd wait for ever to see me, Amy."

Amy froze. A shiver ran up her spine. She, like Tails, had just heard a voice which thought she's never hear again. The voice of her hero.

She turned around to see Tails smiling at her. She walked back to where he was standing, looking out into the miles of grassland. And then, in front of her, from out of nowhere, Sonic faded in. "Hi, Amy!"

Amy's eyes widened when she saw Sonic. It didn't take her long to gasp that he was a ghost. She raised a hand and pointed at him. "S...S...Sonic."

Then she fell to her knees and began sobbing again.

"Don't cry, Amy," said Sonic softly.

"I can't h-help it, Sonic! You should be here! With me! Alive!"

Sonic took a few steps towards her. Amy looked up at the ghost of her loved one. Sonic smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry. I'll be with you again."

"Huh?"

"Everyone faces death. You can't avoid it. It'll come to you, and you never no when. But it is not what people make it out to be. It is not something to be frightened of. It is everlasting peace. One of the reasons for this is being with your loved ones again. One day, Amy, you and everyone else will face it, and you will be with me again. We will all be together again. And all evil creatures, like Shadow, Eggman and Dark Oak, don't join us when they die. They go elsewhere, where they get no peace. We will all be together...living for ever."

Amy had stopped sobbing to listen to these words. She smiled at Sonic and a single tear escaped her eye.

"But until then, Amy," Sonic continued earnestly, "I want you to live a long happy life. I know I cannot be there with you. But please do it for me."

Amy sniffed and nodded. "I promise, Sonic."

"That's good." Sonic turned to Tails, still smiling. "Tails, keep an eye on her for me, will ya, pal?!"

"I sure will, Sonic." Tails placed a hand on Amy's back and smiled at her. Amy smiled back at him.

"Thanks, buddy." Sonic waved a hand. "Well, until we meet again, have a lovely life, guys."

"Okay, Sonic." Amy raised and hand too. "Goodbye, Sonic."

"Goodbye, Sonic," added Tails, smiling sadly. "We'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. But we'll see each other again. Until then, goodbye, Tails." Sonic began to fade away. "Goodbye, Amy...I love you..."

At these final three words, Amy's eyes widened in surprise. Never had she expect Sonic to say these three words to her, meaning that he felt the same way as her. But before she could reply, Sonic had had faded completely away. Amy smiled and wiped her eye. "I love you too, Sonic."

Tails looked at her with concern and rubbed her back. "Are you okay, Amy?"

Amy took her hand away from her eye, sniffed and smiled at Tails. "I'll be fine. Don't worry, Tails. Like Sonic said; we'll all be together again...for ever." She turned around and began walking up the short slope behind her, but then looked over her shoulder at Tails. "Are you coming, Tails?"

Tails looked out ahead of him. "I'd like to wait here for a while...alone."

Okay. I'll be waiting for you at the edge of the grasslands. Take your time." And still smiling at him, Amy walked away. Tails looked out ahead of him. He didn't really want to be alone. He was hoping that someone would be joining him soon.

And sure enough, to his happiness, Cosmo faded into view, standing in front of him, smiling at him. "Well done, Tails. You saved Amy."

"Thank you, Cosmo," Tails smiled back.

"You have such a big heart. Risking your own life to save Amy from Shadow...the same as how you saved me from him." Cosmo began to look a little nervous. Tails wondered why, but still smiling, Cosmo continued to speak. "You're the most selfless creature I know, Tails. Always setting your own safety aside to keep others safe."

Cosmo paused, took a deep breath, then said, "That's one of the many reasons why...I love you."

Tails' jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his ears. "You...you..."

"That's right, Tails," smiled Cosmo shyly. "I love you."

"I...I...I love you, Cosmo."

Cosmo gasped in surprise, also unable to believe what she was hearing. She had always thought she was worthless and that no one wanted her around. But she had just been proved wrong, for someone who she cared about dearly, loved her.

Tails stared down at the ground, looking sad. "You should be here, Cosmo...with me."

"Oh, Tails," Cosmo smiled sadly. "Don't worry. We'll be together again, like Sonic said. And when we're together, nothing can take us away from each other. We'll be together...for ever."

"Okay, Cosmo," smiled Tails, feeling a little better.

"I'd kiss you now, but being a ghost I can. But when you come to join me, I'll be giving you plenty. By then, I'll be so happy to see you again. Until then..." Cosmo raised a hand, smiling. "Goodbye, Tails. I love you."

"Goodbye, Cosmo...I love you too." Tails raised a hand, and then, smiling both happily and sadly, he watched as Cosmo, the one he loved, faded away, never to be seen again - until it was time for Tails to join her.

Then, turning around, Tails went to join Amy.

As they walked back though the village, Tails and Amy came to where Shadow's dead body was lying, the knife stick sticking out of his chest. Tails, disgusted by the sight of it, looked away and attempted to keep on walking. But Amy stopped by it, went down on her knees and took hold of the knife's handle.

"What are you doing?" asked Tails, not wanting to be anywhere near the corpse.

With an effort, Amy putted the knife clear of Shadow's chest. Blood dripped from the blade. "Tomorrow, I'm taking this knife down to the police station. I'll tell the police that Shadow was the killer and that he tried to kill me."

"Are you sure they'll believe you?" asked Tails worriedly. "I mean, it has Shadow's blood on it, as well as Sonic's. They may still think I'm the killer, and that I killed Shadow."

"I'm sure they'll believe me, since I was the real killer's victim, so I would know." Amy looked shamefully down at her feet. "Though not as much a victim as I made you."

"Hey, c'mon now," replied Tails comfortingly. He put a hand on Amy's shoulder and smiled warmly at her. "We were both victims as much as one another. This is nobody's fault, but Shadow's. And now that's he's dead, I'm sure he isn't getting peace, like Sonic and Cosmo are. I bet he's spending eternity suffering for his evil actions."

"I supose you're right." Amy smiled back at Tails. "This time tomorrow, the headlines will be "Innocent", and the story will be about how you, Tails, are innocent. And if the others don't believe it and try to attack you, they'll have to get past me. Although I don't know how I'll manage to without my hammer." She gave Tails a firm look. "You shouldn't have broken my hammer, Tails. You may be innocent for the crime I thought you were guilty for. But for breaking my precious hammer, I'd hit you with it - if you hadn't broke it."

"Oh, sorry about that, Amy!" Tails replied shamefully and worriedly.

Amy giggled and nudged him playfully. "I'm just kidding, Tails."

Tails breathed a sigh of relief and shared a giggle with Amy. It was then they realised that they were standing outside Amy's house. Tails looked shamefully at the broken window. "Um, sorry about smashing the window, Amy."

"Aww, don't worry about it, Tails. If you hadn't done it, Shadow would have killed me. I don't think any more killers will be breaking in."

"Oh, okay then." Tails raised a hand. "Well, goodbye then."

"Um, listen, Tails...why don't you spend the night at my place? The police have destroyed everything in your own house, including your bed."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll sleep on the floor."

"Don't be silly, Tails."

"No, really, Amy, it's fine. I've been sleeping on floors and lumpy couches for the past few days-"

"Well, that's all the more reason why you should sleep at my place. You can sleep in my bed. I bet it's been far too long since you had a decent night's sleep in a nice warm bed. C'mon."

And before Tails could protest, Amy grabbed his hand and pulled him up to the front door, took out a key, unlocked the door and disappeared inside with Tails in tow.

She led him up the stairs to her bedroom and pointed at the bed, which Tails welcomed the sight of, but was still reluctant to sleep in. He turned to Amy. "Where will you sleep?"

"On the couch," replied Amy, smiling.

"Oh no, Amy. You have your bed. I can sleep in the floor in my house."

"No, Tails, it's fine. You can have my bed. It's the least I can do for you after you saved my life." Amy looked down at her feet, feeling very ashamed. "And for the way I've treated you."

"It's okay, Amy," smiled Tails, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I forgive you."

Amy smiled back. Of all the foxes in the entire universe, she felt very lucky to be friends with this kind and gentle fox, who was willing to forgive her after the way she treated him and the terrible time she had giving him. Amy felt very happy to have met Tails. She pulled him into a warm hug. "Thank you, Tails. I can clearly tell why Sonic and Cosmo like you so much."

"Thanks, Amy. They're my best friends." Tails embraced Amy back. "And so are you."

"Really? Oh, thank you, Tails. You're one of my best friends too." Amy broke the hug, but continued to look at Tails. Then she walked towards the bedroom door and opened it, but looked back over her shoulder at Tails. "Goodnight, Tails."

"Goodnight, Amy." Tails smiled at Amy and watched her until she closed the bedroom door. Then, still smiling, he climbed into Amy's bed, and had the first pleasant sleep he had had in a long time. He slept all through the night, dreaming of being with Cosmo, Sonic, Amy and all their friends in the afterlife. He was looking forward to having all his friends together again, but that would have to wait. Until then, Tails would be getting on a new, long and happy life.

Well, everybody, that's the happy ending of "Heads or Tails". :) Well, I think you can call this happy, since Tails, Amy, Sonic and Cosmo have a happy ending, despite everything that's happened. Same can't be said for Shadow, but does he deserve one? No. :P

Now that we are at the end, I wanna give a massive thank you to everyone who has read, enjoyed and left kind feedback on this: my first ever Sonic story. I had no idea that the story turned out to be successful as it is, especially since I killed Sonic at the start. Rest assured, I most likely won't be doing that again. :P This story is an example of what I don't usually write. But I just came up with the story with inspiration from a movie and a video game, and decided to go ahead and write, rather than keep it in my head, where only I know it. And I'm glad I did that, because you guys have left such kind feedback. So a massive thanks to you all. It really means a lot. Without you, the story would have been wirth writing. :D

Will I ever write more Sonic stories? You bet I will? ;) I have quite a few ideas for stories I'm planning on writing. Most of these, like this story, focus on Tails, but also, Cosmo. Taismo stories are my favourite kind of Sonic stories. Even though there was Taismo in this, I'm glad I decided to get this story written first, so I can now do ones where Cosmo appears throughout the whole story, instead of just certain parts. I also wouldn't mind writing some SonAmy stories, or stories which, like this one, contain more action than romance. It'll be a little while before I write my next Sonic stories, as there's a few stories for other things I like that I wanna get written. But it shouldn't be too long, since these next few stories are all oneshots. I'm looking forward to writing my Taismo stories.

Right, wel, that's all I gotta say, except for, once again, thank you all so much for being so loyal to my first Sonic story, and making it, as successful as it is. :D

Alex, aka, Dreamer Boy, out.