Prologue

My own speed was now my greatest enemy. With no definite chance in saving her, I told myself I needed to at least know she was there. I tried to go faster. I put enough effort in to make jet fighters jealous. But my efforts were worthless, as my many bruises, scrapes, and burns put up resistance. Not only that, but I was presently running through the dirt and the muck of a downhill slant. It used to be a clean-plated floor, but after the years that have passed, it's been left buried in its own site.

It seemed like I had failed. With all that transpired prior to this event, it seemed like the end. So many screw-ups occurred that I couldn't even count. At this time, a cursed madman, now holding someone I know hostage, was trying to tell me through traps and trials to turn back.

After the pain I had endured, crawling along these roads that should've been left as they used to be, I wasn't going to give in. I did have the feeling of giving up, but I was not going to release it, not then. If I stopped running and turned back, all that I had done up to then would've had no point to it. The lives lost and the choices made would go down in history as nothing. That's why I continued on; if I kept going, I could at least make this journey have a purpose.

At last, I reached the end of the hill. I scanned for a landing zone, and saw a gate. I finally reached my goal. I jumped off the cliff, realizing that I had done this before. I landed, wheezing as my legs burned with the pressure shot through them both. But even as I suffered pain, I saw the controls for the gate, which was no higher than the average door. I started to crawl to the controls, but I soon regained my footing. As I pulled the switch, a voice came through from a speaker beyond the gate.

"Ah, so you finally made it. Strange that you got here faster than I thought, considering all that you have experienced since you've arrived. I suppose you're here to save the girl. Well, there's going to be a bit of saving. Just you wait."

When I heard this, I was confused. He said that he would… help me? I had a feeling it was too good to be true. The day that he helped me gain a victory would be the day I die.

The gate opened a crack, and light already blinded me. As the light contained its energy, I saw the situation at hand… and it was bad.

I was in a room lined with consoles and controls, most likely for things around the base. As I walked to the center console, I looked out the viewing glass to find not one but TWO hostages, each attached to a tether supported by a crane. One was the original hostage, a pink hedgehog by the name of Amy Rose. She was tied up all round the body, and her mouth was taped. The other was actually a group of hostages, supposedly Mobians from Knothole. They were screaming for their lives. I looked down under them to find lava, originally magma harvested from below Mobius's crust, and now changed into the more contained version of lava. It had covered the whole bottom of the pit. Only a fifty foot drop rested between either one of the hostages and their deaths.

I looked back at the controls in front of me. Half of the console itself had withered its hardware away and therefore no longer worked. The only working components on there were for the speaker system and two switches, each pertaining to one of the cranes. I looked around for anything else that was working, but the rest of the consoles hadn't any life left.

Suddenly the madman began using the speaker again.

"Let me explain my doings. Obviously, you knew I'd have the girl. It was the only real way to bring you here. I acquired the other Mobians through secret invasion. While you were off at your other places, I sent out squads of badniks to round these misfits up into this cage. Now for the "twisted plan", as you might say. Amy is attached to one crane. The Mobian group is attached to the other. Those two switches in front of you serve as your choices. One of them lets Amy be dropped off in a safe haven while the Mobians drop to their death. The other lets the Mobians survive while the girl dies. Here's where you choose. I'll be leaving now, considering I've just started a self-destruct sequence that has about… 1:10 seconds remaining. Goodbye, Sonic. Hope to God that you never see me again."

I was in utter shock. I found myself wanting to have given up earlier. The gate shut down behind me. Its control panel malfunctioned, leaving me with no choice but to release one of the hostages.

It wasn't easy, choosing who to live and who to die. I knew that I could begin thinking thoughts of suicide if I let more people die. But I had to make a choice, even if my entire future was demolished because of it.

As I reached for a switch, I looked over to the Mobians. They looked at me with eyes of despair and cries for help. I could feel their sorrow within me. Then I looked over at Amy. She looked back at me. I could see that she knew what the right choice for me was. It was almost like an instant message. By the look in her eyes, she let me know what the right choice had to be, no matter how bad it would turn out. My hand got closer.

I looked down at my hand and closed my eyes as I gripped with all of my strength onto it, telling myself there was no turning back. Tears began to drip from my eyes. As I began to sob, I felt the urge to speak. Only seconds before I pulled that switch, I said to myself,

"I'm sorry, Amy."