“Let’s do this,” asked Knuckles, “we’ll just ask them if they want to give up their life for the other. That’s fair right?”

“Uh-hu,” Amy grunted, still fighting back tears.

They went into the room. Tails was sleeping, but Sonic was still awake. Knuckles approached him.

“Hey buddy, how ya doin’?” asked Knuckles, now starting to go into tears.

“I’ve been better,” Sonic struggle the say. He was still pretty hurt from the fight.

“Well, I got some bad news for ya,” Knuckles said. He then told Sonic what the doctor told them.

“So we decided that we would leave it up to you and Tails. So what do you want to do?” Knuckles asked. Tears were already coming down his face.

Sonic was silent for a few minutes, thinking about what Knuckles had said. He then spoke up.

“Knuckles, I’ve defended this planet for over 17 years. I would love to keep on keeping this planet safe, but look at me. I’m hurt, tired, and worn out. I want you to let Tails live. And there’ll be no arguing about it,” Sonic finished.

Everyone in the room was amazed that a hero would give up his life for his sidekick, NO!, his friend. Amy walked over to Sonic, tears streaming down her face. Nobody really wanted to turn off the machine, but someone had to, so Shadow stepped up.

“I know I wanted Sonic gone, but not like this. I don’t want him to suffer,” explained Shadow.
He positioned himself by the on/off button.

“Sonic?” Amy said softly.

“Amy…” Sonic said. He held out his hand. Amy was surprised, but then held it. Sonic then leaned in close to Amy’s ear.

“I’ve always loved you Amy,” Sonic said. He then laid his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes.

The heart monitor machine then gave a flat steady tone.

Sonic had died.

“Noooo!!!!” Amy screamed.

She then hugged Sonic’s lifeless body tightly.

“Why Sonic?! Why?” Amy said softly, fighting back a river of tears.

“Amy, I’m sorry,” comforted Rouge.

The next day, the entire city of Station Square was in mourning. Shadow, Silver, Knuckles, and Mephiles carried Sonic’s coffin through the streets, to the cemetery. People lined the streets, to get their last glimpse at Sonic the hero. Children had their Sonic dolls, and the adults had today’s newspaper, with Sonic’s death as the headline.

When they got to the cemetery, his tombstone was in place, and the hole was dug. They slowly lowered Sonic into his final resting place. Tails was well enough to see the funeral. Amy was standing next to him.

“You know he loved you, right?” asked Amy.

“Yeah. I was like a brother to him. I just never thought I’d see him go so soon,” Tails replied, tears welling up in his eyes.

There was silence as the final pile of dirt was placed. Everyone then slowly left, except for Amy. She went over to the freshly laid dirt.

“I’ll always love you Sonic. Always,” Amy spoke softly.

She then laid a red rose on the dirt, and left.

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—Alarmed and appalled sources confirmed today that in complete defiance of his biblical duty to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God, local 27-year-old and so-called Christian Jeff Daugherty currently has an erection.

Daugherty, who claims to abide by the word of the Lord and walk in the footsteps of Jesus, is nonetheless now in a state of physical arousal, a development that has sent shockwaves through his community and deeply troubled his fellow churchgoers.

“How could anyone who professes to be a Christian fall to such shameful depths?” said Janet Hindsley, a member of Daugherty’s church who told reporters she was stunned and disgusted at news of the man’s engorged genitals. “I know people are capable of these kinds of ghastly practices. I’m not naïve. But you just don’t expect this sort of sinful behavior from someone you worship with every Sunday.”

“The thought that I’ve probably shared a pew with him before makes me sick to my stomach,” she added, shaking her head in revulsion.

Though Daugherty reportedly reads the Bible almost every day and regularly speaks out about his faith, sources said his present titillated condition puts him repulsively at odds with his assertion that he has accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. While many church members said they are praying for the soul of a man they believe has gone down a dark path, others are calling for the “pervert” and “heretic” to be expelled from their congregation.

According to Darren Howe, who belongs to the same men’s prayer group as Daugherty, this isn’t the first time the purported believer in the Holy Scripture has become erect.

“He confided to me that he gets them at least once a week, and sometimes every day,” said Howe with visible distaste, adding that while he was revolted by the admission, he encouraged Daugherty in his battle to remain pure before the eyes of the Lord. “Apparently he’s even woken up in the morning with one, as horribly depraved as that is. And this is a man who has children! He’s got that… that thing under the same roof as his kids!”

“How could Jeff let his body become an instrument of Satan?” he continued. “He must renounce this evil in his life and repent.”

Fearing Daugherty may bring his tumescent phallus into their place of worship Sunday, some church members have appealed to their pastor, the Rev. Allen Whitlock, to prevent the “insult to all creation” from entering God’s house.

“While it’s true we are all sinners, that doesn’t give us an excuse to live as wickedly as we please,” Whitlock said when reached for comment. “I’ve known Jeff a long time. I’ve had dinner at his house. I’ve prayed with his family at their kitchen table. It unnerves me to think that right there in his lap, out of sight and inches away from me, Jeff might very well have been quietly sinning. Because even if no one else can see it, the Lord can.”

“Do I want a man singing songs of praise in my church while his body is flush with such impurity?” he continued. “No, I do not. It’s an abomination, and it must stop.”

At press time, the pastor stood before a hastily convened vigil outside Daugherty’s house, urging his congregation to pray for the fallen man’s erection to retreat and remain dormant so that he might one day resume his walk with God.

People say I look like I would be part of it because of the way I look!?