Chapter 1: Nightmare Believer

Shadow's POV

Sonic had been rather energetic today. At first asking to race me, then begging, eventually I obliged. Of course, like always, he won (although I hate to admit it). He asked for another race, I knew he would win…again, so I decided to take a little detour. That is how I came across this place. A wide open field, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, away from all the others. I finally found myself alone, laying under the stars, in complete solitude.

Although I do enjoy those long races with Sonic, I do not want to go giving him the wrong impression that I actually enjoy his company. Or anyone's company for that matter.

Come to think of it, those are the only times that I can be myself. Without having to explain myself to anyone or be bombarded by questions about my emotions. The only times when I don't think. The only times when I'm not thinking of…her.

Maria.

Simply thinking of her name seems to set off a trigger that opens a flood gate of memories in my mind.

Seeing the timeline of our friendship pass before my eyes, makes me smile, and eventually lulls me to sleep.

The only bad thing about memories is that they must all have an end.

Sonic's POV

"Where could he have went to?" Sonic thought while racing through the woods, that only an hour ago, he and Shadow had been racing though. Together.

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he knew that Shadow had ditched him, and their race, to go off alone.

These were the times when he worried for his dear friend, Shadow.

Sonic could feel Shadow's Chaos Energy close by. But couldn't pinpoint the reason why it had become so weak. Sonic began to panic.

"What if Eggman had something up his sleeve to lure Shadow out here? I've never been here before. This place is in the middle of nowhere. Surely Shadow can handle himself. After all, he always says he never needs help…" thought Sonic half-heartedly.

Shadow's POV

"Shadow, do you think it's a good idea for us to be racing though the hallways?" Maria asked curiously.

"No, but if we don't get caught, who will ever know? Besides, I think you're just too chicken to race me." Shadow said tauntingly.

"I'm not chicken, I'm just worried we'll get into trouble." said Maria softly.

"Exactly, you're a chicken." Shadow stuck his tongue out at Maria, and started waving his arms up and down like a chicken.

"Oh, it's on." Maria said, laughing. She darted off down the hallway as fast as she could. Shadow gave her a head start, like always.

"1...2...3...4.….." Shadow counted down Maria's remaining time as the winner of this race on his fingers.

"4 and a half…5!" Shadow followed suit, pursuing Maria, but catching up to her, and passing her, in a matter of seconds.

Shadow had gotten so caught up in the adrenaline of winning the race that he thought nothing of it when he heard Maria calling his name.

"Shadow!" yelled Maria.

"Do you give up yet, Loser?" He yelled back mockingly.

"Shadow, help me!" Maria cried.

"She must have tripped and fell. Nothing serious." thought Shadow. Nevertheless, he sprinted back down the circular hallway of the Space Colony ARK…only to find Maria in the arms of an armed G.U.N. member.

"Maria!" Shadow exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Hold it right there! Every crew member aboard this colony has been placed under arrest by the government! Stay where you are, and no harm-" Shadow cut off the guard with a bone-breaking punch to his neck and a rib-shattering kick to the chest. The guard flew backwards, groaning in pain. Shadow caught Maria before she ever touched the floor.

"Shadow, we need to get to the escape pods!" Maria exclaimed.

"Way ahead of you." Shadow said.

Very few members of G.U.N. had boarded the ARK so far, but they were vastly increasing in number. Fortunately, none had made it to the escape pods so far.

Shadow sat Maria down next to the control panel.

Shadow had been thinking two steps ahead of Maria all day, but failed to recall one vital piece of information. You couldn't activate the escape pods from the inside. Meaning that one of them would have to stay, while the other escaped.

Maria had known this before they had even reached the hallway leading to the escape pods.

With every bit of strength she could muster, she pushed Shadow into the escape pod and pushed the button that would trap her best friend inside.

"Maria…I won't let you do this! Let me out!" Shadow screamed and yelled for his best friend to rethink her actions, but was cut off by a gun shot, and small specks of blood splatter over the glass of the escape pod.

"Shadow…I'm begging you. Please, do it for me. For all the people on that planet…give them a chance…to be happy! Let them live their dreams…Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason you were brought into this world…Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog…" Maria's last words echoed through Shadow's ears, and the last thing she did was push the button to give Shadow, and humanity, a chance.

"MARIA!"

Sonic's POV

"Shadow! Wake up!" Sonic shook the coal colored hedgehog, violently, until he bolted upright, sweating and breathing heavily.

"Maria…she…she…" Shadow said in between breaths.

"Who? Who is Maria? Is she in trouble?" Sonic said, worried for his dear friend.

Shadow didn't explain, he darted off across the field, but Sonic didn't give him the opportunity to lose him in the woods…again.

The cobalt-colored hedgehog streaked off across the field and pounced on his opposite, pinning him to ground.

Sonic could not be for sure it was just the sweat on Shadow's muzzle, but he thought he saw a tear slip from Shadow's eye.

"She's dead!" screamed Shadow. "She wants me to give everyone a chance to be happy, but why should I? I've never gotten the chance! No one has ever made it possible for me! All these daydreams, flashbacks, and horrible nightmares are eating away at me, Sonic! I can't take it anymore!" Shadow dry sobbed underneath the weight of his azure counterpart.

"Shadow…" Sonic was taken aback by how suddenly this fit of rage and depression had come on. "If you need someone to talk to, Shadow, I'm here." Sonic said soothingly.

Sonic grabbed Shadow by his gloved hand and helped him sit up. Over the next few hours of the night, Shadow spilled every ounce of emotion he had ever felt for Maria, out of his heart, and into Sonic's hands.

Shadow's POV

"…And she died right before my eyes on the Space Colony ARK…" by this time, Sonic had convinced me to calm down, my voice was staring to fade a little, and I felt drowsy. Both Sonic and I were laying side by side under the stars, although the sky was lightening a little and the stars were becoming less visible.

"I never knew that your past was so…dark, Shadow…" Sonic nearly whispered.

"Yeah…" I let my voice fade out my eyes close. My mind had shut down before I could finish my sentence. Exhaustion took over and I was silent.

Sonic's POV

"Shadow?" I said.

"…" no reply.

"Shadow? Did you-?" I looked over to see Shadow curled into a tight ball, his eyes closed.

"I didn't know he had to sleep, being the "Ultimate Lifeform" and all that, let alone this much." I smiled to myself and laid back in the grass, more comfortable than I had been in a long time.

I had started to drift off myself, until I felt the warmth of something nuzzling up against my side. I looked down to see that Shadow was shivering.

I didn't know what to do. My body told me to let him stay there and be warm. My heart told me to wrap my arms around him and sleep alongside him. My mind told me that neither of these things would be right. But I couldn't resist.

I wrapped my arm around him and scooted closer to the charcoal-hedgehog. His quills were soft and warm.

I nearly jumped out of my pelt and ran when I felt Shadow move beside me. To my relief, he hadn't woken up. But his arm was now wrapped around my chest.

I was scared for a few minutes and couldn't decide between staying here with him or carrying him home. This felt right.

End of Chapter 1