Another Sonic fanfiction by ShadowCloud. I apologize for any misspelled words because my spell checker is on the fritz, stupid sister did something. Just to let everyone know, Im throughly ticked when I am writting this so it may get a bit off.....so with that on with the stuff.

Disclaimer: Any Sonic Related things belong to Sonic. Kage belongs to me SC. If any others are put in use, they will be put on here in further chapters.

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~Chapter 1~

The End of Time

The final blow had been struck, the final hazard out of the way and now was the time to stop it. Two hedgehogs in super forms, golden flames spreading from under their feet were at the scene, heading towards the falling space colony to stop its fall. The gravity was pulling them down, but they had to keep going. A gold one was in front, his firey red eyes looking down and yelling to the white gold hedgehog.

"NOW SHADOW!" He roared, letting his voice be heard over the sound of their ringing ears and the burning space colony coming towards them above. The white gold hedgehog nodded to him and came up as close as he could beside him, before yelling in harmony. "CHAOS CONTROL!" A beam of light spread out from their fingers, heading towards the colony and also encirling themselves. The giant colony touched their fingers, and before it dissapeared, the one just a few inches below let go and started to fall towards the Earth.

"No!" Said the obviously younger hedgehog, watching his friend fall and trying to grab his arm, but instead grabbed the bracelet and watched as the one who had saved them all fell to his firey death. Sadness was in the changing hedgehogs eyes, blinking blue and his eyes going their lime green, not wanting to see this new friend die. But the white gold hedgehog didnt even notice, looking down at the earth he was now coming to and shaking his head.

Shadow I Beg of You

The falling hedgehogs ears pricked to the sound of the haunting voice. "Maria..." He shuts his eyes as he felt his body start to burn.

Maria...this is what you wanted, right? This is the promice I made....to you

The words ring in the hedgehogs mind, as his body starts to break apart in the atmostspere, hoping that what he was doing was right, and dreaming of seeing his beloved Maria again. As the final snap hit, the limp body of the hedgehog fell to earth, a burning corspe falling through the clouds and making a blood crator. Inside a black hedgehog lay, no air coming from his lungs, and his soul had parted from its body, and headed to a realm of light, where his cherrished Maria awaited.

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A tall golden cathedral sat on top of a high mound of grass, a hill propping it up and letting it shine. Moonlight reigned over it, and a girl sat on the steps, watching the small children play, and adults flirt. She was waiting, waiting for the new one to come that she knew would be looking for her, or at least trying to find peace. Looking over the feilds she saw him, a dark hedgehog, burned red on the top of each quill, and eyes of fire glancing around. Unlike her, this area was not full of light and the adults. The children were silent in his mind, and the grass more dark. The tall cathedral was just as tall, only its gold shine was dimmened through his eyes as the moon was weakened. The flirting adults were doing just that, only everything had more of a silent tone to it, and apon the high mound of nighttime grass, he saw the only thing that glew, the girl with the long blossoming golden hair.

The ruby eyes flickered and the hedgehog walked towards the girl dressed in blue, her beauty spreading through the area and his own eyes still seeing the more dark points. Everyones eyes saw something different, that being the aspect of this place. Everything would still contain their size and shape, but the lighting and sounds were different for every one of them. Reaching the top he looked up at her, looking right into her blue eyes as if searching the soul that sat before him.

"Its nice to see you Shadow." She told him, forcing a smile and watching as the hedgehog nodded to her but just merely stood there. She looked down at the smile vanished. "But...this wont last for long." She tells him. "Every man who comes into the first kingdom of light must go into the cathedral. Some choose to stay here, and some just come back to watch the ones who have done little wrong." She explains to him. "....." She now looked up at him, her blue eyes full of sadness. "I know you thought you were doing good, and you may have saved everyone but...." She looks back down. ".....I already asked and you wont make it to even this region....you'll be dragged down by the dead souls whom have done so much wrong....like Grandfather was fifty years ago." The hedgehog looks at the Cathedral and then looks back donw at her.

"Maria...." He said, looking down. "I did as you had asked, I saved everyone and ended my life before I could do any wrong...why must I join the proffesor if I righted his wrongs?" He asked her. He truly didnt understand, all the while he had been doing wrong, he had thought he was doing right. And when the pink hedgehog had brought him too, he had even given his life for them all...and now he was to get dragged down to the dark underworld where the proffesor now resided.

The girl looked down and shook her head aplogizing. "I...dont know...Shadow." She tells him. The doors then flung open, spreading light into the whole area and everyone stopped and looking at the cathedral. Maria looked up at the open doors, and looked towards Shadow. "......" She couldnt say anything and just merely looked away from her childhood friend as he looked over at her, his own fear and confusion displayed in his eyes. But seeing her turn away, more sadness came over him, and he took a breath before walking towards the blinding light of the cathedral.

As he took his first step inside, the ruby eyed hedgehog didnt know what was going to happen. Turning back around, all was silent, and he looked at Maria, the glow in his eyes faded as sadness crept over him. She looked back up at him, and breathed the gentle words some many had said before.

"Sayonara Shadow the Hedgehog..." She said in that ghastly voice that had so ever haunted his memories. The side of his mouth twitched, but now he didnt look back, but walked into the bright light and into the dark cathedral within. The magic of the changing kingdom did not work in here, and everything was as it should be seen, or at least as it was displayed for the hedgehog. Chains were splattered amongst the walls, the sence of blood in the atmostphere. The ground was hard and cobble stone, and no windows were anywhere inside. The ruby eyes flickered around, having seen its beauty from the outside, and the bright light that had brought him in, yet now it was ugly and wrank of death.

Thinking of what Maria had said, he shook his head and took a step forward, only to hear a sharp splitting sound from under his feet. It wasnt the ground breaked, but more of a bone breaking, and he immediately looked down. Shadows eyes met with the skull his foot was now placed inside, blood pouring down the eye sockets and then a hiss meetting his ears. It was dark, and unwelcoming. Quickly he shook his foot and slammed the skull against the wall, forcing it to shatter and the green eyed snake to be set free from its boney prism.

It was totally black, a single stripe of silver down its back and glowing green eyes staring right at the hedgehog. A develish smirk was on its face, and the eyes flickering meaningfully. The black hedgehog took a step back as the snake slithered towards him, and seemed to extend in length until the length of twenty feet. Shadows eye twitched again, wondering how such a monsterous thing could fit in the ugly skull, but then grew wide as he heard a voice in his mind.

Shadow I beg of you...Please do it for me...for a better future. For all the people on that planet, give them a chance to be happy, let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it, that's the reason why you were brought into this world.

It ringed in his mind, that haunting voice returning with the promice he had given. As it rang, he saw the snake move its mouth exactly to the words, reaching into his mind and speaking. But then right before his eyes it molded and formed a hedgehog itself, the glow of its eyes not moving from the hedgehog.

"But you couldn't..." The hedgehog said, the glowing eyes locked onto him and no expression on its face. It was a hedgehog that seemed to be about the same age as Shadow, or at least how old he looks. Long quills went to his middle back, silver streaks placed apon each one, and the eyes ever glowing a deep green. Silver bracelets locked onto white gloves that covered the tanned hands of the arms. Metalic silver shoes covered its feet, and it also had a tan underbelly, all else was black, except for the inner ear and muzzle.

The rubied stare was quite visible, the black hedgehog tilting his head as he looked at the other one who had just been a snake. But not wanting to let his confusion or fear be seen, he tilted it back up and just merely glared at it, not liking what it had just said. The other just merely stood there, arms at its side waiting for Shadow to answer. Seeing as the other wasn't saying anything, Shadow took this minute to argue with him.

"I could and I did. I saved them all an-" But he was interupted by the other hedgehog before he could finish.

"You saved them all from what?" It hissed, the eyes locked onto him. "From the evil the proffesor had created?" A wicked smile was on his face then. "So if the proffesor only created evil...then you yourself is evil and so is dear Maria." Hearring the mention of the friend he had just thought to have lost again, the ruby eyes flickered and the glare now of a million daggers.

"Of course she's not evil!" He stormed, nearly yelling at the other. "How could you even think that! She was the one who wanted all the change!"

"True, so what exactly did the proffesor do? What did he create?"

"He created that ugly lizard! Im sure you saw him! He died, after trying to destroy the earth!" He sneered at him, not getting what the other was getting at.

"...Then why kill yourself?" The other sneered back, his eyes also flickering into a glare only his greater. Shadow paused, and his brow folded down now getting it. His look grew angrier as he looked at the hedgehog, eyes now narrowed.

"I...I couldnt get back." He lied, knowing very well he had purposely let himself die. The other knew too, and scoffed at the hedgehog.

"You and I both know that isn't true. Your friend tried to save you but you merely let your hand slide and the bracelet fall. You killed yourself, but now answer me why." The hedgehog still had a wicked grin as he shut his eyes and a voice came to Shadows mind.

And trust me, dont try and lie. I can see everything you think.

The voice hissed, now taking form of the hedgehog. Shadow however didnt take kindly to this pressence in his mind and shook his head, forcing the voice out, and the other opening his eyes. He still wouldn't say it, he would never say he was 'evil'. Those words burned in his mind, and he hated it. He didnt like the other and wished for the conversation to end.

"Shutup..." The red streaked hedgehog hissed, his teeth gritted down and his glare now firey. "Just let me rot within the darkness, kill my soul off." He hissed. The hedgehog eyed him, folding his arms and looking Shadow straight in the eye with his glowing eyes.

"Im sorry but I will have to decline your request." He hissed, flicking his hand and letting the enviroment of the cathedral change to that of a normal room. The blood on the walls and chains were all gone. The shattered skull was now broken glass, and windows were big amongst the room. Shadow frowned and looked around, wondering what was going on.

"Yes, Maria was wrong." The hedgehog hissed at him, having known what she had said. "You will not be joining the proffesor." He then looked at the hedgehog as he had started to walk down a hallway. "So now answer me before you question, why did you kill yourself?" He hissed, not letting off.

Shadow growled at him, he still hated that question and didnt want to answer it. But then his mind stopped and he thought for a momment, that wasnt the answer. He hadnt truly done it for he was evil, because if he was then he would have admitted it by now. He looked up at the hedgehog and then looked back down at the ground.

"I was created by the proffesor. And even though I had done wrong, I corrected it...thats why I killed myself." He said looking back up at the other hedgehog. "The others had died, and then it was my time. If you know me so well, you would know I would have to live like that till the end of time. I couldn't take that guilt, and almost destroying the earth was enouph for me." He said. "I may have saved them, but I would have had to live like that till the end of time...besides...the ones who stormed the ARK would have killed me anyway." He said, staring into nothing.

The other hedgehog now stopped and raised a brow, turning around and looking at Shadow. His eyes weren't as harsh of menacing anymore, but more normal except for their glow. They werent mean, yet they werent nice, only a trace of friendlyness could be found inside the eyes. The black hedgehog folded his arms looking at the hedgehog that stared at the ground, staring into a void.

"True. I just wanted you to say it, as you have just come to realize that." He said. "Asleep for the past fifty years, guilt on your mind. The proffesor had changed you before he had gone, the writting on the wall having been his calculations. He had brought this all apon you, yet GUN would have never forgiven you." He shook his head then. "...But now you have caused more sadness, and all had seen what went on." He flicked his hand and an image came to in front of the both of them, a globe of the earth in front of them and then fading into an image of all the people.

The ARK was still falling towards the Earth, and it showed two hedgehogs fighting like they never had before. Attacking a giant brown lizard, attached to the space colony. It was all on a big screen, people hugging each other for comfort and crying as others watched intently, some praying while others chanted the names of the two hedgehogs trying to help them in some way.

A little girl with a pink girl and blue overalls hugged her moms hand, her eyes watching the fighting above on the screen that recorded the fight against the dark lizard with the robotic eyes. The images flickered in her eyes, as a gold and a white gold hedgehog nailed it and made it dissapear in the final blow. Some looked towards the ARK that could now be seen falling towards them.

As the two hedgehogs on screen neared the colony, it dissapeared in a blink of an eye, except for that one hedgehog. The hurt eyes of Sonic could be seen on screen before he dissapeared with the bracelet. But many had not seen these, some not even noticing that the other hero hadnt made it and was still falling. They all got up and started hugging, cheering, and worshiping the ground that was below their feet, and now blown to smitherines.

Shadow watched and shook his head, letting his arm string out and his hand gesturing towards the image keeping glove. He had seen nothing of sadness and growled at the other hedgehog that had been watching the hedgehog as he had seen the imagaes.

"See, there is no sadness. Mere cheering, and none noticing me even dieing, and if they did they would probobly be cheering for that too. They only know me as the one who caused the trouble and then saved them all in the end, it was my fault all this had happened!" He hissed at the hedgehog, his ruby eyes glaring at him again.

"Continue to watch." Was all the other said, and both eyes, green and red headed towards the fading ball of images in front of them and then the inside of ARK coming too. It showed a blue hedgehog, holding the bracelet that had slipped off and him shaking his head to the treasure hunters worried question. The hedgehog known as Sonic, walked over to the bat and dropped the bracelet into her arms, and she stared at it.

All was silent, and each went to look at the Earth from different windows, all thinking about things. The fox boy and the man who had released Shadow talked about the proffesor, the mans grandfather and wondering if he had really meant to destroy them. Sonic at his own window and staring out, thinking of his lost friend and muttering something about the ultimate life form. Lastly, the white bat was in her own spot, staring out at the earth and staring down at the bracelet. As each discussed different topics, most of them had spoken in a hushed voice. When it finally came for the time to leave, the last one out was the hedgehog again, before saying his final goodbyes to the hedgehog he had just barely become allies with...and had also failed saving him.

Shadow watched this and turned back to the other hedgehog, nothing striking him too hard as much sadness. The glowing eyes however were still on the globe and went to the bloody crator that the body of the black hedgehog still resided. Ruby eyes followed back to the changing globe of images and saw his body, his eye twitching to the bloody mess.

Fur was burnt, yet still their coving the naked body. The white patch of fur had both dirt and blood mixed within it, no longer holding its whiteness. His red streaks on quills and arms seemed more like fire continually burning on him, as they were redder than ever and flecks of orange mixed into it and then ending in yellow, from the streaks of fur being burnt. Shows had holws in them, the sides strewn with slash marks and blood, as did his gloves, but thei were no longer white. The whole hedgehog was a bloody mess, and the snapped neck made the head fall wrong, making his possition look very wrong.

He quickly turned away, not wanting to see his body and the glowing eyed hedgehog saw this and shook his head. Lifting a hand, the picture changed, the wound at the neck starting to heal and the bones mending. Before long, it was healed, and his head no longer looked wrong. The neck had been repared, not being snapped. The red hedgehog had looked at it out of the corner of his eye and saw the healed neck frowning.

"Making a better scene for others to find me?" He asked, facing the other hedgehog but then froze as he felt a rumbling benieth him.

"No..." The hedgehog said, watching the hedgehog freeze and shook his head, looking at the ground that had started to split and pull apart, right between both hedgehogs feet. "Well, its time." He said, looking at Shadow calmly who was now fretting and staring as a dark green mist came out from under them.

"Time?" He asked, his eyes darting up as he tried to remain stable on the thundering ground and not fall in the crack that was growing large benieth him. "Time for what?" He asked. The other hedgehog didnt answer him though, having turned and jumped down the crack himself. Shadow watched the hedgehog and looked down, before falling himself as the ground had split too far and he shut his eyes, feeling sweat wash over him and the feeling over his spirit body being torn apart.

Falling through the green mist, he thought the only thing he could. He was going to be falling to the underworld, yet not have his soul dead and merely be tortchered. Calmly he fell, his hands placed onto his shoulders and feeling his body changing. Blood started to pour from his spirit body, rips scratches and tears appearing, and his gloves becoming a dark red. The sensation of burning came from his body, and his streaks changing. Before long, he looked just like he had in the orb of pictures, his body scratched and stained with blood, his streaks burned of fire.

Ruby eyes still closed, he felt no landing, but merely stop in midair. His eyes opened, and he looked about, seeing the bloody crator his body had been set in, and his body below him. A cloaked figure was already in front of it, a glow coming from under the hood and a wicked grin placed onto its muzzle, as the eyes stared right at the spirit body. But it said nothing and looked down at the body that had began to look alive again, and the chest start to raise up and down, the faint beat of heart ringing in the floating hedgehogs ears.

Before he could try and say anything though, his spirit body had been forced to move, the mouth opened and blood pouring from the mouth. His ruby eyes were shut, and he layed on top of the true body below him, before sinking into it and the one towering above it vanishing in a black mist.

"Good luck..." It hissed to him, its voice like it had been before, the silver streaked hedgehog hidden behind the black cloak. The black hedgehog could not answer though, his mind raising in his unconsiousness, while footprints were heard above the crator, and a blue hedgehog now stood staring down into it.

I'm gonna be desperate, Never lose, hurry, never lose, hurry. I believe in my future, farewell to the shadow, It was my place to live, but now I need your hand. Lead me out with your light, I have breathed in, The disgusting air of darkness, but I never lose out. To the pressure, everything's just like, An illusion, I'll be losing you, before long... I never lose my confidence, I know you were supporting me, Supporting me, supporting me,

I'll be losing you before long.

The ghasty voice came from the hedgehog, those words coming from his mouth as he mouthed it and the blue hedgehog above barely being able to read it.

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Yup, thats the end of chapter 1. @_@ I might add more on later but I wanted to get this put up and thought it was a good place to end it at. Hope you all like it and even if you just some random person reading it and dont have an account, please review it. I wanna see what ya'll think before I continue...thanks!