Chapter 1
Elise held the small flame in her hand and presented it to Sonic. Sonic looked up at her with a melancholy expression. Both of them knew what had to be done. They looked at each other through sphere of illumination."If we put out this flame, Solaris will never exist, and then we'll never have to worry about the flames of disaster, right?"
"No!"
The two of them looked at the doorway. Shadow burst in and stopped in the middle of the room, panting. "No, don't do it. It won't work." He looked tired.
"Shadow, you survived," Sonic said with a smile. "What about Silver?"
"None of that matters if you put out the flame. We have to find another way to stop solaris." He bent over and his eyelids dropped in exhaustion.
"Well whad'ya suggest, Shadow?" Sonic asked, putting his hands on his hips.
"I don't know. But we've been here before, and look where we've ended up," Shadow said. "It didn't work. It's all come back to me now. I'm so tired. I can't take it anymore!" He shook his head as he pressed his hands against it. "No more. Please."
"Shadow, you're delirious." Sonic stepped towards him. "You gotta explain what's going on."
"N-no time. Just please don't put out that flame." Shadow fell to his knees. "Take it where it can't be experimented with. The flame will take a different path and… Mephiles will never never exist. Solaris can exist in the way the Solarians intended."
"Are you sure about this?" Sonic asked.
"No." Shadow said and looked to the floor. "But it's worth a shot. Please."
"Sonic. What's happening?" Elise asked, eyes wide with worry. "Should we listen to him?" Sonic shrugged. Then, light footsteps sounded from the doorway. A dark figure walked in.
"There you are. Shadow, you will pay-" It was Mephiles. He noticed Sonic and Elise and narrowed his eyes. Then he froze when he noticed the flame.
"Quick! Put it out! That's like his past self or something!" Sonic exclaimed. Elise leaned forward.
"NO!" Shadow cried out. Elise blew out the flame.
RESET
2002
"Commander. I'm bored of this," Shadow stated. He was laying back on a sofa in a leisure room of GUN HQ. "I haven't had a mission since Soleanna." He sat up and looked the Commander dead in the eyes. "Is it because I didn't find that Sceptre of Darkness?" He folded his arms and waited for an answer. The Commander sighed.
"It's not that. You're just not needed," the Commander said. Shadow twitched. "Shadow, I know you're goal driven so this is hard for you."
"Understatement," Shadow spat. "Give me something to do. Anything."
"Shadow. You know you're a special case and have to be kept under supervision," the Commander tried to calm him.
"You mean Prisoner!" Shadow yelled.
"It's not like that, Shadow," the Commander sighed in exasperation.
"Of course. I'm not a prisoner until I decide I don't want to work for you anymore. Then I'm back to Prison Island." Shadow grit his teeth and shook in anger.
"Calm down, Shadow. Just. Stay here and watch TV. I'll see what I can do," the Commander said and left the room. Shadow stomped his foot on the ground, then swung back around to lie on the sofa again.
"Stupid humans," Shadow muttered under his breath. He looked to the side to look at the TV that was quietly droning in the corner. It was The News. The text on the screen read: 'Sapient Numbers in United Federation Increase.' Shadow gave out a 'Tsk'. "Shouldn't have bought them over here in the first place then, pathetic humans." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I'd better not count in those numbers. I am not one of them. They're not even good enough to be associated with me." Shadow soon dropped off to sleep.
Darkness. Shadow didn't know where he was. Each footstep caused a metallic pang. Metal shoes on metal floor. Shadow looked down. He still couldn't see. He looked up again and all around. He took in a breath and felt the cold air scrape his lungs. He folded his arms and shivered. This was unusual. He rarely shivered. He stepped forward, but hit something large and solid. A wall perhaps? He stepped back until he felt something cold and solid his his back. He turned around and felt for what it is. A control panel. He could feel the buttons. He pressed one. The console lit up. Shadow could see the outline of something that made his very soul shiver. Not this again. He never wanted to see this again. His shivers became intense and he stepped back. But he still felt cold. Why was he so cold? He breathed out and saw a large cloud of mist block his vision. His teeth began chattering and his legs becoming limp. It was almost as if he was being frozen. Shadow felt the room spin, then suddenly he was falling. He landed on his back with a thud, then heard a slam. He put his hands out, but glass blocked him. He banged again and again. There was no use breaking it. He could feel the freezing temperatures on the glass surface, even through his gloves. White hot pain burnt his skin. A cold burn. His legs frozen in place, then his torso. Shadow screamed out in terror. Not this. He scrunched up his eyes, and on the back of his eye-lids he saw a pair of green eyes flash up.