A/N Ok so I thought of this awhile ago and it started off as a full story and then a one shot, story one shot, and I think I've figured it out now, it will be a story.

This will be a Sonic and Shadow buddy fic if anyone was wondering.

This is also my first real attempt at a first person perspective, usually I do 3rd and the few times I've tried to do first person before I end up accidently going in third person descriptions randomly. Out of shear habit. And it may flip between Shadow and Sonic perspective if I feel it needs it, so warning there, I'll leave a space and the POV change but I'll try to avoid it because I feel that ruins the point of a first person perspective, cluelessness to everything around you.

"Please watch over my friends"

I looked down at the bleeding blue hedgehog. He was dying and I had to try something to save him, despite all the conflict we had in the past he was still an ally. Hardly a friend but I never wanted him gone.

"Promise me that Shadow!" blood spat out of his mouth as he shouted making him gurgle.

"I'm not letting you die!" I had to try something, anything. I owed him. Even after I nearly killed him and destroyed the world he forgave me and gave me a chance to join his group of friends. To try and be normal, even though I refused I always knew he considered me a friend. Whether I liked it or not. It was time to try and return that kindness.

"You need to stop Eggman, forget about me" he pleaded, his eyes were watering as the pain only intensified and death slowly started to claim what was left of his life. His hand feebly reached out to grab me but I forced him to stop reaching for my inhibitor rings.

With light clicks the rings broke allowing my hands to escape and fall to the ground at my feet. The feeling of adrenaline entered my body, intense, hot, addictive. I just had to concentrate.

His eyes watched me stand to my feet and asked "Why are you doing this?" even in his hurt state his voice clearly told him what he meant. Why would I help him after I showed no interest in being with him and his friends? Hell, I even seemed to hate them, avoid them and despise him personally.

I don't know why I did all that to them. Maybe I was angry, maybe I felt they needed to be protected from me and any forces that might have a grudge with me. I always hated what they had because I couldn't have it. I could never be like them all. Having friends, family, people to go to. My life was too dangerous for anyone to know me too closely.

He didn't deserve to lose that.

The chaos energy surged through my veins, overflowing without the inhibitors rings holding me back, already I felt like passing out. I'd only done this a few times before, the most desperate of times, after every one I felt tired. So tired I could barely walk, and the urge to keep the rings off, like a drug. It was the ultimate high, but it killed you.

The energy seeped from my hands having nowhere else to go from my body and it spread through the air traveling randomly disappearing into the world.

I opened my palms towards the dying hedgehog and started pumping him with the energy, I'd never done this, infusing someone with my energy. I only hoped that somehow infusing myself into him he'd gain some of my powers. Anything to keep him alive.

The energy seeped inside his body almost splashing into his fur and absorbing into his body.

It clearly did something as he jerked a little, but nothing was happening to his wounds, seeing no reason to stop I continued pumping him with even more.

The next wave of energy made him gasp in erratically and the twitching continued.

Things were getting fuzzy, my legs were wobbling pumping him with everything I had without even realizing it. So much energy was pumping into him I hardly noticed he started to float, seemingly carrying no weight since his quills floated around randomly behind his head.

Whatever I was doing it was doing something, what it was I had no idea. All I knew is I had no more time to try anything else.

I couldn't keep this up and forced my palms closed flexing every muscle in my body forcing the energy to stop.

I nearly keeled over panting hard and looked down to see Sonic still bleeding all over and looking no better than before.

"No…. get up!" panting between my words.

"Dammit, you never give up, you get up right now!"

He still layed there lifeless as I realized something, his chest stopped moving.

My jaw dropped seeing the hero now dead and dropped to my knees too tired and defeated to stand. I felt like a failure, how could I let him die? All this power and I couldn't save him.

I panted feeling rising anger and my fist clenched with newfound strength.

"I'll make you pay Eggman, he was nothing but good and now he's dead. I'm going to finish this once and for all"

With some effort my anger being the only thing pushing me forward I gained my footing. In the massive effort I forgot about my inhibitor rings and dashed forward, no acceleration just went to stop speed traveling down the hall.

"He went this way" I said to myself the blur in my vision constant but not getting any better or worse, somehow able to sustain myself.

Blind rage was all I felt, he was a good guy and looked out for people even if they tried to kill him in the past. That fatman would pay, screw family relations, he was a dead man.

In only a few moments I found him in a hangar. He was nearly about to board a small aircraft, if he started flying I wouldn't have much of a chance of catching him.

"EGGMAN!" my rage filled roar sent shockwaves in all directions. Chaos energy destroying the door I stood in and shattering glass as it went further out.

"Shadow! Your rings, they are off" his voice sounded just a little shaky, I'd show him just how afraid he should be.

"I assume Sonic is behind licking his wounds?" he didn't even expect Sonic died, probably guessing I had been able to save him, it only sent my anger into overdrive as he unintentionally set off a switch.

"No, you killed him, and now I'm going to kill you!"

A combination of finding out his nemesis was dead and that I had threatened his life must have caused him to freeze. Had it come from anyone else he may have laughed and taunted them but this was me, Shadow the hedgehog, I mean what I say.

"Time to make a quick exit, eggbots!" he called. The whole room filled with eggbots as he turned to the aircraft to leave.

"NO!" my eyes lit up red extending my hands releasing a couple dozen red orbs that all whirled through the air before stopping in the air. I ran forward, the orbs all shooting forward as well flying into an exploding on any robot they came in contact with all the while I simply ran through the fire storm.

Coming out of the fireball I could see the ship hatch closing and the engine starting. Charging another attack I planned to finish this quick but then heard an intense sound in my ears.

"AHHHHHH" falling to my knees I covered my ears in a futile attempt to stop it.

"What's happening!?" I questioned to myself desperately searching for the source to end my agony.

My eyes rested on Eggman himself with a gun pointed at me, his finger on the trigger already. Considering all that I guessed that was the source, I could protect myself from just about any ballistic or energy attack but sound I couldn't stop.

The pain was intense, but I couldn't move. It hurt so much, the blurring in my ears starting to deepen again, as my anger turned to desperation and pain.

I could see him laughing but slowly walking to his ship for real this time constantly holding that weapon on me so I didn't get a chance to escape.

The ships engine flared up again as he reached the small ramp and waved at me with a huge smile under his mustache. The ship lifted off and floated out of the hangar entirely before the ramp completely closed.

I still couldn't do anything, my ears rang and I was dizzy, the blurring was so intense I felt like I had already passed out but the feeling of my fingers clutching my head was the only thing that made me know otherwise.

He was gone, it made my blood boil but I had one goal left, get my rings before this killed me.

Focusing as hard as I could the blurring went away somewhat, enough that I could see directly forward.

Chaos energy was quite literally peeling off my fur, I'd never allowed myself to have the rings off this long. My endurance could only hold out for so long.

Forcing myself to my feet I noticed all the bots had been destroyed in my attack so no worries there. I forced myself to my feet for the second time and raced back to Sonics body. Leaving behind a trail of seeping energy the hallways behind me half disintegrated from all the exposure.

I almost thought I went past Sonic but sliding to a stop I found him again panting. I could feel patches of my fur burning away , my body burned unable to take much more of the energy.

With the last bit of energy I had I dove for the rings and slipped them on. It was the heaviest thing I'd ever carried, resorting to just slipping my hands through and using the floor and my other hand to force them to close again.

In an instant I felt the pressure in my body loosen letting out a massive sigh. The energy that hadn't dissipated yet flooded back at him into his rings and back safely controlled in his body. I looked forward seeing the energy flood over Sonics body and back into myself and gritted my teeth feeling my entire body burning.

It was a constant intense burn, but I guessed it was from the trauma my body had just gone through. I was so tired, the adrenaline having passed through my system made it hard to even keep my head up. I was already laying down so the thud wasn't too bad, nothing to the rest of the pain I felt.

Looking at Sonic once more as I was passing out I could only regret not having saved him. Even worse I didn't get to Eggman, I had been so close, atleast then I could have avenged his death.

What was I gonna tell everyone, that Eggman killed their friend and leader and I couldn't even avenge him. I was already a horrible person to them, now I was a failure.

"I'm sorry Sonic"

"Darkness is my only friend, hello my friend"

"Shadow?"

Darkness….

When the darkness cleared and my eyes opened next I found myself in a small white room. My head still hurt, but it was mild now, my muscles were sore and numb but I didn't feel exhausted anymore.

"W-what…. How did I get here?" my eyes wondered around the room in confusion, but my mind slowly pieced together that this was a room for treating patients. So either he was in a hospital, or an experimental facility, both equally possible.

I wasn't bound so I quickly surmised I was safe of experimentation. So I sat up, took all the effort I had in me but I was sitting up and scratched my back mumbling about my hurting back.

"Hello?" I called out.

Looking behind me I found nothing but some clean medical tools against the wall. Along the wall to my right I found a counter with a sink, cupboards and a lamp on wheels. Probably to get light on a possible patient. To my left I found another counter with a door in the corner of the room.

I decided to look myself over, see if there were any cuts in my skin that might signal I was treated too much but found none. Only the patches of fur I lost in my near death experience.

Everything looked in order so I tried to get out of the bed, it was so hard I nearly gave up from shear exhaustion, but I was no quitter.

Finally sweeping both feet over the side of the bed I panted slouching over. I quickly noticed my shoes were gone. In there place were some socks.

"Great, need to figure out who has taken me in and get my shoes" I mumbled a little annoyed.

Once I fully caught my breath I took the daunting step to get to my feet. One deep breath and slowly slipped off and felt the weight on my legs. Surprisingly my legs carried my weight, wobbling, but carried it. Guess being able to run faster than sound helped.

Stumbling I made it to the door and was glad to find it was a door that could be pushed from either side instead of having to pull. I opened it a little peaking outside before committing to going forward.

Looking through the small crack I realized it was a hall out there that led to the left, as for the right I couldn't tell yet.

Something in me felt like it was all familiar but at the same time it didn't so I cautiously walked out fully. I nearly fell over from my own weight when I finished pushing the door.

Looking around the hallway extended a little more to the right and revealed another dooron the opposite side of the small hallway. The floor was average carpet and the wallpaper was tan.

"Wait wallpaper? Carpet?" I was in a house.

Looking the other way door the hall revealed another door on the opposite side of the hall and continued out to a larger room where the hall ended.

Quickly checking the other two doors I found them locked, so no going that way and headed for the open room.

Looking around again to my right led down a short hallways to a door that I quickly realized was to the outside world. To my left was the kitchen area, the floor changing to tile. Ahead was the living room, two chairs, a couch and a tv on the wall being the most prominent objects.

Once again the feeling of familiarity came to him. He shook his head and looked to the doorway again and noticed two set of shoes waiting there. Once was his own, and the second was a pair of red and white sneakers that felt very familiar.

I quickly took my shoes and put them back on, I never realized how heavy they were and made it a little harder to walk.

"Now where am I?"

Looking for any clues I cautiously called out again "Hello?"

This time I heard something stir from the hallway I'd come from. As swift as I could I hid around the corner hearing someone walking inside the second door.

The door opened and whoever was around the corner stopped, probably to look around. The footsteps continued heading away from him towards the room he'd been sleeping in.

"Huh? Stubborn…. Where'd he go" the familiar voice said.

The footsteps quickly approached so I tensed up ready to pounce. Teeth clenched I lunged forward as the figure came around the corner.

I heard the person gasp in fright but I tired myself out near instantly.

"Shadow stop, I'm your friend!"

Now I knew that I knew that voice and stopped to focus on who it was. My hand had grabbed a patch of chest fur which was white and complimented with yellow fur. My eyes drifted up and saw the familiar face of a fox.

"Tails?" my hand quickly letting him ago and tried hard not to look tired.

"Sorry if I spooked you, but you shouldn't be walking around" he said concerned just wanting him to not push himself "Come sit somewhere, I'll get you some water"

Reluctantly I took his advice, my muscles were crying out for rest, especially now that I had exhausted myself with the lunge.

I quite literally fell on the couch and sighed loudly "How'd I get here?" getting straight to business.

His voice came from the kitchen "We found you yesterday, you'd been gone for nearly five days. So we went looking to your last position"

"You mean Sonics last position" I'd just happened to be there at the same time.

"… ya" his voice quickly became depressed and I could swear I heard him sniff a little, clearly being torn up by Sonics death.

I frowned remembering the events again, I tried not to close my tired eyes, it was all I saw when it was closed.

After a short minute Tails appeared with a glass of water frowning a bit but quickly gained his composure.

I barely remembered to thank him. I waited for the inevitable question he clearly wanted to ask, my finger tapping the glass.

"What happened. We found you barely alive and after checking you over your body had been under extreme stress" the fox inquired.

Looking down into the water I sighed "Eggman…. That FUCK" I snarled "He… caught Sonic off guard and left him for dead, I couldn't get to him quickly having my own problems. By the time I made it he was close to death…. I tried" it was all I could say for a moment taking a drink for my dried throat.

"The stuff you had to handle, that caused all that trauma to you?" he asked a little confused.

"No…. I…. I" it was hard to admit the rest "I took off my inhibitor rings hoping I could fill him with chaos energy and save him but I failed. Wanting revenge I chased after Eggman and forgot my rings. I nearly had him, but he blasted me with sonic waves that paralyzed me despite all my power" I took another drink and continued.

"He escaped shortly after but all my power was slowly killing me. I barely made it back to my rings, that's what hurt me so bad"

Tails frowned again "Did he say anything before…." He looked down unable to finish.

I truly wanted to tell him but if I were to complete my task I'd have to stay away from them all and shook my head "No"

He sighed again.

"What did you do with us?" I asked taking my third drink.

He took a short moment to compose himself "We brought you both back, I worked hard to keep you alive and when that was done and you were stable we buried Sonic" his eyes teared up "Atleast you made it"

"Thank you" was all I could say.

"No, thank you, for being by his side at the end and trying so hard to help him and avenge him" Tails made a light smile. It was enough for me to just nod.

We were both quiet for some time until Tails asked "So what are you gonna do now?"

I finished off the water "First I'm gonna rest, then hunt down Eggman and kill him"

Tails darkly mumbled "Sooner rather than later"

I didn't respond simply sitting back to rest again.

Over the next few days I got my strength back, I learned that everyone had mourned for Sonic, nobody was really same for the time I was there. Everyone visited atleast once to check on Tails, considering he was closest to Sonic. Besides that they all checked on me, most giving me thanks for trying to help him. A few also wished me luck in my quest to kill Eggman, namely Blaze, Knuckles and Espio.

I quickly recovered within a week and found myself at the door. Personally I couldn't wait to leave but I felt I should say goodbye to Tails.

"Thanks kid"

He shook his head with a smile "No worries Shadow, just hope you can complete your mission"

"Don't worry, I won't" I promised him.

With that done he waved and I sent him a quick nod and left.

Looking around my eyes adjusted to the sun and I quickly walked down the street.

I strangely felt like something was following, looking back I found nothing. I shrugged guessing it was just the sun making him feel weird and continued until I began to run.

"I'll find you Eggman, and it will be the last time we meet"

So how'd you like it. Probably wondering what is going, well I left a few clues, I'm pretty sure you figure it out if you think about it. But for now no spoilers.

Leave a review and let me know what you think. This was my first attempt at doing a whole chapter in first person, so if I missed something that suddenly became 3rd person let me know.

Live long and prosper

Admiralkirk