Shadow stared at the empty space looming before him, wondering what it would've been like...having her here. The grass was tinged grey from the dim atmosphere, but the flowers laying in the open space seemed to brighten the world around him ever so slightly. Their petals were a bright sky blue, the color he remembered her eyes to be. Hooded eyes stared down at the flowers laying there innocently, this is the place he had chosen as her makeshift grave. While he had no actual remains he could at least come here to honor her memory, and the sacrifice she made for him. The cemetery wasn't as gloomy as he thought it would be, from what he'd read on the ark so many years ago these were places of sadness. Yet, the whole area was littered with offerings of flowers, candies and confectionaries, and even some stuffed animals placed delicately against intricately carved tombstones. His mind wandered to the last time he saw her before the attack. They had been staring down at the planet, speaking in hushed tones about all the things they would do when they got there. He never imagined it would be like this.
A sudden wind ruffled his quills, and the fur on the back of his neck stood up on the back of his neck out of instinct. He whipped around to see his look alike skidding to a stop behind him. He got into a battle-ready stance, preparing for another fight with this fake hedgehog. "Woah, woah, calm down there faker. I'm not here to fight..." The cobalt hero held up his hands in surrender, taking a step back when Shadow still held his stance. "What do you want..." he muttered, finally standing down, though still glaring at the blue hedgehog. "I'm here to visit a friend..." He said, tone somewhat solemn, as he looked to the gravestone next to the empty space Shadow had been staring at. The dark hedgehog turned, following Sonic's line of sight to a marble gravestone littered with bright yellow flowers. The name 'Chris Thorndyke' was etched into the stone, when Shadow noticed the years carved there his lips turned downward into a frown. He was the same age as her. When the biohog turned back around to face Sonic again he noticed that the other hedgehog was holding similar flowers to the ones already occupying the grave, he walked over to it and placed them delicately with the others. The two stood in uneasy silence for a few moments, unasked questions lingering on the tips of their tongues.
Finally, Shadow spoke, though it wasn't what he really wanted to say. "I'm sorry for your loss..." He muttered just loud enough for the blue hedgehog to hear him. Sonic's ears perked up at this, and he turned to Shadow with a bright grin. "He was a good kid, he didn't deserve what happened to him, but he did the right thing. Sometimes the cost for that is too high." His smile was clearly forced, and the biohog noticed his eyes shine with unshed tears at the loss of his comrade. "Yes. Sometimes it is." The dark hedgehog agreed. Turning back to stare at the blue flowers still resting neatly in their place. "What about you, are you visiting someone too?" The blue blur asked, it was a fair question Shadow supposed. It was a bit strange, him just standing in front of an empty grave like this. "Yes...her name was Maria." He replied, eyes downcast as he stared forward, trying his best not to show emotion to his adversary. "That's a pretty name! I bet she was a pretty girl." Sonic smiled at him, eyes crinkling in genuine happiness that the black hedgehog was opening up to him.
In the past weeks they'd run into each other a few times, most of the time it led to a fist fight or a heated argument if they were unable to combat one another. This was the first time they weren't at each other's throats, and for the first time they both realized that the other was a normal, living, breathing mobian. One with feelings, and a past before the endless fighting between Eggman and Sonic. "Yes, she was." Shadow closed his eyes, trying to picture her flowing golden locks, and the fluffy blue dress she loved so much. A gift from Dr. Gerald for her birthday so many years ago. He felt a hand land softly on his shoulder, and he opened his eyes slightly to see the blue blur had moved into his personal space. His expression showed clear concern, though the biohog couldn't imagine why. They were enemies, why would this stranger care that he was upset. His thoughts were interrupted when Sonic spoke. "Hey, you want to see something really pretty?" He was at a loss, nobody could possibly change their mindset this quickly. Just yesterday they'd been trying to off each other, and now this faker wanted to show him something 'pretty'. Still, he would do anything to stop the ache in his chest, and so against his better judgement he followed the blue speedster.
They walked for what seemed like hours, neither wanting to break into a spring and interrupt this tranquil moment of silence as they passed gravestone after gravestone. They arrived at a gate, almost completely overgrown with dark thorny vines. The blue blur crouched down on his haunches, sending a smirk over his shoulder before leaping over the gate that stood in their path. Shadow followed his lead, not caring to use chaos control for such a simple jump. When he landed on the other side, he opened his eyes to smirk back at Sonic, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Yellow flowers as far as the eye could see stretched across the landscape, petals floated on the soft wind that blew. Even on a gloomy day like this everything was bright and brilliant on this side of the fence, and Shadow's eyes were wide with awe. No book could ever compare to seeing something like this in real life. "Let's race." Sonic finally said, breaking the trance the dark hedgehog had been lost in. Without another word a cobalt blur shot across the golden expanse, leaving a stunned Shadow staring at where he'd been standing. His lips slowly quirked upwards into a smile, so the faker wanted a race, did he? He wouldn't win so easily. Shadow shot after him in a streak of orange, and after but a moment he caught up to Sonic, who had slowed down to see if the biohog was still following him. Together the two ran long into the evening, through the city, beyond to the desert, the mountains, all the way to the beach. The wind blew through their quills, and they had long since broken the sound barrier so the two hedgehogs couldn't hear the quick shuffling of Sonic's shoes, or hum Shadow's jet skates. They cast glances at one another when they thought the other wasn't looking, and every time saw a determined expression staring straight forward. Little did they both know once they saw the other look away out of the corner of their eye, their expressions both turned to bright smiles, simply enjoying the speed they both loved so much. The scenery continued to blur past them for miles and miles, nothing beat supersonic speed.
Huffing from exertion the two finally decided to stop on a rocky outcropping hanging above the crashing waves of the emerald coast, the setting sun finally peeking out from the clearing grey clouds. When he'd caught his breath, the blue hedgehog burst out into laughter, hunching over from the sheer force of his chuckles. He ended up tipping over and falling flat on his rear. Still he continued to laugh, throwing his head back, a huge smile on his face all the while. "THAT was the most fun I've had in a LONG time." He gasped out, wiping tears from the corner of his eye. "Even though you lost." Shadow gasped back, still out of breath from the long run. "Yeah right faker, dream on." Sonic laughed, lightly punching Shadow, who had taken a seat next to him on the ground, on the shoulder. The duo watched the sun set together, neither feeling the need to speak, and being too tired to move from their spot on the cliffs. The sound of the waves sloshing against the rocks a few feet below them was starting to make Sonic nervous, though he'd never admit it, and so he decided it was time to go. "Well there's obviously only one way to decide a winner. Rematch, tomorrow at sunrise. Meet me at the flower field." He rose to his feet, and turned to leave. "Don't be late slow poke." He taunted, before taking off back towards the city. Shadow stared at his receding form, wondering just how they'd ended up like this. Yesterday they'd been bitter enemies, but with just a few words the blue hedgehog had turned them into something else. Friends? No. Rivals perhaps, but Shadow had no intention of befriending anyone. It would only end in more heartache, especially considering their circumstances. He stayed at the seaside for a few more hours before Dr. Robotnik called him back to the base to discuss important matters. However, his mind was elsewhere, thinking about their little rematch in the morning.
Crimson eyes met emerald as the two eyed each other from across the field of flowers. The biohog walked calmly through the greenery, still amazed at the beauty such a place could hold. As he approached Sonic's ears perked at the soft crunching of grass under his heels. "You actually showed up, NICE!" The blue blur yelled from his place leaning against the gate, pumping his fist skyward in triumph. "Hmph. Of course I did, I can't let a faker like you one up me." He dark hedgehog huffed, making his way towards the dark iron bars Sonic had perched himself against. "Hah! Then you're wasting your time, I'm goanna one up you either way!" The blue hog mocked, puffing his chest out with pride, and grinning at his approaching counterpart. "We'll see." Shadow scoffed, standing next to the blue blur and readying himself for takeoff. "Well you sure are eager. Alright then...prepare to EAT MY DUST." Sonic shouted, crouching down into a running stance and taking off in the blink of an eye. He was sure he had the upper hand, nobody was faster than him and his head start only cemented his imminent victory. His eyes widened in shock as he heard the jets of the other hedgehog's rocket skates right next to him, Shadow had easily kept pace with him after their initial start. Sonic smirked, and quickened his steps, gazing forward and slightly crouching closer to the ground as he ran. Shadow mimicked his movement, and in one swift motion the two broke through the sound barrier and took off down the same path they'd ran the previous day.
Their days continued on like this for more than a month, the two would end their race and neither would concede to losing to the other. Their speed was matched, and so, they raced almost every day. Whenever the two could escape their comrades they snuck off together to enjoy their favorite pass time, and eventually they even ended up doing other things. Shadow's inexperience on this planet was evident whenever Sonic mentioned anything that was common knowledge to normal mobians. The blue blur showed the dark hedgehog all around mobius, letting him experience the world he'd longed to visit for so long. They went to the theatres often, movies were a luxury they'd never had aboard the ark, and for some reason Shadow was fascinated with them. They also tried all kinds of new foods, aboard the space colony they really only had healthy dehydrated goods to eat, so the biohog never got to taste any sort of junk food. Sonic took Shadow to his favorite chili dog stand, and though the dark hedgehog ended up burning his mouth on the spicy treat, he LOVED them, almost as much as Sonic himself. The hero was astounded at just how much this guy could eat, and it seemed like no matter what or how much he consumed it didn't seem to affect him much at all. He never gained any weight, never slowed down after eating a big meal, nothing. Shadow tried to explain to him that he was designed to be the 'Ultimate Lifeform', and the science behind his cells regenerating so quickly, but he lost Sonic as soon as he'd said a word with more than five syllables. Before either of them realized it they'd stopped meeting just to race, and instead they simply met at their usual spot simply to spend time with one another. There was something about the blue hedgehog, something Shadow couldn't place, something so familiar and comforting about his company. Being around the cobalt hero was enough to make him forget all the hardships he'd endured, if only for a while.
Together, the duo sat on a tall hill, gazing at the stars that hung overhead in uneasy silence. Shadow had asked Sonic to meet him here a few days ago, they hadn't been able to see each other at all since then, Eggman was getting suspicious of his constant absence. The doctor was nearly finished finding the emeralds, and he planned to travel to the ARK the next morning. He wanted to tell Sonic, knew that he should. Still, he didn't know how the other hedgehog would react. Not once in the entire time they'd spent together had he even asked about the doctor, his plans, anything. It was like he was pretending that the threat of Eggman simply didn't exist. Sonic knew Shadow had his reasons for helping him, but he might not be too pleased to hear about the scheme that Robotnik had been cooking up, with Shadow's assistance no less. "So, are you goanna spill the beans, or are we goanna sit here all night?" The hero finally broke the silence, sensing Shadow's nerves. Figures he wouldn't be able to hide his emotions the one time he really needed to. "Getting impatient are we hedgehog?" Shadow retorted, trying to keep his tone even as he spoke. "It's about...the Doctor." Sonic's ears perked at this, though he tried to hide his interest with a bored expression. "Oh yeah? What's Eggy been up to?" He asked, glancing towards Shadow, curiosity completely taking over his expression as the worry grew on Shadow's face. "We're going to the ARK tomorrow morning...he plans to use the Eclipse Cannon to make your world leaders submit to him." Sonic was silent, staring intently as Shadow continued. "If he succeeds then he will either become the ruler of this world...or he will destroy it." "And you're going to help him?" He cast his gaze to the side, not wanting to look his counterpart in the eyes. When he'd woken from his prison he was positive this is what he wanted, revenge on this world, to fulfill his promise to Maria...but now he wasn't so sure. "I made a promise to her Sonic...that I'd avenge her death." He replied silently, still avoiding eye contact with the other hedgehog. "Shadow. From what you've told me about Maria...she doesn't sound like the kind of person to want revenge. Do you really think this is what she would have wanted?" His tone was serious, his eyes showed thee clear betrayal he felt as Shadow still refused to make eye contact. "I won't try to stop you...just, think about it." Sonic rose from his spot next to Shadow, casting one more glance at him before turning to walk away. "Goodbye Sonic." That stopped him dead in his tracks, just for a moment. That was the first time the biohog had ever used his name. Still, he couldn't allow Eggman to go through with his plan, he left in a streak of brilliant blue.
Shadow gazed out at the stars, he had to admit though he had wanted nothing more to leave to the planet below he was glad to be back aboard his home. He felt comfortable here, everything was less complicated. At least it should be. The countdown had started, his revenge was complete, and soon he would be with Maria again. So why then did he feel the itch to do something, to stop what he had started and right the wrong he'd committed against his rival. He hadn't realized someone had been approaching until he felt a gloved hand on his shoulder, he turned to see the pink hedgehog that had mistaken him for the faker back on Prison Island. Her eyes were filled with sadness, and something else. She looked hopeful. "I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish, like the professor said... but they're basically good, if they try their best and never give up on their wishes. They always have a reason to be happy; that's why you should help them out! Saving them is a good thing! Shadow, I beg you, please do it for them! Give them a chance!" Visions of his dear friend's dying breaths filled his mind, and finally he understood. Her final request rung in his ears. "Shadow, I beg of you, please do it for me... for a better future! For all people who live 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 you were brought into this world..." Without another word he took off in the direction Sonic and Knuckles had went with the Master Emerald.
When he arrived the two faced an enormous monster, one Shadow recognized as a brother of sorts. He felt no familial ties to the beast, but it was his prototype, the Ultimate Lifeform before him. It reared its head and let out an ear-piercing roar, shaking the colony around it as its large form stomped towards them. "I'll distract it, stop the Chaos Emeralds!" The surprised group turned to see his approach, Sonic's frown deepened as he realized what Shadow was suggesting. There was a possibility they couldn't beat this thing. Still, there wasn't much of a choice, he had to protect Knuckles while he spoke to the Master Emerald, and the two robots they had along with them wouldn't be much help other than carrying it. Reluctantly he nodded, and Shadow charged off to face the prototype.
He curled up into a spin dash, ramming the sensitive spot on the creature's back, aggravating it. It summoned orbs of pure chaos energy to launch back at the biohog, but he was quick enough to dodge every one. It let out another roar, and swung its massive tail, forcing Shadow to jump back and out of the way. The Biolizard took this opportunity to lunge forward, attempting to bite the retreating form of the hedgehog. Using Chaos Control, he teleported behind the lizard, using the balls of chaos energy as footholds to get past it's defenses and attack the weak spot yet again. He continued his barrage, dodging every bite and swing that came his way, and using the fact that the beast manipulated chaos energy to his advantage. When he struck the final blow the Biolizard let out one final bellow before being enveloped in a bright white light, fearing an attack Shadow used Chaos Control to transport himself next to Sonic.
He reappeared next to his counterpart just in time to see the prototype vanish. "It disappeared?" Knuckles questioned, having finished the ritual and stopped the Chaos Emeralds from powering the ARK towards earth. They felt the massive craft lurch to a stop beneath their feet, and the two robots tagging along yelled in triumph. "Yes! It worked!" They cried in unison, but their celebration was cut short as they felt the ARK speed up once again. "Sonic! Can you hear me? The Prototype is still alive! He's controlling the Space Colony as it is falling to Earth! He has become one with the Space Colony, and is determined to keep it on its collision course!" Dread filled the hearts of all present, but Sonic and Shadow had the Chaos Emeralds. There was hope. They glanced at one another, nodding before concentrating on the chaos energy flowing through the gems. They began to float, rapidly spinning around the two hedgehogs and emitting a bright glow. The duo began to rise along with the emeralds, they were engulfed in the light they emitted, blinding Knuckles and the robots watching the transformation with wide-eyed expressions. The hedgehogs emerged cloaked in golden fur, Sonic's eyes now red, and his quills floating upwards instead of their usual lax state.
The two teleported outside of the ship to face off against their transformed foe, now merged with the Space Colony ARK. The two super hedgehogs quickly started their assault, but this time was a bit more difficult. They couldn't get quite close enough, the creature was manipulating the energy they were using to launch them backwards with beams of its own chaos energy. It didn't seem like it was trying to attack them much at all, in fact all it was really doing was holding them back. A realization struck, Shadow looked behind them to see the planet getting larger and larger. "IT'S STALLING FOR TIME. WE NEED TO FINISH THIS NOW!" Shadow yelled. "RIGHT, SHADOW WITH ME!" Sonic yelled back, holding out his hand for the biohog to take. Shadow knew exactly what he intended to do, and reached for the blue blur's hand, grasping it. The two performed a spin dash in unison, rotating rapidly in place before launching themselves towards the beast. It's chaos energy couldn't push back the both of them combined, and so the two smashed into its delicate weak spot, causing a massive explosion. The beast gave one final bellow before slumping over where it sat merged to the ARK. Its body began to disintegrate, having been drained of all its chaos energy which had been stored in the device they destroyed on its back. Without that energy it could no longer sustain its physical form, and turned to dust before their eyes.
"It's too late boys, the colony has entered earth's atmosphere!" The doctor yelled through Shadow's communicator. "NO way that's getting through!" Sonic yelled back, Shadow followed his lead directly in front of the ARK. The two hedgehogs summoned every last ounce of their strength, holding the ARK off with what little power they had left. The giant metal mass glowed red hot, flames engulfing the surface and singing the fur of the duo as it whipped past them. Sweat dripped from their brows, and their arms burned from both the strain of holding back such a large object and the flames now tearing their way through the protective layers of their gloves. At this rate they wouldn't be able to..."DON'T GIVE IN SHADOW!" he heard his counterpart yell, though it sounded so far away with the deafening roar of the flames threatening to swallow them both whole. He closed his eyes, fearing the worst, but then he heard something. A voice, no, many voices. They called out to them from the ARK, and from the planet below, Shadow could hear everyone cheering them on. The emeralds let the hearts of the people be heard to the hedgehogs, a chorus of hope rung in their ears. Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, even Dr. Eggman called out to their heroes, and the emeralds responded with a renewed burst of chaos energy. Another voice called to him through the gems, one he hadn't heard in over 50 years. A clear image of his best friend appeared before him, her blonde locks flowing around him, and her vibrant blue eyes piercing his heart. "Maria..." He called, reaching out to her. "You can do this Shadow, we all believe in you...for the future of that planet...for YOUR future."
As he finally got close enough to touch her, she vanished. Tears welled in his eyes, and he was filled with renewed determination. "I AM SHADOW! SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!" He screamed, releasing the limiters on his wrists and ankles with an audible snap. A sudden blast of chaos energy flowed through him, and he turned to the blue blur. "Can you hear me?!" He asked, the other hedgehog turned to him. "Yeah, I hear you!" Their eyes locked for just a moment, reading each other loud and clear. They lurched back, clenching their fists to concentrate the chaos energy they held. "CHAOS...!" Shadow started, reeling his fist back as Sonic mimicked his movement. "CONTROL!" They both yelled in unison, launching the chaos energy forward in a concentrated mass, right towards the ARK. The flames were swallowed first, followed by the first part of the ARK to make contact with the concentrated energy. It created a cone shape as it was sucked into the rift, and after a moment a blinding light engulfed everything, the two hedgehogs were momentarily blinded. When the light subsided, the rift from their final blast disappeared, leaving the ARK in its original place far out in orbit. Sonic's grin spread from ear to ear, not bad for a beginner at chaos control. He turned to gloat, and celebrate with his newfound friend, but where Shadow had once been floating alongside him now only his limiters remained. He looked down to see his friend plummeting towards the planet, the chaos energy that was sustaining his super form slowly fading away.
Sonic had to act quick, he shot off like a bullet towards the biohog, and before long reached out a hand to grab the injured Shadow's barely conscious form. He pulled the dark hedgehog close to him, not sure what he should do now. They were both too close to the planet, and were being dragged down with an immense force. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't pull upwards, and he didn't have enough energy to teleport them both. "S-Sonic...? What are you doing?! LET GO!" He struggled in the blue blur's grip, attempting to push him off and away before they completely entered the atmosphere. "NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU ALONE ANYMORE!" Sonic yelled back, tightening his grip on the biohog stubbornly. "SONIC! IF YOU DON'T LEAVE NOW YOU'LL DIE TOO!" Fear gripped Shadow, he didn't want this. Didn't want to be responsible for the death of another close friend. He'd been ready, ready to move on and be with Maria again. He'd been ready for a long time. He wasn't prepared for this though, and he frantically tried to think of a way to fix the situation and get Sonic to safety. He felt the flames of re-entry burning his back as they fell, it was too late. "WHY?! THEY NEED YOU SONIC, THEY NEED A HERO! THEY DON'T NEED ME, I'M NOT WORTH SAVING!" He shouted, the unshed tears finally flowing freely from his eyes.
Sonic wore a frustrated look, pulling Shadow closer and locking their gazes. "THEY MAY NOT NEED YOU, BUT I DO!" He yelled back, tears pricking the corners of his eyes now, partially from the pain and partially from the admission that he never thought he'd have the chance to say. "I LOVE YOU, YOU STUPID FAKER!" Shock swept over the biohog's face, like he couldn't quite process what Sonic had just said. The blue hedgehog just sighed, and gripped his counterpart tighter, pulling them flush up against one another. Shadow still had a confused look on his face, unable to find the words to say, and so he just sat there with a wide-eyed expression and his mouth partially agape. Ugh, this guy was hopeless. Leave it to an emotionally stunted hedgehog to make him do this HERE of all places. "Chaos, you sure are DENSE, now I know how Ames feels." He pulled the biohog forward locking their lips as the tears in his own eyes were finally allowed to flow as well. The pain was immense, but it was all worth it. He would never let this person go through the pain of being alone again, not if he could help it.
Shadow closed his eyes and returned the kiss, his mind still racing with possible ways to save them both. When they parted he noticed the blood starting to flow from the blue blur's nose and eyes, the strain was too much for his body. While Shadow's immortal body could withstand much more than a normal hedgehog he was starting to feel the strain as well, and he could taste the coppery liquid working its way up into his mouth. "Sonic..." He was at a loss, this was it, the end for them both. Still, even with as much pain as he was in the blue hedgehog still managed a smile, blood stained his teeth and the flames surrounding them singed his beautiful blue fur a dark charcoal grey. "C'mon Shad, have more faith in me than that will ya'. We've got one shot, together!" The confidence in his voice almost sounded genuine...almost. He knew it was the end too. Still, he would go along with it, one last ditch effort. Their hands clasped, and they closed their eyes to concentrate the last bit of chaos energy shared between the two. Too weak to yell any longer, they whispered. "Chaos Control..." Another brilliant white flash engulfed them, then everything went black.