Sonic coughed, lungs feeling heavy as he gasped for air. The wound on his stomach was critical, and the doctors had already confirmed that it was untreatable.
The bullets had hit too many major arteries, and, to make matters worse, he had a rare blood type, which made the loss of blood untreatable as well.
And so, they left the hero of Mobius alone, room silent as his emerald eyes drearily glanced around.
The others were out there fighting against the invasion, saving their planet. They didn't even know he was practically laying on his deathbed.
But, that's what happens in war, you find out things too late and are left with a forever feeling of deep regret.
Well, all his friends but one. They ignored the commander's commands, despite the consequences.
How he failed to accurately dodge the bullets was unclear to him. He had dodged worse, had dodged quicker.
It seems the universe was finally tired of his shenanigans, making him take a step too slow to end him.
But Sonic didn't regret it.
No.
He relished in the fact that the other was safe. The ebony hedgehog was in the line of fire, too occupied to notice the gun aimed towards him. But Sonic did notice.
And he had taken the hit.
He ran towards the ebony male, who was wrestling a black arms alien, and pushed him out of the way. Shadow widened his eyes in surprise, caught unguarded. He gave a grunt as he fell, body rolling away a few inches from the scene.
The bullet instantly ripped through Sonic's stomach, exiting through the back, crimson blood splashing on the floor and dripping onto Sonic's peach chest.
Blood splattered over the ebony hedgehog was well, scarlet tainting his dark fur and tan muzzle.
"Watch, brother, as the blue one falls!" Eclipse yelled, yellow glowing eyes filled with dark glee as Sonic fell to his knees, hand stopping his fall as he crouched on the floor.
Shadow, who was still lying on the floor, lifted his head to the sound of mockery and gunfire. He felt the warm liquid splash onto his muzzle. It was all too familiar. His crimson eyes widened, ears flattening against his skull as he caught sight of Sonic.
Sonic choked on his own blood, fingers shaking as he gripped his chest attempting to stop the blood flow to no avail. His ears swiveled back, hearing a dark laugh emerge among the chaos around him. The laugh was all too familiar.
Eclipse the darkling.
Another bang was heard, and Sonic yelled in pain as he felt another bullet rip through his body, the pain excruciating. He coughed out blood, splattering the debris around him. Sonic heaved, feeling the blood roll down his chin. Both hands were now on the floor, attempting to sustain balance while Sonic shook.
"How does revengefeel, Shadow?" Eclipse questioned, sharp teeth glinting amidst the raging fire around them. "The sight of suffering is beautiful, isn't it?"
Eclipse chuckled.
"A death for a death, am I right?"
The blue blur was panting, heaving for air. His entire body was shaking, blood dripping onto the floor beneath him. His gloves were stained with the liquid, white barely noticeable as it soaked up the thick liquid.
"Sonic." Shadow spoke, voice laced with fear. No, not again. The scene was all too familiar.
Sonic's emerald gaze slowly look up, head rising slowly. Sonic opened his mouth, ready to say something, before his eyes rolled back into the inside of his head as he fell toward the ground. Shadow quickly got up, hands catching Sonic's falling body before it hit the floor.
"Sonic!" Shadow yelled, waiting for the other to wake up.
But Sonic remained still, chest barely moving.
Blood stained Shadow's body and gloves, hand moving toward Sonic's stomach to check how deep the wound was.
Shadow gulped down thick saliva as he realized he could dip his fingers inside of Sonic's stomach, blood basically pouring out of the blue mobian's body.
Shadow's eyes burned with fury, sending a chaos spear behind him without looking. He felt the feeling of dark satisfaction as he heard the explosion behind him, black bits of alien flesh flying past him.
His crimson eyes snapped up when he suddenly heard the familiar sound of physical combat, eyes narrowing when he saw Knuckles the Echidna sending punches toward the Black Arms agent.
"Shadow, take care of Sonic! I'll hold this guy off!"
Shadow's mouth began to open in protest, about to say that that was an idiotic idea because they had fought Eclipse together before in the past and still failed, but Sonic's groan made him shut it.
He gave a nod, hands hoisting Sonic's body up bridal style. His skates roared to life, a blazing trail being left behind as he weaved his way through hundreds of black arms soldiers. One attempted to block his way, but Shadow easily made his way through, sending a chaos spear toward the interfering nuisance.
"Shadow…" Sonic muttered, eyes closed tightly in agony. He gripped Shadow's chest fur, attempting to relieve the pain. "Don't risk your life for me...just leave me here."
"Shut up, Faker." Shadow responded angrily, another chaos spear splitting a soldier in half.
"G.U.N's infirmary will treat you."
"I'm a goner, SHadow. I'm loosing blood like a river dumping water into an ocean." Sonic responded, voice shaking and weak.
Shadow grit his teeth, shaking his head.
"You're an idiot, you know that?"
Sonic grinned, blood staining his usually pearly white teeth and soft lips.
"I'm not an ultimate lifeform like you, Shadow. I'm just a hedgehog."
"You'renotjust a hedgehog." Shadow responded, sending a sharp glance towards Sonic.
Sonic sighed, tired of arguing with Shadow. He buried his face into Shadow's soft, feather like chest fur.
"Heh, whatever you say, Shads."
This may be the last time he ever felt it.
Sonic held back a yelp of surprise when he felt Shadow's lips against his, it was quick, but the feeling lingered. Shadow tasted the familiar flavor of blood, its metallic taste bitter on his tongue. Shadow looked on ahead, a look of annoyed embarrassment on his face.
"I said shut up."
Sonic merely smiled at the command.
-0-
"Let me donate blood! I have his blood type, let me do it!"
Sonic flicked his ear, recognizing the angry voice which was currently directed at a few nurses outside of his door. Shadow was causing a scene, but he didn't care.
Shadow never cared, as long as he got things his way.
"Sorry, Mr. Robotnik. Sonic has been injured in several of his major arteries. Even if we did do a blood transfusion, it would only be wasted. His insides are ruined for the most part."
Sonic watched as Shadow balled his hands into fists, teeth grit and crimson eyes sharp.
Shadow, if anything, looked desperate.
"There must be something I can do. Anything." Shadow persisted.
The nurse only shook her head, green eyes full of sadness at the sight of the dustarughted red striped hedgehog.
"You should go spend his last moments with him. You are the only one here to bid him goodbye, after all."
Shadow sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. He turned, walking into the desolate room, save for Sonic and his bed, metallic shoes clicking on the polished tile floor, and sat down on the edge of the bed, crimson eyes troubled.
"Hey...faker." Sonic spoke attempting to cheer the other up, dull emerald eyes watching Shadow.
Shadow silently acknowledged Sonic, nodding his head.
Sonic smiled weakly.
"Stop being happy." Shadow muttered angrily. "Can't you see you're dying?"
"But that's our thing, I'm the happy go lucky one, you're the grumpy, angsty anger issued one."
Shadow narrowed his eyes at the statement. Sonic sighed, feeling immensely tired.
"See? I told you." Sonic replied knowingly.
Shadow glared at the other, but his eyes lost their anger, becoming more and more grief stricken as minutes progressed.
"No. I can't let it happen again."
"What?"
"I can't! I-I promised myself I wouldn't let it happen...I promised you that I'd keep you safe." Shadow muttered, voice finally calming down.
"What? You never told me that." Sonic accused. "Believe me, I would have remembered."
"I promised myself...I can't lose.. again, Ican't." Shadow tensed when he felt a tear slip past his eye and onto the sheets below.
He hasn't cried since Maria's own death.
Nothing had made him want to.
But yet, here he was, at his rival's deathbed, who he had a deeply hidden crush on, spilling tears.
The universe seemed to resent his existence.
He didn't care if Sonic saw him. The faker couldn't use this moment to tease him later on either way.
Sonic wasn't going to exist later.
He would be part of the past in history books and memorials.
He would live on in memory, until eventually, he would cease to exist entirely.
But Shadow wouldn't let that happen, he would remember Sonic for the rest of eternity.
Maria. That was the only death he anticipated in his life. The ARK just screamed danger, and with Maria's sickness, he knew things were bound to collapse at some point.
But not Sonic.
Sonic was supposed to live forever along with him, immortal and keeping the world in balance.
He was supposed to help the other when his friends died one by one, to comfort him at his time of need.
They were to face future villains together, and keep the world safe.
Not die like this.
Shadow swallowed thickly, eyes meeting Sonic's own emerald ones.
Sonic only stared back, mouth set in a grimace.
"Nothing lasts forever, Shads."
Shadow felt his blood boil, and unbridled chaos energy buzzed around him. The atmosphere turned heavy and dark, the immense amount if energy almost unbearable.
"We were supposed to last forever, Sonic!" Shadow yelled, standing up and glaring at the other.
"We were supposed to protect this world foreternity! With you gone, I'm left alone!"
Shadow shook, shaking his head.
"I'm tired of being alone. You...you." Shadow breathed, ears pressed against his skull.
"You were supposed to stay by my side, remember?" Shadow spoke. "This is why you shouldn't make promises you can't keep."
He didn't want to be alone. He was sick of it.
He used to enjoy being alone, brooding all day, snapping at others in a rude manner but Sonic reminded him of how nice it felt to have someone by your side.
Of how nice it felt to care.
Before, Shadow lived on simply to fulfill Maria's promise, but Sonic gave him newfound motivation.
A reason to keep fighting.
He felt quite happy with Sonic at his side. Sonic was the only one in his life besides Maria who truly understood him.
Sonic was the only one who could keep up with him.
While others judged him for his actions, Sonic didn't. He understood the reason he did them, and while did not approve of what he did, he didn't hold it against him.
And Shadow, in turn, understood Sonic.
Sonic knew that Shadow had a reason behind every action done, whether good or bad.
"You have Silver." Sonic attempted to retort and comfort the other.
"Silver is in another dimension. He has his own problems to worry about, and..."
Shadow paused, crimson eyes softening if only a little.
"He isn't you."
Sonic felt his heart flutter, a smile gracing his features at the dark hedgehogs words.
"Shadow…"
Sonic gulped, feeling his life slip away.
"I love you."
Those three spoken words made Shadow's heart become light with joy, but shatter at the same time.
Shadow screamed at the sentence, fist colliding with the wall beside him creating a crater. He stayed there does while, heavily breathing as his form shook.
"Shadow..Shads, don't turn into what you aren't when I'm gone.Promiseme...that you'll behappy." Sonic heaved, and he could hear the machine beside him begin to beep rapidly.
"I...how am I...if you're gone!" Shadow cried back, coming closer to Sonic and sitting at the edge of his bed. Sonic sat up weakly, kissing Shadow on the cheek gently before falling back toward the bed. Shadow held onto Sonic's hand, and Sonic gripped the ebony's hand tightly.
Sonic smiled sadly.
"I'll always be at your side no matter what."
"Sonic, don't close your eyes!" Shadow spoke, voice laced with fear.
"Don't let them change you."
Sonic only gave one last fond smile, emerald eyes losing their vibrant nature and becoming dull. Blue eyelids closed one last time, hiding the beautiful hope giving green orbs forever.
"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."
And then, Sonic's grip faltered, slipping out of Shadow's hand and falling toward the bed with a sickening thump.
And the heart monitor went silent, giving off a haunting long beep signaling a dead heart, the only sound left in the room being Shadow's cries as he screamed in agony at the loss of another person he loved.
"I failed you Sonic, I'm sorry! Maria, Sonic, forgive me!"