(A.N) I care not for what the reviews may say, Shadow the Hedgehog (the game, not the character, though he's cool as well) is a good game. I liked the dark elements and the gun-based gameplay (even though i'm glad that the rest of the games stuck to true-blue platforming).
With that said, please enjoy this re-telling of the final story of Shadow the Hedgehog!
(P.S) This is my first time writing a fic in someone's P.O.V. So please let me know if i portray them right. Please?
(Shadow's P.O.V. (of course! it's his game!))
"Finally... I've got all the chaos emeralds!"
The seven servers circled around me, each of them glowing within an orb of their respective colours. I could feel their power flowing through me, giving me strength and speed rivaled only by few. I could also feel relief, for my questions would finally be answered.
"Now i can uncover the truth about my past!" I collected these emeralds for a reason: I was told that they contained the answers to my past. Once i found all seven, then i would know who i was and why i was created. I would know the truth of what happened 50 years ago. "All of it..." I almost smile at the thought of finally knowing who i really am.
Then i hear a voice from behind me that turns my almost-smile back into a frown. "Well done Shadow.." it rasped. I turned to see Black Doom, leader of the black arms, floating behind me. He sounded... impressed with me, almost. "You have collected all seven chaos emeralds, and kept your promise to me".
My mind very briefly flashes back to what he said to me when this whole thing began.
"Find the seven chaos emeralds, and bring them to me as promised".
I still don't recall any point in time where i promised Black Doom that i would find the chaos emeralds for him. The alien continued "Now our ritual can finally begin. But first" he extended an arm out to me "hand over the chaos emeralds".
I don't really know if i should give him the emeralds but he looks like he's going to take them from me anyway. As i'm about to hand them over to the alien leader i hear another cluster of voices from the other side of me. "SHADOW!". Turning my head i see them. All of them are here. There's Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Cream and her Chao pet. Even Omega and the doctor are here! What are they doing here?
"Shadow! Give us the emeralds!" I hear Sonic shout.
"Do not give the emeralds to Black Doom, Shadow" the doctor adds.
"They're planning to destroy the Earth!" Rouge announces. I become confused, is that really what Black Doom was planning?
Doom begins to speak to them, almost as if i am no longer here. "Do you not know? The Black Arms have come here to save humanity from it's own demise. The actions of the humans will lead to their own extinction. We, with our perfect order, will save them, so that they may live out the rest of their wasted lives in peace".
"Peace, yeah right" I hear Knuckles speak up. "And how does that work exactly?"
Black Doom answers with "Humans are a great energy source for Black Arms! They shall be... well kept".
After he says this i hear Sonic and his friends speak with me. "WHAT!" he plans to enslave the humans so he and his spawn can feed on them?
Suddenly i begin to feel power leave me, the chaos power of the emeralds no longer flows within me. Black Doom has taken them from me. They now surround him, giving him power.
His voice echoes off the walls. "It is time to begin... our ritual of prosperity!" He then shouts "CHAOS CONTROL!" and vanishes from sight. Then i feel the ground shake beneath me, i'm actually struggling to stay on my feet! This entire comet is moving!
Then i hear a crashing noise that i recognise as buildings collapsing, we're on Earth. From behind me Amy asks "What was that? What just happened?". I would have replied had the faker not done it for me. "I think... Black Doom just used Chaos Control to warp the black comet down to the surface of the Earth!".
"What?" i think angrily. Why would Doom do this? As if on cue Doom reappears in front of us all. "Did you enjoy that ride?".
I decide to let my anger out now. "Is that why you needed the chaos emeralds? was that your "ritual"?" i ask him. He chuckles evily and i hear his reply. "Yes. This comet is the source of the Black Arms power! However, being a comet, it's velocity is not powerful enough to enter Earth's atmosphere".
"The powers of the chaos emeralds allow us to amplify the space-time control power of Chaos Control. With them, we can breach the atmosphere of Earth and charge to full power! It's the perfect plan!" The alien explained. I turned briefly and saw the reactions of my allies. Sonic and Tails were shocked, Knuckles looked really angry, Cream was clinging on to Amy, both girls looking slightly scared of Black Doom. Rouge had her eyes closed, she was locked in thought. Omega looked confused, for a robot, and the doctor seemed horrified. A silence overtook us until i broke it. "And how did you plan to collect the chaos emeralds?" i asked, though i didn't really want to know the answer.
Doom gave me the answer anyway "That is why you were created, Shadow".
"WHAT!" i shouted, overtaken by anger and confusion. Then my mind flashed back again, to 50 years ago...
FLASHBACK
I was on Space Colony ARK, inside the stasis pod. Through the glass of the pod i could see the professor and... Black Doom? Why was he here?
"Gerald was in development of the ultimate life form. After several faliures he had finally created the perfect life" i heard Doom's voice in my head. I could tell that the "perfect life" he refered to was me. "But the professor needed help. My help".
"What?" i thought, though he couldn't hear me.
"Gerald made contact with our comet and requested me for my help. He asked for a sample of Black Arms DNA to assist him in creating the ultimate life form. I was happy to supply that sample... if Gerald promised to give me something in return".
"The chaos emeralds?" i asked in my head. "Yes" he seemed to hear me that time.
"Gerald promised me that you would bring me the emeralds when the comet returned 50 years later". So that was the promise Doom claimed i made to him.
"I held up my end of the bargain" Doom went on again. "I provided samples of my blood and DNA for your creation. It was these pieces of me that were the ultimate reason for your sucessful awakening. Gerald didn't know it, but he had created more than just the ultimate life, he had created the perfect Black Arms warrior! My son: Shadow the Hedgehog!"
END FLASHBACK
"M..mm..Me?" I stammered. I could hardly take in what Doom had just said. "Perfect warrior... samples... your son?" I couldn't believe it, this alien dictator in front of me was my biological father? "I... i can't believe it" I fell to my knees in despair. I was created... to be like him?
"That can't be!" the doctor objected. Apparently Doom had told everyone else his little story as well. "My grandfather betrayed his own people for research? For the Black Arms?".
"Mr. Shadow is the bad guy?" I heard Cream ask. Sans the "Mr" i was asking myself that as well.
"ILLOGICAL" Omega then said. "IF SHADOW WAS CREATED FOR VILLAINY, WHY WOULD HE HAVE ASSISTED SONIC IN FIGHTING HIS METAL DUPLICATE".
I would have responded to them... had i not felt right now like i was frozen in place. I couldn't move any part of me for some reason. When i opened my mouth to breathe, i tasted something gaseous.
Then Sonic spoke up. "It doesn't matter right now" he said to the others. "We can't just stand around doing nothing".
"Yeah!" Knuckles agrees "Let's crush that cosmic rock-ball!" he announces, before he grunts and says nothing more. I can only assume he has been frozen as well.
"Knuckles? What's wrong?" Sonic asks, before he grunts and is frozen as well. Soon i hear more grunts and screams from the others as they are frozen in place like i am. I still taste the gas in my mouth.
Before anyone can ask what has happened, Black Doom begins to explain. "A special Black Arms weapon. This gas, once released, quickly infiltrates your bloodstream!" I assume it also affects the power source of robots, since Omega seemed to be frozen as well. "In a brief moment, total paralysis will hit your nervous system!".
Then i hear the sickening crawling sounds of Black Spawn. Hordes of them. "My offspring!" Doom addressed them. "Eat and devour them! These so called "heroes" are now nothing more than feed for you!".
Soon my ears are filled by the cries and screams of my allies behind me. I feel the Spawn on me, feeding on me. Am i going to die here?
"Did i... die?"
"I will avenge those whose blood has been spilt!"
"I promise you... revenge!"
"That is why you were created!"
I hear another multitude of voices in my head. Voices of Black Doom, Commander Tower, myself and more.
Then... i hear her voice..
"Please... help me, Shadow!"
Maria?
"Shadow please... I beg of you! For all the people.. on that planet.. Give them a chance to be happy!"
"Sayonara.. Shadow the Hedgehog..."
Maria!
I know now why i am here. I made a promise to Maria 50 years ago... and now i will keep it!
Somehow i manage to break free of the Spawn and free myself from the gaseous hold. It must be because of my Black Arms DNA. Once i am free, i quickly free Sonic and his friends, killing all the Black Spawn.
Black Doom seems suprised, and angry. "What is this?"
I look at him, fire in my eyes. "I know now who i am!" i declare. "I am Shadow the Hedgehog! I have put the past behind me! No one can tell me what to do now! Not even you..." I point at the alien leader. "I'm going to kill you Black Doom!".
I try to attack him with a homing attack, but Doom vanishes, no doubt retreating to the centre of the comet. Before i go after him i turn to the others. "Get out of here! It's not safe here!".
I look at Omega and the doctor. "Find a way out of here! Get everyone to safety!" i command them.
The doctor looks at me. "What about you, Shadow?" he asks and i reply "I'm going to find Black Doom!"
Then, unexpectedly, Cream speaks to me. "What are you going to do Mr. Shadow?". Had it been anyone else that asked that i would have simply said that i was going to murder him. But it was Cream who asked me, her eyes filled with hope and innocence.. just like Maria's...
Thankfully Amy answered her for me. "He's going to give that bad alien a piece of his mind! Right Shadow?" I nod. She's half right. I do intend to give Black Doom a piece of my mind before i take, by force, a piece of his. As i'm about to leave i'm stopped by Sonic.
"Need any help on this one?" he asks with his trademark smile. I admire his willingness to help, but this is my fight, not his. I shake my head at him.
"Thanks for the offer, Sonic, but this is something that i have to do alone" i tell him. "Black Doom is mine!" I declare. Sonic shrugs and says "Alright" before preparing to leave with the others.
Before he leaves i hear a final "Good luck!" from the blue hedgehog. I also hear a "You can do it Mr. Shadow!" from the rabbit and a "You're strong enough, i know you are" from the bat. Now i allow myself to smile knowing that i truly have allies.. friends.. who are counting on me. I rush towards a red rail and grind along it, heading for the centre of this comet.
Mark my words.. Black Doom dies today!
(A.N) The end.. maybe. I'm thinking of writing another chapter for this featuring the Super Shadow fight. Should I?
Thanks for reading anyway.
