Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic team. This fanfic is for pure enjoyment of writing only.
Author's note: This story is something I originally started writing about two years ago. However, learning from a previous mistake I made on my first fanfiction ("Bass' Last Battle") I thought it wise to not upload any of the content until the story was nearly done being written. So without further ado, I give you…
The Other Side of Shadow: The Ultimate Life-form
Chapter 1: Rouge's Plan
Despite all the goings-on, of the blue hedgehog known as Sonic trying to foil Dr. Eggman's plan, of the mysterious bat known as Rouge, joining the dark forces, and of his own recent release from suspended animation, Shadow still found himself in the chao garden, gracing the dark chao with his presence. His mind was filled with blanks, his memory hazy, his own identity seemingly the same.
For some reason beyond his own understanding, Shadow had come to love the one little dark fly-type, known as Pyro. He was three different shades of purple; his face and belly a deep purple, the majority of him violet, and the tips of his hands, and the two spires jutting out of his head, a light purple.
Pyro was not the oldest chao in all of the chao world; in the dark garden, he was merely the second; out f all the chao, he was the fourth. But, of every last one of them, he was the most advanced. He had transformed three times, living his fourth life. In a sense, he was ageless, immortal; much in fact, like Shadow himself.
It only made it that much easier to care for him; that, and the fact that Pyro was the only chao who showed Shadow any affection. Besides Pyro, there was Spike, a dark run-type who had once been a Hero, but had wandered into the dark garden to stay. He too, was living his fourth life. There was Charlie, a chao born with half light-blue chao blood, due to his sire, Echo, who lived in the regular, neutral garden. There was Spiras, another fly-type, born of Spike and Pyro, and there was Luna, a power-type who shared the same parents.
These chao had favoured Rouge; even Pyro liked her-but it was Shadow with whom he truly communicated.
As Shadow entered the garden, he found Pyro and Charlie scuffling in one corner, shouting nasty things at each other in chao language. With a sigh, Shadow approached them, and commanded sternly, "Alright, you two. That's enough."
Both looked up briefly, blinked, and continued to squabble. He grabbed both of them by an arm each, hauling them apart. Charlie looked up at Shadow sheepishly, and stopped. Pyro, on the other hand, continued to swing from Shadow's grasp, chattering angrily.
"Pyro!" Shadow admonished. The chao had become so strong, Shadow had to release Charlie in order to get full control of the stubborn fly-type.
Pyro wriggled from his grasp, and proceeded to pounce on Charlie, the two tumbling into a heap of flailing limbs. Every now and then, a blur of Pyro's phoenix parts, wings, tail, feet, and crest, would come into view. Eventually, all these parts blocked out Charlie's tiger ones.
Shadow muttered under his breath, and decided to do something that normally wouldn't be advised; he pulled out a chaos emerald. "Chaos control!" he shouted. Fortunately, none of the chao had seen it; if they had, something that can only be described as gold fever would have come over them.
Shadow moved quickly, warping the two chao to opposite sides of the garden. Charlie was all-too-happy for this new development; Pyro, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. He looked around for his adversary, but found Shadow looming over him, instead. Pyro waved meekly, but upon seeing the glare on Shadow's face, decided to run away, screeching.
"Oh, no you don't!" Shadow declared, pouncing on the little chao. Scooping him up, he glared at Pyro, the little chao squirming in his grasp.
"Tow, tow, tow!" Pyro cried in chao language. It meant, No, no, no!
"Too bad. What did I tell you about fighting?" Shadow chided.
Pyro babbled in chao language, saying, "That it isn't right to!"
"Ah, and what were you doing, Pyro?" Shadow ventured, continuing to hold the chao in an iron grip.
Pyro screeched something to Shadow, imploring. "I'm sorry! Please, Master Shadow, forgive me!"
Shadow stopped, letting the chao down. He hugged him closely, whispering, "Promise me, no more fighting, okay?"
Pyro nodded, then looked at Shadow in concern. He made an inquisitive sound, cocking his head.
Shadow didn't reply; he was plagued by the memory of Maria, the kindest girl he'd ever known, the grand-daughter of his creator, Gerald Robotnik. Just before she had sent him to Earth, locking him in a capsule, she had said, "Shadow, I beg of you, do it for me, for all the people on that planet…" his memory was still hazy; all he knew in his heart now, all he wanted, was to avenge Maria. The military men of Earth had harmed her, killed her. He could not allow them to live, after that.
Pyro queried again, still looking up at Shadow. Shadow shook himself from this thoughts. "Yeah, I'm alright. I was just thinking about...Maria."
Pyro snuggled up to him, whimpering. Shadow cradled him closer, hushing him gently.
"It's alright, Pyro. It isn't your fault." He smiled, rocking the chao gently.
A few moments passed, and Pyro whispered something groggily.
"I know." Shadow replied, setting the little chao down in a few leaves. He covered Pyro, keeping him warm, petting him gently.
Standing up, he looked around. Everything was in order; Charlie was eating, Spiras was swimming, and Spike and Luna were exercising together. With a feeling of dread, he left the garden, knowing he couldn't be late for the briefing of his next mission.
---
Aboard the space colony, ARK, Shadow fiddled absently with the computer, awaiting the arrival of his "partners in crime".
The transporter hummed to life, and Dr. Eggman emerged, sitting in his machine known as the Eggwalker.
"Greetings, doctor," Shadow turned to face him, "what news do you bring of our mission?"
"We're returning to Prison Island," Dr. Eggman replied, "Rouge wants us to meet her there."
"You don't sound pleased," Shadow remarked, "just what does she hope to gain from going there?"
"You'll see."
---
"I'm glad you could make it," Rouge greeted, "I brought you here because my intelligence reports confirmed there are chaos emeralds on this island."
"I'm not thrilled that we had to return here," Eggman snapped, "how can you be sure your intelligence isn't wrong?"
"Trust me," Rouge insisted, "it's never wrong. I know my jewels."
"Very well, very well," Dr. Eggman replied irritably, "then here's the plan"
Dr. Eggman confirmed that Rouge was to enter the security hall and find the emeralds, Shadow was to plant the dynamite packs on the island, and Eggman himself, was to distract the G.U.N. troops at their weapon's bed.
"We'll set the time for ten minutes," Eggman continued, "then the whole island will blow, and no one will be able to stop us!"
"Five minutes should be plenty!" Rouge lamented, an air of pride in her voice.
"Set it for ten." Dr. Eggman repeated to Shadow, thoroughly ignoring the ivory bat. The three went on their separate missions, leaving the others to complete their side of the bargain.
---
Shadow raced through what he dubbed the 'White Jungle', planting the dynamite packs every twenty feet or so, dodging the occasional G.U.N. robot. Primitive machines. He thought scornfully, busting through yet another robot. I wonder how the chao are doing? A bullet whizzed passed his ear, bringing him back to the task at hand.
Shadow jumped in the air, and somersaulted directly into the chest of the robot that had fired at him. Three more dropped around him, their cannons going off.
With a sigh, he ricocheted off of one into another, eventually creating a smouldering heap of metal. Three red, chaos drives dropped around him, glowing with a strange light. He picked them up, pondering, I wonder if Pyro will like these? After all, he only needs a bit more skill's fruits, and a few more drives, and he'll be at his full potential for this life.
With that, he rushed through the forest, coming to the end of his route. Suddenly, his comm. Let out some static, coming to life.
"Hey, it's Rouge," came the breathless voice, "I kind of have a situation here. I found three chaos emeralds, but now I'm stuck in this vault! I guess I can't really call myself a treasure hunter anymore…"
Shadow sighed with frustration, images of Maria flashing before his eyes the last time he had seen her. "Trouble maker." He muttered, his agitation elevating. How could she be so careless? He dashed off, hoping desperately that he could make it.
---
Shadow ran as fast as he could, the jungle around him a green blur. He stopped suddenly at the top of a tree branch, looking around to get his bearings. A blue image caught his eye, a voice beginning with, "Hey, that's…"
"That blue hedgehog again, of all places!" Shadow muttered in exasperation, Sonic glaring back at him.
"I found you, faker!" Sonic declared, pointing at Shadow accusingly.
"Faker?" Shadow replied mockingly, "I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me? Ha! You're not even good enough to be my fake!"
"I'll make you eat those words!" Sonic said defiantly, charging forward.
Shadow leapt to the ground, declaring, "There's no time to play games. You won't even get the chance!"
The two dodged around each other, collecting an abundance of rings to keep up their energy level. Shadow jumped, then attacked Sonic, bouncing off of him and landing on his feet with ease. Sonic grunted, then he too, somersaulted, colliding with Shadow.
Shadow reeled, and struck back again, the two hedgehogs coming to a standstill.
"I see. You're no ordinary hedgehog," Shadow remarked, panting, "you're not bad for an imposter."
"Do you even know who I am?" Sonic replied incredulously.
Shadows' comm. Crackled to life again,, Dr. Eggman's voice demanding, "Shadow, what are you doing? Get off the island before it blows up!"
"Blows up?!" Sonic cried.
Shadow jumped away, and rushed off. There was only two more minutes before the island exploded, and Rouge was still trapped.
That bat's more trouble than she's worth, he fumed, but, I can't let her die. Besides, she has the chaos emeralds!
---
He made it to the vault that contained Rouge, the clock showing ten seconds remaining. Rouge looked up to see him racing toward her, only three seconds on the clock…
"Chaos control!" Shadow shouted, the three emeralds' in Rouge's possession providing much more than adequate power for the warp. Just as they disappeared from the vault, the whole island went off, exploding. I wonder if that blue hedgehog made it? Shadow pondered. Well, no matter; if he shows up again, he will meet his end by my hands!