It was a sunny day in Green Hill Zone, everyone appeared to happy, yet something seemed off about Sonic. Sonic was going about his day, it was peaceful, so he decided to check up on his friends. Sonic first went to go see tails, as he was working on his new airplane invention. "Hi Sonic!" Tails said with a joyous grin. To which Sonic replied "What's up Tails? What are you up to?". Then, with eager excitement, Tails said "Oh i'm just working on my new airplane! It's coming together perfectly!". Tails was clearly as joyous as one could possibly be, yet Sonic felt that there is still something missing in his day. "Alright tails, catch you later!" Sonic said, leaving slightly empty. Sonic figured that perhaps he should see some more of his friends, perhaps that is what he feels is missing. Sonic dashed along to go see his other good friend, Knuckles, who was guarding the master emerald as usual. "Hey Knuckles!" Sonic said loudly, as Knuckles was sleeping on the job. "Wh-what? Oh Sonic, good to see you!" Knuckles said half awake. "What are you up to?" Sonic questioned. Knuckles casually replying "Nothing much different, just relaxing and enjoying the day while guarding the master emerald.". Sonic noticed that Knuckles was clearly enjoying himself in his relaxed state, but yet, Sonic still felt as if there is something missing in his day. "Alright, well catch you later Knuckles!". Sonic just couldn't figure out what was quite wrong with him. "It's been awhile since he…" Sonic ended his thought and dashed off. Something was still missing in his life, or perhaps, someone.
It is quite lonely in Eggman's lab, Shadow mindlessly fiddles with whatever small gadgets he finds around. Shadow's colleague, Rouge, notices that Shadow seems a bit more down than usual. "What's wrong Shadow? You seem a bit more down than you usually are." Rouge inquired. "It's nothing, go away!" Shadow aggressively said. Rouge sees that Shadow seems rather, incomplete, something is missing from him. "Is this about him?" Rouge asked in a concerned manner. "It's not about him, and I told you to go away!" Shadow said, seeming even more irritated than before. "Is it about Sonic?" Rouge hesitantly asked, she knew Shadow would not react well to this question. "It's not about him either, why would I care about him!?" Shadow exclaimed, as bolted out of the room. Shadow attempted to go throughout his day, but something always felt missing. "Grr...What is this feeling? This feeling of emptiness? It's different than from before." Shadow said to himself. Shadow flashed back to Rouge's question, "Is it about Sonic?". Shadow becoming noticeably irritated "No, no! I couldn't care less about that inferior hedgehog!". Rouge walks up to Shadow out of nowhere, and says "You know you've changed ever since you met him". Shadow, showing the same temperament as before, exclaims "Yeah!? Like what!?". Rouge stood quietly, knowing she does not need to give him an answer. "Grr...I'm out of here!", Shadow dashes out of the lab to an unknown destination.
Sonic is casually strolling along Green Hill Zone, still appearing as down as before. Sonic is quietly talking to himself, saying "H-he's moved on since then, so this shouldn't be why I feel so empty, I guess it's something that I can just walk off". Sonic dismisses himself, as he realizes what he has said makes no sense. "Still, it would be nice if we could just…" Sonic immediately stops himself, as he sees someone running in the corner of his eye. "I-is that…" Sonic says in disbelief, as he recognizes Shadow, off in the distance. "It is him! But, where is going?", Sonic does not attempt to question it, as he takes off after him.
Sonic keeps his distance, making sure that Shadow does not spot him. "Where is he
going? There isn't anything in this direction for miles!" Sonic says as he follows Shadow. After several minutes of running, Sonic sees Shadow make a sudden turn. Sonic struggles to keep up with him, and after the turn Shadow made, Sonic loses sight of him. "Oh no! Where could he have gone?" Sonic then sees the new setting in front of him "Is this some sort of, jungle? Perhaps the Jungle that leads Angel island...no, it couldn't be that he's looking for...Kn-..." Sonic immediately dismisses the thought, and takes after him. Upon entering the new environment, Sonic immediately sees traces of Shadow. Sonic determinedly runs as fast as he could to try and catch up with Shadow, until he reaches a clearing, and sees him. "Shadow!" Sonic exclaims. Shadow immediately takes notice, surprised that Sonic is here. Sonic quickly says "Shadow! I don't know why you're here, but the only reason you would be in a place like this, is if you've been feeling the same emptiness as I have been feeling." Shadow hesitantly says "S-Sonic, I-", Shadow is cut off as Sonic exclaims "I know it has been a while, but, I know that we are not complete without each other!". Shadow attempts to talk over Sonic, and says "Sonic, you don't…", he is cut off again by Sonic as he says "Shadow, back when we fought Eggman together, I realized that your motives, they aren't as they seem! I know you are not evil, and I can see past that! I know you have felt loss after Maria, and I can't bare to let you shoulder that burden alone! Together, we can be happy!". Shadow stays quiet for a short while, appearing to be taken back from Sonic's statements. Shadow looks, with an apologetic look on his face and says "S-Sonic, I never knew you have felt such a way, and I think, in some ways, I may harbor similar feelings. But the reason I came out here was not for you, but for…" Shadow is cut off by a mysterious voice. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY SWAMP!?". Sonic looking desperately confused says "Wh-Wha-Whaa-WHHATTTTT!11!1!?". Shadow then says "Yes Sonic, I know you need me to feel whole and want to assist in fulfilling my promise to Maria, but Shrek sees even more than that in me! He doesn't even consider the possibility that I may be evil! I am an overly edgy alter ego rival in a half washed, dead IP of series that has lived way past its acceptable life cycle, and such and edgey alter ego must live alone. And Shrek embraces this solitary lifestyle by living in this swamp! And for him, I will make an exception of being alone". Shadow looks to Shrek as he says "GET OUT OF MY SWAMP DONKEY!", Shrek then grabs Sonic, and hurls him out of his swamp. Shrek and Shadow go into the swamp house, and then have three, cringingly bad OC's of children drawn by an insecure twelve year old on deviantart.