Unwanted Leader

Chapter 1: The Protector

This is my 75th story! I wanted to do something special for it, not just a simple one-shot. This is an idea for a story that I've had for a long time, I'm glad that I've finally gotten around to writing it.

It had been a very tough times for anthropomorphic creatures on planet Earth for many generations, until the emergence of a true hero, Sonic The Hedgehog. Ever since he defeated Eggman for good, at the age of 18, after he had gone through so much struggling and battles with the villain, things got better for all of them.

But a few years later, Sonic felt as though he'd been taken for granted, he'd destroyed so much evil, some humans showed their appreciation but some ignored and carried on with their lives. There was still so much evil in the world and Sonic couldn't take it, the rulers of the planet weren't doing what they should, protecting the people.

So, he consulted Shadow about it, talking about his feelings to his companion. "So… what do you think I should do?" Sonic asked, after his long explanation, as they sat on a mountainside, overlooking the cities and valleys.

"Well, you think that the humans in charge should be doing a better job at protecting and ruling their people, right?" Shadow stated, Sonic nodded. "Well, do you think you could do a better job?" he asked Sonic. Sonic's eyes widened slightly in realisation but shock.

"I don't think I could rule… if I ran for president or whatever… I wouldn't get elected in a million years. No one would take me seriously, only humans get the vote." Sonic said, negatively. "I'm not being a pessimist Shadow, I'm just thinking realistically."

"Hmph. You should believe in yourself. I think you could do it. But maybe election isn't the way." Shadow said wisely.

"Well, what is the way?" Sonic asked.

"Take power by force. You have the power to do so with the chaos emeralds, if you could defeat Eggman, you can defeat those corrupted humans and charge. You may take a few lives in the process, but in the long term, more will be happy and more lives will be saved by your better policies." Shadow advised.

"But I don't want to take any lives." Sonic complained.

"Give them a chance then. Announce that you'll give those humans a chance to leave parliament and give up their positions to you and if they don't, you take it by force. They know your power, so if they're smart enough, they'll leave without question." Shadow said sensibly and got up from the floor.

"I'll think about it Shadow." Sonic said glumly and quietly.

"I'm behind you all of the way if you chose my way of getting leadership." Shadow said and left Sonic alone with his tough decision.

Shadow was later sitting elsewhere alone, waiting for Sonic's answer. Was he going to take power by force? Shadow doubted it, highly. Sonic would never be so ruthless, even if it did mean making things better afterwards. "He has too much of a heart." Shadow said to himself. "I'd do it myself but… the humans would never trust me… there's a chance they'd accept Sonic as their leader but… me? They'd all want to kill me." he said to himself in a low voice, looking down in shame. "The humans have always rejected me…" he said under his breath.

"Shadow? There you are… I've been looking for you for a while now." Sonic said while he was walking up behind Shadow, they were a little further down the mountain now, on a patch of flat land. Sonic walked in front of Shadow and looked at him seriously. "I've made my decision." he said boldly.

"And what is that?" Shadow asked with interest.

"I want to rule Earth."

Flash-Forward

Shadow was sitting at Sonic's bedside, thinking deeply about that time, how he'd brought Sonic to become the ruler of Earth. Sonic had become the King of Earth, it held a huge duty and great responsibility but it was worth it, everyone was living in a much better state than they were under human rule.

Now, aged just 35 Sonic was on his deathbed with a terminal illness. Shadow was the only person allowed in the room with Sonic, since he was the Ultimate Life Form and he couldn't get ill and die, others could have caught the illness and ended up dying like Sonic.

The dark hedgehog had tears in his eyes which he tried to hide, but it was impossible. He'd grown so close to Sonic, influencing his decisions as King and spending so much time together. Sonic looked up at Shadow weakly. "Shadow… I'm appointing you as protector of my two eldest sons… they were meant to take my place but… they're too young. Make sure they're safe and that, my son, Sonic… rules just as I was, if not more." he rasped.

"Okay Sonic." Shadow said, trying to sound as if he wasn't crying. "I'll protect your sons… I promise." he said desperately, wishing Sonic didn't have to come to his end. "Please… don't say that his is the end… I still have so much more I wanted to do with you Sonic." he said frantically. "Like in the old days… remember those days? We called each other faker, had races and fights to prove who's the best… remember? Why can't it be like that again… why do you have to die?" Shadow said, now sobbing.

"I'm sorry Shadow… this must me hard on you… you're still so young…" Sonic rasped, and looked at Shadow's still young and ageless body. "Goodbye… friend…" he coughed. Shadow bent down and hugged Sonic tightly as the blue hedgehog took his last breath.

Many were waiting outside of the room, having no idea of what was going on, whether Sonic had another day, another week to live or whether he was long gone. About ten minutes after Sonic's death Shadow came out of the room, his tears were gone but he looked emotionless. "Shadow… is Sonic recovering?" Amy, Sonic's wife cried out urgently and ran over to him.

Shadow looked down and shook his head. "He's… gone." he said in a low voice. Everyone in the room gasped, many were brought to tears. Shadow's wife, Maria (The hedgehog, she was brought back) ran over to him and hugged him tightly, Amy fell to her knees and broke into heavy sobs.

Sonic's children Sonic, Rush and their younger siblings also began to cry out. Shadow and Maria's child, Shade sat and watched in sorrow.

After hours of sorrow and sobbing, everyone was able to compose themselves and leave, they had an announcement to make to the world. Shadow, being Sonic's right hand man, was the one to do it while his and Sonic's family stayed in the background. The announcement was broadcast worldwide, everyone knew, everyone wept, everyone gasped. Shadow, was protector of the heirs. The one no body trusted, would now be looking after the king to be and his brother.

Soon after this tragic event, Amy left and went to another castle for sanctuary, with all of her children but the two that Shadow was given. Maria and Shade stayed by Shadow's side.

Shadow didn't know how he would cope, he was one of the most important figures in a world that hated him. If no one trusted him, then could the humans take the two princes from him, when Sonic had left them to him? These two boys weren't happy at all, Sonic, who was a spitting image of his father and had a very similar attitude to him too, spoke his mind about what was happening.

"You're not our dad, why are you looking after us!" Sonic yelled angrily. "We should be with our mum…not you! Let us go!" he continued.

"Your father appointed me as your guardian. You must stay with me, while your mother has fled to safety." Shadow sighed sadly.

"Why has she fled? What's so dangerous about this place? I bet it's you! She doesn't like you!" Sonic yelled. Rush, who's fur was a little lighter and had more but smaller spikes, kept quiet.

"Quiet! That's not how it is. I'm as upset as you are about this! You still have your castle, you're still heir to the throne, so stop complaining!" Shadow yelled at them, he couldn't keep calm anymore, he didn't care what he was taught by Maria about children and being calm with them, he needed them to shut up.

Sonic took Rush by the hand and dragged him out of the room, scowling at Shadow before they both left. "Don't do anything stupid now!" Shadow called after them but didn't bother to chase them.

Shadow went out onto the balcony at the back of the castle, this place was quiet and had beautiful views, a place he used to spend a lot of time with Sonic in. As the dark hedgehog stood alone, he heard footsteps, sounding as though someone was coming up behind him. Shadow turned around to see who it was. "Silver." Shadow said sadly.

"Hey Shadow… how are you coping?" Silver asked sympathetically. The young hedgehog from the future was only 15, but had become a good friend of Shadow's ever since he'd come to the past to make friends with Shadow, or so that's what he'd said. Shadow wondered if the hedgehog had other motives to go back in time, as though he knew something would happen and was waiting to stop it.

Shadow sighed and turned back to the scenery. "Not well… now the kids are playing up. I think they're getting suspicions about me. They think I'm dangerous… but I'm not, I will protect them." Shadow sighed. "They might not even believe me about what Sonic said… there were no official documents that Sonic signed that appointed me as their guardian… he just said it last minute. What if the whole world thinks I'm trying something."

"Then prove to them all that you're going to do the job well, whether they think you were given it or not. Make sure young Sonic goes on the throne and that nothing happens to them. I think right now you should be looking for them." Silver said. "You never know where they've gone…"

"Probably just gone to the nursery to play with Shade." Shadow said plainly.

"What if they went elsewhere… like, left the castle." Silver said nervously.

"Then I would have been alerted." Shadow said, staying calm.

"What if they snuck out. Shadow… you should check on them! You've been in charge of them for one week, if something happens to them this early, people are sure to turn against you!" Silver exclaimed.

"You're right." Shadow said, becoming worried himself, he ran off in the direction of the nursery, where all of the royal children and youths played. In there was Shade but no one else. "Shade! Have you seen Sonic and Rush!" Shadow exclaimed.

"No…" Shade said. The young hedgehog had blue eyes like his mother, golden locks on his head like her too but his main body of fur was black like Shadows.

"Damn it! Where are they!" Shadow yelled out in frustration and turned to Silver. "Let's split up and look for them, alert all castle workers that they the princes may be missing!" he exclaimed and ran out of the room and ran down the left of the hall. Silver did the same but ran in the opposite direction, to the right.

Shadow's heart was beating fast and hard, he knew that if anything happened to the two princes, he'd be to blame and that would be bad for him and his family. It could mean the end of him.

Lucy Labrador