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I'm baaaaack! Bonus Chapter! YEY!

Ok, this takes place after the entire game of Sonic 06. And because Shadow is immortal he is in this. Yey. He trains Silver to use his powers more effectively and stuff happens. So read on! Thanks to KillingKathy, this chapter is here!

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I was so lost.

My family…Soul…Blaze…everyone I ever knew and loved were gone. What did I have left? Nothing. Even the newly restored world didn't bring any cheer. The sky was as bright as it had been when I had seen Cobalt in my dream; the grass as green. But there was still nothing I wanted more than to just let this all end.

I startled myself by staring down at my hands and finding a Chaos Emerald. This thing had enough power to kill me. I wasn't even aware of it until now. This could bring my life to an end.

"I know what you're thinking,"

I jumped backwards, falling over a small rock. I landed hard on my back, the wind knocked out of my lungs. The Emerald fell into a small patch of flowers. My gaze fixed on the dark hedgehog standing in front of me.

Shadow.

"What do you care? You wouldn't know what it's like; losing everyone important to you." I hissed, getting back to my feet.

He scoffed, fire burning in his eyes momentarily. I could sense I had struck a nerve. I saw a brief flash of a girl…

"I know better than most people." Shadow growled. "You're the only one that could possibly rival my loss. But I see potential in you. Blaze wouldn't have wanted you to kill yourself over her death."

He drew out a blue Emerald from behind his back. "I'm going to train you to use your powers in the most productive way. Once you've mastered them you can continue to make this world a better place."

He could help make my powers stronger? More controlled? I thought I had them completely under control. Or…at least to my liking. I was fine where I was, and something told me Shadow was a very experienced fighter.

"I wouldn't refuse if I was you." His red eyes burned into mine.

I held eye contact for a total of two second before I turned and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Before long, something slammed into my back and pinned me to the ground, the pressure moving to the middle of my back in a sharp pain. I figured he was driving his knee into my shoulder blades. He grabbed my arm and bent it the wrong way, ripping a small cry from me.

"Rule one," Shadow hissed into my ear. "never turn your back on an opponent."

He sprang backwards, letting me scramble to my feet. I faced him and willed him to rise into the air. He did so, flailing around until I dropped him heavily into the ground. Just that small move made me feel drained.

"How's that?" I demanded.

Shadow didn't answer. He was lying limply, motionlessly. I ran to his side, shouting his name loudly. I didn't kill him, did I?

"Shadow!" I shouted, shaking his shoulder harder than necessary. He still didn't move.

In a blink of an eye, he sprang to his feet and delivered a hard blow to my ribcage. I doubled up, curling into a ball and trying to get oxygen back into my lunge for the third time in less than five minuets.

"Rule two," Shadow spat. "never underestimate your opponent."

I struggled to my feet, anger beginning to bloom in my heart. I wanted—needed—to prove that I could outfight him. I lifted a nearby rock as big as my head and threw it at him.

Shadow simply held out his fist riddled with Chaos energy to stop it. The rock broke cleanly into two parts and he leapt into the air and hit both halves at me. I narrowly dodged the first, but the second I caught with my powers and sent back at him.

He wasn't expecting it. The rock hit him squarely in his chest, making him stumble backwards. "Not bad," He admitted. "already learning. Just keep in mind that your opponents won't give you time to recover or allow themselves time to it either."

I nodded, ready for him to spring up. Sure enough, he did just what I planned and I was able to leap into the air above his head and slam my foot into his back, driving him to the ground. I planted one knee firmly in-between his shoulder blades and twisted his arm back behind his back. "This is a taste of your own medicine, isn't it?" I smirked.

"Impressive." He admitted. "I know not to go easy on you anymore."

What?

Before I could react, I was thrown backwards and he was rushing at me again, Chaos Spears forming in his open hand. My only instinct was to escape. I began running, eventually just taking to the air. But my fear was canceling out my power and I ended up landing heavily and rolling a short distance. A Spear struck dangerously close to my hand and side.

It took all of my strength to continue to dodge the attacks. But I could feel myself growing tired…eventually a Spear found home in my stomach and the word went dark.

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"Silver!"

My eyes opened instantly and I sprang up. All around me, all I could see was darkness. But I could still sense Shadow was nearby. I had been out for hours. I realized how thirsty and hungry I had become.

"Shadow, can we get something to eat?" I asked.

"If you can land a hit on me in the dark. I'm going to mask my presence with Chaos power. You must learn to operate without your trusted powers if the impossible happens. I figured the darkness would be adequate to your near blindness." His voice came from the left…but I was sure I was sensing him to the right.

Then he completely vanished. Everything grew quiet.

"Shadow?" I asked nervously, reaching out. I felt so helpless again…I was suddenly scared. I whirled around at every sound, trying desperately to find something to either use as a weapon or guarantee my escape.

Something hit me on the side of my head. I stumbled to the side before something else struck me in my side. I fell forward, curled in to a ball to minimize the pain. Another hit to my back.

"Your enemy won't leave you alone because of how pitiful you are." Shadow hissed. I grabbed forward towards his voice, but my fists closed on air and something slammed into my temple, making the darkened world around me flash white.

"Show your opponent you will never give in! Attack out as fiercely as you can! Give them no reason to harm you!" His voice came from above.

I found myself standing, fury burning inside of me. I focused on trying to locate the Chaos power disguising Shadow. I picked up on a small trace to my left and I lashed out with my leg, connecting solidly with Shadow's kneecap.

Something was dropped in front of me. Upon picking it up, I realized it was a small bag filled with a tiny loaf of bread and a canteen of water. I hurriedly stuffed the bread in my mouth and drained the water in no time flat.

"That's it for tonight." Shadow's voice said. I could detect him again as he put down the shielding of Chaos power. "You definitely won't be destroyed by the simplest opponent. Although it's amazing you stood up to Iblis and Mephiles with your weak will."

I decided to let that last comment go. I was tired again. I began making my way back to my makeshift house in one of the cities, which was basically just an overturned dumpster with a few blankets scattered under it. At least it kept the rain out.

After a few minuets, I came to the alley and entered my small home. I fell asleep immeadentally, dreaming of becoming stronger.

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The next day was long, hard and painful. I was awakened by Shadow flipping over my home and throwing it aside as though it weighed nothing. "Get up," He commanded.

I did so, partly because I was scared to see what he would do if I didn't. He walked over to a side of the alley and threw me a sharpened stick. Oh man…

"Hand-to-hand combat. Have you ever fought like this?" He asked.

"No," I admitted.

"Then you're about to." He retrieved another sharpened stick, this one a few inches shorter than mine. He backed up a few feet from me, turning his body sideways to make himself a smaller target. He held the stick firmly in his right hand, waiting for me to make the first move.

I got awkwardly in the position he was in and stepped forward, thrusting my stick at his ribcage. He hit my weapon aside in one smooth blow and stabbed viciously at me. I stumbled backwards, tripping over my own feet. I landed hard on my back and Shadow thrust the stick under my chin, keeping me from moving or risk getting cut or splintered.

"If I didn't know you were trying, I would laugh." Shadow hissed.

I used my powers to send him flying backwards, buying me some time to recover. I sprang up and rushed at him. I would give it my all.

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The next week was extremely long, frustrating and most of the time, painful. But I learned a great deal. Every time Shadow lunged unexpectedly at me, I was ready to dodge to the side and counter with my power. His attacks on me grew more aggressive, more dangerous. But so did I. My power eventually rivaled his own.

"You're finally showing some improvement." Shadow admitted after a particular vicious bout of hand-to-hand combat. "I almost am tempted to not pick a fight with you anymore."

He sat down and stared up at the blue sky above. It was wonderful that it was no longer dark, except at night or when it rained. I loved the rain…

"So where did you come from?" I asked.

Shadow's gaze was lowered to the ground. "I'd rather not talk about it,"

"Want to know about where I got my powers?" I asked again. "I'll tell you if you tell me where you're from. That's all I want to know, not anything long."

"Go for it." Shadow said. "I have time."

It took a few seconds to get through the beginning of my life; how I was nearly blind for so many years, how my family died and how Blaze rescued me. The part about Soul and the scientists came easily, probably because it was still so fresh in my mind. I still had nightmares about the floating lab, all of them ending in either Soul dying or the professor driving the life out of me with one of his cruel machines. By the time I was done with my story, Shadow's eyes were shut and he had an emotionless expression on his face.

"At least you weren't in a lab your entire life." He finally said. "I was originally an experiment; a weapon. The professor was kind to me…and his granddaughter…we became close friends. But then one day the government found out about my existence and they sent troops to destroy me. They shot Maria…I watched her die in front of me before she granted me freedom. Later I found out the professor went insane and eventually was killed. The government soldiers found me…"

Shadow trailed off for a few seconds before continuing on. "...they found me and locked me away in a type of suspended animation for fifty years. That only prolonged my misery.…But because of the professor, I am immortal. Cursed forever to live with this pain of losing everyone I ever knew and loved."

I was shocked. Shadow and I had a lot more in common than I thought we did. And yet…we were so different. He would never die, while I would.

"I haven't told anyone about my past for over a hundred years." Shadow was watching a small red bug make its way up a blade of grass.

I just sort of nodded.

He stood. "Well, congratulations, Silver. I've trained you to the best of my ability. There is nothing more I can teach you."

"Well, maybe I can teach you something." I offered.

"Like what?"

"Try using the Chaos power to talk to Maria. I can use my power without the Emerald. I saw my sister a few times…and my family. Soul too."

He gave a grim smile. "I'll have to try it. I haven't talked to her in over five hundred years."

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Oh boy, weird ending.

So yeah! This is the exciting conclusion of The Flames of Time! HOORAH!

Thank you, KillingKathy!

And all you awesome people out there who read this story! Many of you told me this is my best one yet… 0_0 really? I thought it was sorta depressing… but then again…I'm good at depressing…

Ah, anyway, review, please!

No Flames! Flame me and I revive Iblis and send him after you!

Hasta la Vista, Readers!

Lordoftheghostking28