Chapter 11: Shadow's Return

Thirty years later, Shadow finally returned to America.

He was now the Pope of the Catholic Church and was on a mission trip. As Shadow walked through Station Square, he wondered how Sonic was doing. He could go visit, but would Sonic even want to see him? The Pope smiled. He wanted to see Sonic. Shadow looked around the city, hoping to see someone he recognized. They'd be able to tell him if Sonic had moved or not. He walked around the city. Finally, he saw Sonic walking around. Sonic's eyes widened in shock as he saw Shadow, and he ran off.

"Hey!" Shadow ran after him. Sonic looked behind him and ran into his house, closing the door. Shadow stopped at the door, putting both hands on it. "Sonic, come on." The door was locked. Shadow sighed and knocked on it but Sonic didn't answer. The Pope frowned as he heard crying. "What's wrong, Sonic?" Shadow didn't want to believe that it was because of him.

The crying continued. Shadow sighed and continued to knock.

"Shadow?" A voice said behind him.

The Pope turned around and saw Tails. "Hey, Tails. How's Sonic been?"

"He's been a wreck. All he thinks about is you. Where have you been?"

"In Rome... It's been thirty years."

Tails nodded and looked at Shadow's clothes. He was wearing the pope's garments. "You became Pope?" Tails raised a brow at him.

Shadow nodded. "Yeah. I'm here on a mission trip."

"That's pretty impressive." Tails looked back at Sonic's house. "I guess you wanted to talk to him?"

"Yeah. How has he been?"

Tails sighed and shook his head. "Not good. I know it's been thirty years, but Sonic still gets really upset whenever you're mentioned."

Shadow hesitated. A few minutes later, the door swung open and Sonic stood there, glaring at him in anger. "Where the hell have you been?" He screamed. Tears were falling from his face.

"In Rome..." Standing in front of an angry, crying Sonic suddenly had Shadow regretting he had ever left.

"Do you know how much you have hurt me? I have been waiting for you to come back, hoping that you would! You never did!"

"I didn't want anything to happen to you because of me. I wasn't really planning on returning."

"And why not? Sonic shouted. "What did I ever do to you? Nothing!"

"I know you didn't do anything. I thought it would keep you safe from unnecessary dangers."

Sonic scoffed. "I've handled unnecessary dangers before and have been fine. But I wake up one day and you're gone! Do you have any idea how much pain you caused me? What about our marriage and the vows we took? I love you!"

"I did it because I love you. I didn't want our marriage to get you hurt any more than necessary. After what happened with G.U.N., I thought it would be best to leave."

"You don't understand, do you? By leaving, you have hurt me! Emotionally and physically!"

Shadow fell silent, turning his gaze from Sonic. "I do understand. I'm a horrible husband, an even worse lover...I was never good at this." Sonic just glared at him. Shadow's ears went back as Sonic glared. "I'll just go now..."

"Shadow...what have you been doing for the past thirty years?"

"I've been a priest in Rome." Shadow gestured to his clothes. "I've become Pope, now. What have you been doing with your life?"

Sonic shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just sitting around the house...thinking about you. Crying and being depressed."

"I was hoping you would have tried to move on."

"I thought I could...but haven't been able to. I love you too much, Shads. How long will you be here?"

"A few days."

Sonic's eyes widened and he started to cry. "Y...you're going to leave me again?"

"You can come with me."

The blue hedgehog started to sob. He shook his head and slammed the door, locking it. Shadow sighed and looked over at Tails. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to see Sonic.

"He's been like this since you left, Shadow," Tails said. "I don't like seeing him like this. Why couldn't you have just stayed with him?"

"Because I was stupid."

Tails nodded. "What will you do?"

"Just go back and be Pope, I guess." Shadow looked at Sonic's door again.

"Shadow...Sonic really loves you a lot. He told me that he's been wishing and hoping that you could come back, and now that you have...even if for only a few days...I don't know what he'll be like when you leave. You heard what he told you."

"I know." Shadow wrung his hands uncomfortably. "I don't know what to do now. I still..."

"Still what? Love him?" Tails asked. Shadow nodded. "He still loves you as well...do you still want to be with him?"

The Pope hesitated; he wasn't sure. Finally, Shadow nodded. "I meant what I said on our wedding day. I love being with him. I just don't think I can anymore."

He sighed and looked at the door, then turned and walked away. Before he was out of sight, Tails yelled, "Why not? Why can't you be with him anymore?"

"I'm the Pope! What would people say?" Shadow turned back toward Tails as he shouted. "Sonic would hate the comments, we'd both get shit from everyone we talk to... I can't do that to us. If I didn't have this responsibility, I'd go in there and never leave him again."

"He could become female again! Please, don't do this to him again!" Tails yelled desperately.

Shadow looked at Tails and back at Sonic's house. He had things to do, but were they really more important than Sonic? Shadow shook his head. "If he'll have me again, I will. But Sonic will have to come to Rome. I can't just stop being Pope."

Tails sighed, and watched Shadow leave. He shook his head, and walked into Sonic's house. The hedgehog looked up as Tails came in. "How are you feeling?" Tails went right over and sat next to him.

"Terrible," Sonic said. "Where is Shadow?"

"He went further into town."

"So...he...he left me again...abandoned me again..."

Tears were falling down his face. "No, Sonic." Tails brushed a few tears from Sonic's cheeks. "He didn't abandon you. He's just getting back to his mission. You know how Shadow is about missions. Try to talk to him about it later. It shouldn't be too hard to find him."

Sonic glared at his friend. "Why the hell should I? He left me thirty years ago with no explanation! He doesn't love me."

"Shadow does love you, Sonic. I spoke to him outside; you still mean a lot to him."

"If he did, then why would he leave me a week after our wedding and not come back until now? Tell me that! And why the hell is he in Station Square, anyway?"

"I didn't ask that, and I won't pretend to understand what he was thinking." Tails crossed his arms. "But you need to either get back together with him or move past this. He's happy to bring you home with him if you're willing to try again."

Sonic said nothing. He turned on the TV, but saw a news report of the Pope making a speech in his church later that night. "So that's what he's doing here." Sonic left it on the channel for a few more minutes.

"The newly elected Pope, Shadow, is traveling around the world delivering his speech of how religion is working in the Church. He has promised to make changes to some policies, especially the Church's stance on homosexuality," the reporter said. "The Pope will be here until tomorrow night, where he is then leaving for Rome."

Sonic looked at Tails. "I had no idea Shadow was doing that."

"Being the Pope is pretty important, Sonic," Tails said. "He has a lot of responsibility."

"Then wouldn't he not have time for me anyway?"

"He told me that he wasn't sure. Since he's the pope, a lot of people might make comments about you two being gay if you got back together. Shadow...told me that he does want to be with you but...can't. If you went back to Rome, it would work."

Sonic shook his head. "I don't want him to do this again." He bit his lower lip. Finally, he nodded. "I'll think about it and try to talk to him sometime before he leaves."

He smiled and turned up the news report.