Chapter 14: Silver the Hedgehog

Shadic couldn't help but pray his mom hadn't tricked him because of the ring. He sighed and continued on, looking at the ring. Shadic could feel it corrupting him.

"Maybe I'll be stronger once it's corrupted me," he said. "That seemed to have worked for Shadow."

Shadic closed his eyes and concentrated on its power, trying to use it. Darkness enveloped his body and he groaned in pain, then fell to the ground. Shadic closed his eyes rather than look at the ground. The powers were corrupting him faster now. All he had to do was wait. Once that was done, he'd be able to decide what to do next.

He stood up, panting, as the darkness was taking hold. Suddenly, the ring glowed and soon a portal opened in the sky, causing a person to fall out and land on the ground. It was Silver the Hedgehog. Shadic jumped a step away. His eyes were wide as he stared at the other hedgehog.

Silver got up and looked around, his eyes focusing on Shadic. "Who are you?" He asked. "And where am I?"

Shadic shook his head to recover from his shock. "I... Middle-Earth," he said.

"Middle-Earth?" Silver asked.

Shadic nodded hesitantly. He looked at Silver, wondering who he was. The new hedgehog looked pretty handsome, Shadic had to admit. He blushed.

"I'm Shadic," he said. "What's your name?"

"My name's Silver."

"Silver..." Shadic looked thoughtful for a moment. "Did you know my parents?" It made sense to him that Silver would be from the same place as his parents.

"What are their names?" Silver asked.

"Sonic and Shadow. They were both hedgehogs like you."

Silver's eyes widened. "Yes...I do. They're both really good friends. So, you're their son?"

Shadic nodded and looked down. He had to explain. "Where should I start?" Shadic asked. His hand moved to his own chin as he thought.

"How about you tell me what's going on. How did I get here?"

Shadic shook his head. "I have no idea how you got here. I don't even know how exactly my parents got here. As for what's going on... Well, Shadow's trying to destroy everything."

Silver's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"Fifteen years ago, my parents went out to defeat the Dark Lord Melkor. Mom... Sonic told me that Shadow succumbed to Melkor's evil powers after Sonic had died. He's been the Dark Lord since then. Now that he's grown in power, he's begun Dagor Dagorath. We have to stop him before everything is destroyed."

Silver's eyes widened and he nodded. "I will help you, then. What about Sonic? Is he alive?"

Shadic held up his hand and pointed to the ring on his finger. "This is Sonic." Before Silver to speak what he was thinking, he explained. "Mother had shapeshifting powers. When we got to Shadow's fortress in Angband, he transformed into the ring so I could get close to Shadow and overhear his plans." Shadic looked down at the memory. "Shadow put some of his soul into the ring and corrupted it. Sonic can't change back, and the ring's been corrupting me little by little."

"I see," Silver said, and smiled. "Let's get moving, then. Have you been corrupted?"

Shadic hesitated and nodded slightly. "...I have." Shadic looked at the ring again. "But mother told me I'd keep my mind."

Silver sighed. "That's good," he said.

Shadic nodded and the ring glowed again. He grunted in pain as a dark aura appeared around him as he felt himself being filled with darkness. "I don't know how I'm going to get anywhere with you doing this all the time."

Shadic looked at Silver sheepishly. He'd just met the other person and he already had to be giving him a bad first impression.

"So, we're headed towards Mordor?" Silver asked.

Shadic nodded. "It's been rebuilt since Sauron's death. It's where Shadow has his army."

"How long will it take us to get there?"

Shadic sighed. From the rate they were going, a few months. "A few months at this rate." He looked around. "Hopefully everything hasn't been destroyed by then."

"I'll come with you. It might be fun."

Shadic nodded and blushed. "So..." he started. "Do you have any special abilities or anything?" Shadic was strangely nervous asking a question like that.

Silver nodded. "I have psychic powers. What about you?"

"Everything Sonic's taught me," he said. "I've got his speed and shapeshifting as well."

"That's cool. Anything else?"

Shadic nodded. "Immortality." Shadic looked around again before stretching. "So, what's it like where you're from?"

Silver smiled. "Well, I'm from modern times. There are many cities and other means of transportation, like cars and planes. Did Sonic and Shadow ever tell you about Earth?"

Shadic shook his head. "Mom focused on what was happening around us, and Shadow was never there." He gave Silver a smile. "I'd never really asked about it either."

"So, what's like like in Middle-Earth?"

"Boring." Shadic chuckled. "Until something like this happens. Not much happens unless you're out looking for something."

Silver smiled and nodded, blushing also. "What happened before you got here?" Shadic was curious, and he needed something to keep his mind on.

"I was just walking through Station Square...that's the city I live in...when a portal appeared and sucked me inside. The next thing I knew, I was here."

"How long do you think you're going to be here?" Shadic asked. "It would be nice to have someone else like me."

Silver shrugged. "As long as I can, I suppose. It would be nice to go on an adventure for a change."

"Do you have any idea how to fight Shadow?" he asked.

"I...I am not sure. I suppose I can use my psychic powers on him but I don't know if that will work. Do you have any suggestions?"

Shadic shook his head. "I've been trying to come up with something for a long while now. All I've got are the Silamrils and my own powers. The past fifteen years has given him plenty of time to significantly increase his powers. Gandalf wasn't sure how well the Silamrils would actually help."

Silver nodded and followed Shadic. "Maybe you could use your new dark powers that the ring gave you."

Shadic looked at Silver. "I should, if I can figure out which ones to use."

Silver nodded. "Alright," he said with a smile on his face.

Shadic returned his smile.

"Let's go, then."

Shadic nodded, and they continued on their way. While heading to Mordor, the two new friends were talking. Shadic felt a strange feeling grow inside him and wondered if he was starting to fall for Silver.

"Mom?" he asked the ring.

Yes? The ring replied.

"I... I wanted to ask you what falling in love felt like."

The ring glowed brightly and answered him. I don't know how to explain it, Sonic laughed.

Shadic grinned and nodded. "So I need to figure it out on my own." He looked over at Silver. "I think I'm falling in love with one of your friends."

The ring glowed again and he heard Sonic's voice in his head. Who is it?

"Silver."

That's great, son! How long have you had these feelings? When did he appear in Middle-Earth?

Shadic shifted uncomfortably, hoping Silver wasn't hearing any of the conversation. "I'm not sure when I started feeling something toward him. He fell from the sky shortly after I finished learning everything from you."

The ring glowed again. You can speak to me telepathically, you know. No need to say everything out loud.

"I know." Shadic looked at Silver again. "When you told Shadow that you loved him, how did he take it?"

He was happy, and confessed his love to me also. Don't rush it, though. It's better to take things slow and see where you go from there.

"I should wait until we've beaten the Dark Lord, anyway. Now's not the time for this type of stuff."

That is a good idea, Sonic's voice said. Shadic...you are nearly corrupted. When we are almost to Mordor, you shall be fully filled with darkness, and will be very powerful.

"But I'll be myself, right?" Shadic let out a shaky breath. "I'm not sure about this. Fighting the Dark Lord with Darkness isn't going to be a smart idea."

You will be yourself. I gave you my word.

The ring's glow vanished and it stopped speaking. Shadic sighed and looked at Silver. He walked over, giving Silver a smile.

"You ready?" he asked. "We're going to be there soon."

Silver nodded. "You bet," he said.

Shadic smiled, and the two continued on towards Mordor.

By the time they'd reached Mordor, Shadic could feel the darkness increasing his powers. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the power of the ring. A dark aura flew into his body and he could feel the darkness corrupting him greatly.

"It's almost corrupted me," he told Silver. "Though I guess I can't call it corrupting if I keep my own mind."

Silver nodded. As they look their first step into Mordor, the ring on Shadic's finger glowed brightly and poured the rest of its evil power into Shadic. He screamed as a dark aura surrounded him and could feel himself becoming corrupted as darkness spread throughout his body, and his mind also.

All he could do was wait for the darkness to spread throughout him. He grunted in pain as the darkness flowed through his body, and he could feel his mind becoming corrupted also. Shadic tried to resist bit the ring glowed more, and he could hear the Dark Lord's voice.

Do not resist, Shadic. You are meant to be at my side in this battle. Don't you want your family to be together again?

Shadic's eyes widened and he nodded hesitantly.

Come to Mordor to serve me, Shadow said. Sonic is with you. Your parents will be together with you.

Shadic grunted and tried to resist but couldn't. His mind broke and was corrupted fully. He looked at Silver sadly.

"You have to go your own," he said. Shadic closed his eyes and felt the corruption fill his mind completely.

Silver's eyes widened and he nodded. "I'll get you back," he said. "That's a promise."

Shadic nodded and groaned in pain. The corruption had become complete.