Well, sorry about the delay. Life's been crazy busy!

So this is the last "official" chapter of this fanfic. The next is the epilogue, since there's no way I could leave the story on that note. You know what's coming. ;)

Master Metallix: Yeah, too bad it's falling just short of thirty, I considered what else I could do (and thanks for your ideas!) but I decided that adding another chapter wouldn't turn out right, or at least not how I wanted it. But thanks anyway, I appreciate the input! Thanks for reviewing!

Shadowchaos1000: Aw, sorry about the computer! Nice to see you again! XD Thanks for the review!

Farming Chick: Glad you like that quote. 8D You know actually the part "anyone who does not love remains in death" is directly from the Bible, lol! Thanks for your review!

Mokyn: Thanks, I love that song and thought it fit perfectly with her! Thanks for reviewing!

Scarlet the Hedgehog 2009: Yep, evil GUN! Lol Thanks for the review!

And thanks to Cassy the Hedgehog, CleverPhoenix, kisari, Dark-Illusion-Detective, embersparks700, and anime2videogames for your reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic

CH. 28 Death

Shadow raced through the twisting, endless halls of the ARK, his heart hammering. He felt unbridled fear flaring in his veins, fear like he'd never felt before. He had a death grip on Maria's hand, who was running and panting behind him, blue eyes wide.

GUN had come. When the Professor had seen their approach he had hoped for a civilized conversation. But what he got was an all-out subversive invasion. The soldiers had instantly taken him prisoner and began to kill everyone aboard the ARK.

Shadow had never seen such destruction, such utter disregard for human life. The blood of people was staining the floors, and gun shots were heard echoing through the colony. GUN had brought an enormous amount of soldiers and robots. And they were rapidly filling the ARK.

"Why is GUN doing this to us?" Maria said as they ran.

Shadow had no answer. He couldn't think of any possible reason in the universe why someone would allow this massacre.

They ran through a small room littered with dead bodies, and Maria started crying. Tears rolled down her face and dropped onto her blue dress. Shadow felt his stomach twist in revulsion.

Maria had known GUN was suspicious of Project Shadow. The Professor had told her. But how could all of it have stemmed form the murderer John Clawson's words? It couldn't have, she knew that. Then how? How had this happened?

They hurried into a curving hall with a window ceiling. The stars opened up above them, seeming to emphasize the face that the ARK was alone. No one could help them.

Suddenly the door on the opposite end of the bright hall opened and a group of GUN soldiers stepped in. They all wore matching uniforms and masks, holding guns in their hands.

Shadow and Maria skidded to a stop. "No!" she shouted. "He hasn't done anything!"

One soldier took a step forward, and in one fluid motion raised his gun and shot Maria in the stomach.

Shadow physically felt his heart split. The air seemed to suck from his lungs as Maria dropped to the floor, red beginning to stain her blue dress. The sound of the shot and him shouting her name reverberated down the hall.

Shadow was rooted to the spot. The soldier began to walk closer and only when he pulled off his mask and took out a hatchet did the black hedgehog turn to look at him.

The man laughed. "One down."

Disbelief filled Shadow's red eyes. He couldn't manage to speak because of the emotions that were tearing him up inside, but he knew the man. It was John Clawson, who had tried to kill them that Halloween night.

Maria's whimper brought Shadow from his shock. He picked her up and turned around, running as fast as he could. The ARK blurred around him. He was too horrified to comprehend what had happened.

At last he found himself in a circular room with machinery to one side. He realized that this was the escape pod room and felt hope in him. They could use a pod to escape to Earth, and get help there.

"Hold on," Shadow said, sitting her against the machinery.

"Shadow-" she began.

"Hold on." He ran over to a circle on the floor, looking up to the hole that mirrored it on the ceiling. He could see the glass escape pod casing in there and said, "Maria, there's a pod in here, we can-"

Then the glass dropped down around him, sealing its top and bottom. His mind locked and he pressed his hands against the glass, turning to look at Maria.

She was standing at the machinery, smiling at him sadly. She was leaning heavily on it to support herself, blood spreading.

"Maria!" Shadow cried.

"Shadow," she said, her voice calm and kind but slightly wavering, "please, do it for me, for a better future . . .for all the people who live on that planet." She winced faintly. "Give them a chance to be happy. Let them live their dreams."

She believed in him, she knew he wasn't a monster. He'd help mankind like her grandfather had always intended. He would stop Black Doom.

Shadow stared as Maria stumbled to the escape pod, the pain showing in her eyes. A few feet from it she fell, crying out. She took a moment to collect herself, then looked up, her face inches from the glass.

Shadow never thought anything could hurt so bad. It felt as he would imagine it would feel if Clawson had chopped him up in pieces. His red eyes were huge, not looking away from her blue ones.

Maria smiled up at him. The pain had stopped. There was something in the notion that her death was inevitable and moments away that allowed contentment to wash over her. Looking up at Shadow, all she could think of was how much she loved him. She lifted a thin hand up, managing to touch her fingers to the glass.

"Shadow," she said softly, her love filling her eyes, "I know you can do it. That's the reason you were brought into this world." She dropped her hand, eyes starting to dim. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Maria was dead.

Just the epilogue left. Please review!