'Pick yourselves up and stop crying!'
'No matter what fate has in store for me, I'll know that I put the world in balance by uniting its greatest heroes.'
'I look forward to you two doing so much together long after I'm gone.'
Shadow wasn't sure before, but he was positive now. It all made sense.
She knew.
She knew long before anyone else did.
The ultimate life form stared at the delicate hand writing on the letter, scanning it several times to see if he had missed anything from the night before. It was just as he had suspected when he had read it aloud, and now looking at it with fresh eyes he was certain that Amy knew more about her own fate than anyone ever did.
Shadow glanced at the bathroom door, hot steam billowing up from underneath and filling the small hotel room with moist air. Sonic had decided to take his shower after Shadow, which gave the dark hedgehog plenty of time to himself to go over the letter Amy left them from before. It was all he could think about this morning when he awoke and Shadow was thankful the hero didn't catch on to the words in her letter as quickly as he did.
Should he tell Sonic now?
Should he tell him at all?
Normally, Shadow would let him know because the ultimate life form believed that people needed to know the truth regardless of how they felt about it. However, after everything they've been through, Shadow wasn't so sure he was okay with hurting the blue hedgehog's feelings or the consequences that would come from it. Then again, he didn't exactly enjoy keeping his partner in the dark about it either.
Before he did anything, he needed more evidence beyond a hunch. Shadow tapped briefly on his communicator, waiting for the person on the other end to pick up his call.
"What's up, hon? How have you been?"
"Rouge. I need a favor."
"Ah, ah, Shadow." The sultry voice replied.
" I believe you still owe me a favor first, don't you?"
"I don't have time for your games today, bat." The dark hedgehog growled in irritation.
"This is about Amy."
Rouge paused on the other end of the line, a quick tap of computer keys sounding in the background before she replied.
"What do you need?"
"I need to see if you can find her medical records for me."
"Any time in particular that you're looking for?"
"Hmn. A few from her early years perhaps. However, I'm particularly interested in any that were recorded after the incident four years ago."
"Why--...oh I see." Shadow already knew what she was going to ask next.
"Does Blue know about this?"
"No. Not yet. I don't plan on telling him anything until I know for sure that I'm correct in my assumptions."
"Well, leave it to me, if there's anything worth finding I'll find it. Just...if what you're thinking is true, do you really think its okay to just tell him?"
Shadow shrugged, though his colleague couldn't see the motion.
"I believe he at least has the right to know."
"Hmm. Alright. Well, I'll get right on it."
"Oh, and one more thing before I forget... the hedgehog said, 'his ass thanks you'."
"What? What on Mobius does that..."
He could practically feel the sly, scandalous grin on her face through the phone as she connected the dots.
"Oh my god you didn't! You did! Ahhhh! Oh my god I-I gotta call Tails! Knuckles owes me so much money--!"
"You're on speaker, woman, keep your voice down!"
"Okay, okay, so how was it? Was he good? Was he freak? The blue boy looks like a freak not gonna lie--"
"Bye, Rouge." Shadow said quickly.
"Wait no! Tell me, you asshole! Shadow!?"
The dark hedgehog clicked off his communicator, hearing the metallic squeak of the faucet handles turning the shower off in the bathroom. Shortly after, Sonic stepped out with a towel around his waist, bright azure quills glossy and fresh in the dim balcony sunlight. He had Shadow's phone in one hand, tapping idly on the screen and a bundled up towel in the other. The blue hero glanced up at his partner, greeting him with a smile and a flirtatious wink.
"I'm done, babe. Did ya miss me?"
"You were only gone for twenty minutes, and you were in the bathroom."
"Shads, you're supposed to lie and say 'Yes'."
Shadow got up from the bed and met Sonic halfway, running an ungloved hand lovingly through blue quills. He pulled the hero close and pressed a kiss to his peach muzzle.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you, just a little."
"Chaos, don't tell me that with a straight face..." Sonic chuckled.
"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to tell you; last night? Awesome. Ten outta ten."
"Hmn. Glad I could be of service to you."
Sonic wrapped an arm around Shadow's waist, and returned the kiss before reaching into his quills and rummaging around. The dark hedgehog frowned at the intrusion, glaring at the hero through narrowed eyes.
"You know, you could always just ask permission like a civilized individual."
"You've been in my ass bro, I think we're past that. Ah, here it is." He pulled the pink notebook out carefully, shaking the sparse water droplets from the cover.
"Have you checked it yet?"
"I never check it without you present."
Sonic flashed a grateful smile and walked over to the bed, spreading out the book on the sheets and flipping a few pages. Shadow leaned over his shoulder looking at where the hero stopped on a single card on a page.
The card was labeled 'Six of Swords' and depicted a hooded woman with a small child riding in a boat. Behind them, a man pushed the boat along with a large stick and in front of them sat six swords stabbed downward into the boat. Beyond them, Shadow could see the calm river with scattered trees in front of a cloudy horizon. Below the card was written the location 'Egg Central Base; Metropolis'
The ultimate life form's heart plummeted into his stomach.
"The Egg base?" Sonic asked curiously, lifting the tarot card from the page to read the clues underneath.
'Transition, Change, Rite of Passage, Releasing Baggage'
"Hm...it sounds about right I guess. I think I'm starting to understand these card clues a little better. The Egg base is where--"
"We last fought the Doctor." Shadow interrupted. He closed the notebook and placed it back into his quills absently, seemingly lost in thought at the clues of their location.
"You okay, Shads?" The hero asked as he threw the damp hotel towels on the bed.
"Looks like you've seen a ghost or something...and you feel like it too."
"I'm fine." Shadow replied quickly.
"I just...wonder why Amy is sending us to the old Egg base is all. There shouldn't be anything there, and the city of Metropolis has long been abandoned."
In truth, the dark hedgehog was genuinely curious about why the pink hedgehog picked a wasteland of a city as their next stop. He knew that particular Egg base had significance because it was their final stand with Dr. Robotnik, but there was hardly a reason to visit it.
"Welp, that's the fun part, isn't it? Figuring out why she's sendin' us. Besides, looking back on old victories over Egghead is always an awesome pastime."
Shadow shrugged, hardly interested in any old memories about one of their greatest foes but he figured Sonic felt differently, given that knew the Doctor longer than any of them had.
"Are you ready to go?" He asked, running a hand down the blue hedgehog's back affectionately.
"Yeah. Although let's take our time as we're heading out, yeah? I want you to get a good look at Windmill Isle in the daytime."
"Alright then, where do you want to go?"
A peach arm wrapped around the ultimate life form's neck, pulling Shadow close until he felt soft lips on the underside of his muzzle.
"No place in particular, just as long as I'm with you babe."
"Wow that's...so very cliché."
"I'm trying to be romantic, please cooperate."
After checking out of the small inn, Sonic led his rival through the cobblestone streets of Windmill Isle to take in the sights. Shadow had to admit the city was incredibly gorgeous in the daytime, rivaled only by its vast ocean view beyond the rocky cliff side.
However, Sonic began to notice the ultimate life form seemed distracted, speaking very little and constantly checking his wrist communicator. Despite his strange behavior his chaos wavelength remained the same, still responding in that warm gentle way anytime Sonic touched him. The hero gradually became agitated by his partner's unusual behavior and decided to take a short break before they headed out of town for good.
The two hedgehogs came upon a grassy hill at the edge of Windmill Isle, overlooking the deep sea. Dotted around the area were rocky mounds with small clusters of frosted plant life growing between the cracks in the stone. Large white windmills stood tall on the hillside, their blades blowing harshly in the Autumn air. For a while Sonic and Shadow stood watching the sea in silence, the blue hedgehog pulling out his rival's phone on occasion to snap pictures to post online.
It was much colder up here than Sonic anticipated but thankfully his new varsity was thick enough to block out most of the winds. Shadow seemed unaffected by the weather as usual, though the hero noticed a faint pink tinge dusting his partner's ears and muzzle from the frosty wind. The quiet atmosphere between them suddenly had Sonic feeling lonely, Shadow's crimson gaze staring intently beyond the sea deep in thought. He leaned over and gently and kissed a cold cheek to get his attention.
"Something the matter?" Shadow grunted, immediately bringing a gloveless hand up to caress Sonic's face. His hasty reaction indicated to the hero that Shadow was at least somewhat aware that he had been ignoring him.
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
"Why? I'm fine."
Sonic sighed and removed the dark hedgehog's hand, holding it close to his chest instead. Green eyes held an expression Shadow couldn't read, and he feared that his behavior had given away what he tried so hard to hide up until now.
"Are you having mixed feelings about last night? About me?"
Oh.
Well.
That was not what he expected to hear.
"Mixed feelings?" Shadow repeated, confused.
"Well, it's just...you're a-- you were -- a virgin and I know it can be weird once you're like...not one, and then you start having some regrets after it happened. And its not like you hated it, you liked it, but you don't know if you made the right choice because you're not crazy about this person, and maybe thinking that you should've waited for someone else, especially when you do meet someone else--"
"You seem to be well-versed in this particular topic, hedgehog."
Sonic averted his eyes toward the town, suddenly feeling as if he had said too much. Cold hands fiddled with black claws absently, their natural warmth soothing and reassuring.
"I just-- I know how it can feel the first time. I want to make sure you're okay with everything that's happened between us."
The dark hedgehog leaned in close, pressing a chastised kiss to soft peach lips and relishing the brief, hot tingle that danced across their bond at the contact.
"I assure you, Sonic. I have no regrets." He replied softly.
"Do you have any about me?"
"Chaos, no!" The hero chuckled breathlessly. He pressed his forehead against Shadow's lovingly, feeling lighter than air after hearing his rival's reply.
"You're like the best thing that's ever happened to me, dude. I'd never regret anything we've been through. Well, you're the second best. Becoming a famous hero is pretty high up there."
"That's a bold statement, considering how close we are to the edge of a cliff, hedgehog."
"I'm joking! You're number one, I swear."
Shadow nodded, seeming satisfied with Sonic's answer.
"I better be. Now, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah. Oh wait, one more picture. We haven't taken a selfie in a bit, and I know everyone is getting restless since they haven't seen us together lately." The blue hedgehog reached into his pocket and pulled out Shadow's phone starting up the camera app.
"You actually check their comments every day?"
"It makes me happy seeing people get all excited over us like this. Besides, you know I never disappoint the fans."
He pulled Shadow in close and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, bringing the camera up high above them to get a good shot. As soon as the small click sounded off, Shadow broke away and made a hasty retreat back down the hill toward the city. Sonic glanced over his shoulder at the dark hedgehog but didn't question it; Shadow was still very uneasy about taking pictures.
The hero stayed behind for a bit longer, rifling through the photo gallery for the picture they took so he could post it online. Once he found it he quickly hit 'share' and paused, trying to think of a witty caption. Should he say something about Windmill Isle? Or the sea? Sonic glanced back at the photo, his eyes going wide in disbelief at what he captured without even noticing it.
Shadow was smiling.
Something so rare and genuine, Sonic could hardly believe he was actually looking at it with his own eyes. Shadow rarely smiled beyond a smirk or a chuckle, and when he did, the hero relished every second of it knowing it wouldn't last forever. Now he had something tangible, even more precious because he didn't have to sneak a candid photo to get it; Shadow actually smiled for him.
Sonic backed out of the page quickly and sent the photo to his email address instead, tucking the phone into his jacket pocket once he was finished. He grinned eagerly and turned away from the ocean to catch up to his partner.
The blue hero decided that some things in this world were just too precious to share.
"Ugh, Chaos...its hard the breathe around here."
Sonic coughed sharply at the dank stale air, trying to figure out their location through the clouds of dust floating around them. Shadow followed the hero's lead and took the his hand as they made their way through the desolate city, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
Even though the dangers here were long gone, one could never be too careful.
Cold winds whistled above them as it blew through tall metallic buildings, the glass cracked and busted from their windows. Various robot sentries were ripped apart and scattered, indicating some people had occasionally returned to the deserted city to salvage machine parts. Large industrial pipes and miscellaneous metal structures sat rusted over or stripped down to their bare frames, making it impossible to tell what they once were. Broken glass cracked underfoot as the two hedgehogs walked side by side through the silence, their energies buzzing with unease at the apocalyptic remains of former Metropolis.
"I can't believe this place went to hell so fast. It hasn't even been that long...has it?" Sonic whispered to his partner.
"This city was once ran by a tyrannical ruler. It doesn't take that long. If anything a few years is more than enough time to abandon and trash it."
"Hm...I guess so. Anyway, you're right about one thing, I'm seriously confused as to why Ames sent us to this place, its garbage territory right now."
Shadow shrugged, looking around through the torn down skyline to see if he could make out anything significant.
"Well, she did say the Egg Base. Maybe our destination is there in particular."
"Good thinking, Shads!" Sonic replied cheerfully. He let go of his rival's hand and got into a ready position, eyes scanning the area briefly before relaxing his body in disappointment.
"Aw, there's no room to run in this city with everything all trashed and destroyed buildings in the way. I was gonna ask you to race."
"Hmm. It is a little crowded and dangerous isn't it? Perhaps walking is the best idea since we aren't that far." Shadow replied. He walked up next to Sonic and gently laced their fingers together once again.
"Besides...I kind of enjoy holding hands."
"Oooh, someone's a softie." Sonic teased. He lifted the dark hedgehog's hand up with his own and gave his knuckles a gentle kiss.
"S'okay babe, I'm a softie too."
"Chaos, just...get moving." Shadow replied trying his best to shove down those fuzzy tingly emotions he knew his partner could feel bouncing off his Chaos energy. Sonic chuckled but said nothing more as the two of them headed out to the Egg Base.
A familiar looking courtyard came into view, its grounds covered in harshly rusted robots and smaller badniks piled in the center. Behind them, the hero could make out a huge robot smashed into the dome rooftop of the Egg Base, it's long broken arms draped over the pillars lining the front entrance. Seeing nothing of particular importance outside the base, Sonic suggested they head inside and look around. His rival seemed uneasy about the idea but followed the blue hedgehog in regardless.
It was quieter inside the base than it was out front, ominous winds muffled by the cold metallic walls of the building. Many of the hallways they tried to enter were smashed or completely empty and Sonic was beginning to believe that they misunderstood Amy's clues after all. Suddenly they spotted a larger room up ahead bathed in light and Sonic quickened his pace, hoping at the very least that having more light would make it easier to get their bearings.
What they found was far better than he had ever hoped for.
The lower half of the giant robot outside hung loosely through the rooftop, creating a skylight shining beams of light on the floor. Below it the metallic floor had been torn away under its weight, revealing lush grass flourishing underneath. Ivy and moss covered the walls of the room and much of the mech itself, coating the cold grey in a lively emerald green. Pink and white flowers bloomed in clusters, poking out of small corners and under slabs of broken concrete. in the center was a pile of churned up earth and rocks now covered in frosty grass, a lone metal pipe leaking water down the middle and forming a small tranquil pool in the floor. A few flickies were bathing in the water while others flew around cheerfully, the space brought to life with their gentle tweeting.
"This is beautiful." Sonic said softly, holding a hand out for a curious flickie to land on his finger. Shadow walked up beside him and copied his gesture, though the little birds that came by opted to land on his quills instead. The hero chuckled and walked closer to the pool, crouching down and noticed small fish swimming lazily at the bottom.
"Huh, I wonder how you tiny fellas made it all the way out here."
"The pipe probably brought them, knowing the Doctor had a habit of rerouting natural resources to his bases." Shadow replied gently shooing the stubborn flickies away from his head quills. A small beep sounded on his communicator and scared them away, the birds flying to Sonic instead and playfully pecking his ears.
"Hah, c'mon little guys, cut it out!" He laughed pulling them off one by one. The hero gazed up into the skylight wistfully, feeling an odd sense of calm at knowing Eggman's base had become a flickie paradise now. The irony that this once formidable metallic city was now abandoned and taken over by the natural wildlife, was not lost on the blue hedgehog. He closed his eyes and bathed in the warm sunlight, reminiscing the countless battles he had fought alongside his friends. Sonic almost missed the excitement of it all, and chuckled at how far away those struggles seemed now that they were here in the future.
It was over now. They had won.
Emerald eyes open and squinted into the light, their glossy gaze turning towards the ultimate life form staring intently at the hologram being projected from his communicator. Sonic stood up and made his way over to his partner, feeling a bit sentimental now that they had seen what became of the Egg base.
"It's great, isn't it Shads?" He asked, placing a hand on Shadow's waist to get his attention. The dark hedgehog quickly looked up from his communicator to face him directly.
There was nothing but cold anxiety when their eyes met.
Shadow seemed at a loss for words, his chaos energy sending nervous ripples down Sonic's spine. It was instant and alarming, prompting the hero to immediately hold his partner closer in an effort to comfort him.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.
The dark hedgehog closed his eyes, trying to relax his frayed nerves. Shadow knew that Sonic could feel whatever he felt and the last thing he wanted to do was stress him out before telling him the news. He placed a reassuring kiss on the hero's temple and backed away so he could face him properly.
"Before I tell you this, I want to apologize for seeming so distant earlier. I wasn't entirely sure if I should tell you this, especially without proper evidence to back it up. However, now I'm positive and I think you deserve to know."
"Know what...?"
"Sonic," Shadow said softly.
"I know what caused Amy's death."