*epic guitar music plays in the distance*
Sonic could never fully explain what happened during that… strange time. Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with injury. Trying to explain what exactly occurred was just so difficult, it was better to leave it unexplained.
What he could somewhat describe, with much effort, was that time seemed to slow to nearly a halt. His body seemed to freeze, and everything around him simply… stopped moving. Yet, even more complicating the situation, his mind (and everyone else's) was completely unaffected. Even when moving became nigh impossible, his thoughts and comprehension continued at the same rate.
However, Shadow was the only one completely unaffected by the time-stop. Everyone else seemed to be at the mercy of time itself, frozen in midair, immobile and waiting for the opportunity for time to resume, but Shadow continued on as normal. He bolted forwards, snatching the young hedgehog out of the air with gentile movements and carrying him a safe distance away from the horrible Biolizard. Sonic was helpless to react. He couldn't scream, he couldn't protest, heck - he couldn't even move his eyes to follow the adult.
As soon as his back was painfully rested on the stone floor, Shadow began to look him over, examining the damage with an expert eye. Bruises and cuts covered the poor blue hedgehog from head to toe. What wasn't broken was either a weird color, or covered with lacerations. The only thing left untouched were his fiery emerald eyes, still sparkling with life and resistance.
"What were you thinking!" Shadow scolded, glaring down at Sonic. The blue blur merely stared blankly ahead, unable to react or retort.
"You could have gotten yourself killed!" Shadow continued. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"..."
Of course there was no response. Sonic, hearing these statements really wanted to fight back.
"I was trying to create an opening!" or "Its my job!" Were things running through his head. But alas, he could not talk. All he could do was look dead ahead. Eyes glued to the last position they were in.
Shadow sighed upon the realization of his futility. Sonic gloated internally as the adult pinched his brow and muttered indecipherable things under his breath. With a snap of his gloved fingers, Shadow resumed everything to normality. Objects clattered to the ground, splashing amniotic fluid finally splatted against the pavement, and Knuckles finished his cuss word. There was a moment of brief tranquility as everyone and everything tried to comprehend what just occurred. Yet it only lasted for a few seconds.
Enraged and infuriated, the Biolizard charged yet again, jaws agape and throat filled with sounds that could no longer be properly described as it attempted to attack Sonic once again. Unfortunately for the beast, its body had sustained too much damage, leaving it a burned, bleeding, infuriated blob of sentient flesh and bones that only slightly resembled a lizard now. Its horrible legs were too injured to move on, so the Biolizard collapsed on its belly, howling and gurgling through its ripped throat in blind fury.
"Is… is it beaten?" Sonic choked out, feeling a twinge of pity for the poor beast.
Shadow did not have the time to answer, for the second he opened his mouth, the Biolizard lifted its head off the ground, standing as high as it could in an impressive reach. Its hind legs buckled under the weight of the massive beast as unholy screeches and howls filled the room, making everyone inside cover their ears in pain. A blinding flash of brilliant green light surrounded the beast, making it glow as bright as a lighthouse.
With a final roar, the beams of light overtook the room, blinding everyone in the process. The light blinked out, leaving the core devoid of the Biolizard. Shadow's scarlet eyes grew dim with horrid realization, Sonic only noticing the adult's plight a moment too late.
"Shadow wha-"
The ARK jolted forwards, sending everyone rolling down the walkway as the tremors shook the colony once again, this time more furiously than before. Sonic cried out in pain, the rumbles and shaking bounced him on the stone pathway, and created more injuries inside and out. Without any hesitation, Shadow lifted him off the ground, letting his own body take most of the force, and lessening the pain.
"What was that!" Tails cried, trying to stabilize himself, but ultimately failing. Knuckles and Miles crouched on the ground, watching the ceiling for any falling objects. Shadow slowly turned to face them, a very grim expression lining his features.
"Chaos control…"
"Knuckles! Tails! Anyone!" Amy's frantic voice crackled over the communication devices. Tails pulled his out and flipped it open.
"Amy!" He cried. "Are you alright?"
"Me and Rouge made it to the observation room, we are just fine!" Amy answered, yet still clearly panicked. "But something horrible just happened!"
"What is it?" Knuckles interjected.
"This horrible looking… lizard thing just appeared outside the window!" Rouge jumped in, equally frightened as everyone else. "It.. just… attached itself to the Eclipse Cannon and started dragging us towards the planet!"
"We gotta do something!" Sonic cried, trying to wriggle his way out of Shadow's strong arms.
"Knuckles!" Amy asserted. "You have the Emeralds, bring them back up here and put it in the Cannon so we can shoot that thing!"
"No! Don't do that!" Shadow shouted in alarm. "By doing that, you will only end up firing the cannon at the planet! We need to go out there and fight it off manually."
"How do you suggest we do that!" Rouge sputtered. "It's in outer space."
"Knuckles…" Sonic coughed. "You have all seven Chaos Emeralds… right?"
"Absolutely not!" Knuckles snapped, taking a step away from his blue friend. "Thats suicide - especially in your state!"
"We don't have a choice!" Sonic responded, forcing his way off of Shadow. "If I don't do this, everyone will die!"
The not so dead silence that rested between the group was only interrupted by the furious rumblings of the space colony. Despite the horrible circumstance, Sonic was still right. If he didn't, the planet would perish.
"What are you suggesting." Shadow asked, turning to face the young hedgehog.
"I… I have to assume a Super State." Sonic grimly answered. "I'm the only one here that can hold one."
"Perhaps." Shadow mused. "However, I have some experience with Chaos Energy - I can help you."
"No way!" Sonic spat. "After all you tried to do, you really think I will let you help me?"
"Sonic, we-"
Shadow held up his hand, cutting the young fox off. The ebony adult knelt to the ground, crouching to Sonic's eye level, and even lower. A distant, yet sad look of sincerity lingered in his eyes, reflecting softly in the dim lights of the core.
"I know you have absolutely no reason to trust me, and I attempted to do horrible things to you and your home." Shadow admitted, looking towards the ground. "But this whole adventure…"
A harsh rumbling shook the ARK, forcing everyone to sit down.
"You reminded me..." Shadow choked, fighting back tears. "You reminded me of someone very special to me… Someone pure..."
Sonic's eyes grew small.
"You may not be perfect, you can be angry, blunt, and even a little brat, but you are still pure." Shadow sniffed. "And I can't let another… another child run to their death - not while I can do something."
The rumbling continued on, dislodging rocks and splashing liquids everywhere.
"The professor… he - he tampered with my memories, re-writing me to do his very bidding, twisting a promise that I had made, to trick me into following his will." Shadow hoarsely growled. "But… you unlocked my real memory, undoing all the professors' work and setting me straight once again."
Sonic's eyes began to water.
"I take full responsibility for my actions." Shadow announced softly. "I am so... so sorry for what I thought I was doing."
The ARK shook again, items and machinery falling from the ceiling to land with a splash in the fluid.
"You may do what you wish with me." Shadow submitted. "But only after this thing is done, because only then it will matter."
Sonic sniffed, taking in every word the adult had said.
"Let me help you, it may be our only chance." Shadow pleaded.
The blue blur turned his head, looking at Knuckles with a questioning look in his emerald eyes. The echidna nodded, holding out his fists and presenting the gemstones.
"Shadow…" Sonic sniffed, realizing what Shadow had been trying to say for the last few hours. "I-"
The ARK rumbled, throwing everyone off their feet and sending them rolling a few more paces down the walkway. Sonic screeched on agony as his arm collided with the pavement again and again, sending waves of pain rippling through his nerves.
"Sonic! Knuckles!" Amy shouted once again. "What are you doing? We are running out of time!"
"Knuckles quick!" Sonic shouted. "Give me the Emeralds!"
As if on cue, the powerful gemstones leapt out of the Guardian's hands and began to rotate around the blue hedgehog, filling him with a familiar, ancient, powerful energy. Small gloved hands extended, allowing the energy to pass from the Emeralds and into his system. Another set of hands extended, tapping into the flow and dividing the power between them. It was Shadow.
Sonic felt it, he really did. Shadow's emotions were clear through the temporary bond as the two absorbed the power of the ancient jewels. Anger, remorse, pain, and regret all flowed through, but one stood out against the others… Heroism. Shadow intended to fight, and Sonic felt confirmation that the adult would not back down. His heart was set on saving the planet, and that is what he was going to do.
The power flowed, stronger and stronger as the Emeralds flew faster and faster. Sonic whined, the sheer intensity of the Chaos Energy was already tearing at his broken body, but he pressed on, absorbing more and more.
Then, it happened. The raw strength of the Chaos Emeralds flowed through his heart, forcing his eyes open as the change set on him. A beautiful gold glow crept down from his ears and across his fur, dying it the powerful color of the Chaos. His feet lifted off the ground, his body carried into the air by the ancient, mystical force. The power and might of Chaos Energy flowed through his system, providing temporary relief from the various wounds and fractures across his body. Emerald eyes turned ruby looked over at his companion, the same glow covering over the adult in a remarkable fashion.
Ebony black fur had turned a stunning white as Shadow rose off the floor. His ruby stripes sparkled in the dim light of the core, giving a starlit sheen to the older hedgehog. The powerful ruby eyes opened, revealing a fire Sonic hadn't seen before. With a look of slight hesitation, the gloved hands of the elder grabbed at his own wrists, twisting the prized bracelets off with a satisfying ping as they fell to the ground. Glistening, shining bows furrowed, turning and giving Sonic a look of pleasant satisfaction as his state grew ever brighter.
"Lets get that Prototype."