Disclaimer: Sonic & related characters are © SonicTeam, la de da. I hope I
did that right, I dun wanna be sued… o_o
Author's Note: Text in signifies thoughts and flashbacks.
Recovery Of A Shadow
*Right after the ARK incident*
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge had returned to the earth by now. Dr. Eggman had as well, but dropped out of sight because he couldn't stand to hang around the so-called good guys. Everyone had returned to the routine of his or her normal lives…well, except maybe Rouge since she decided to quit her job. But one thing was for sure: the memory of Shadow will forever live in their minds, and they will always wonder whatever became of him. Especially Sonic.
[Grand Circle City ~ 1:23 A.M.]
Sonic stood atop the building Amy's temporary apartment is in. (Temporary because Station Square was currently being rebuilt.) He looked to the stars in the clear night sky, still thinking of Shadow, with his gold bracelet in hand.
"*sigh* I'm sorry, Shadow, that I let you die… If only I had shared more of my energy with you— I could have prevented that. We could have been like brothers…nah, more like friendly rivals. I've got to admit, you were more of a formidable opponent than ol' Knucklehead."
A tear rolled down his cheek as he forced out a smile, thinking of the little "grudge" they held against each other.
"We could have had races, Shadow, to tell who was the Ultimate Lifeform and who was the faker— although I still think you are the faker," he chuckled, wiping his tears with his glove.
"No. I can't just give up like that and believe you're dead. You're as tough as me, if not tougher! I have faith in you, Shadow, and I believe that someday you'll turn up alive…somehow. I'll never lose hope, Shadow. I'll never lose hope."
The stairway door opened, and Amy walked out.
"Hey, Sonic. It's getting pretty late. Don't you want to sleep now?" she asked.
"I'll be right there. I was just—"
"—paying your respects to Shadow. Listen, Sonic, I know what you're thinking. But it's definitely not your fault we lost him."
"*sigh* Do you miss him too, Amy?"
"Of course I do— but not more than I missed you when I thought you died in that exploding capsule."
Amy threw herself upon him and held him tightly. Ah, even in a tragedy like this, she stays faithful to me, Sonic thought.
"Come on, Sonic, I know you're as tired as I am. Let's get some sleep," encouraged Amy, now pulling him by the arm.
"All right, Amy, you win."
The hedgehog couple walked down the stairs, hand in hand, back to Amy's apartment. After a quick snack, the two of them went to bed. Sonic lay awake for a while, staring at Shadow's bracelet, which he put on the little table beside the bed. Amy began to slip her arms around him. He blushed and turned off the lamp.
"Sweet dreams, Amy," he whispered before drifting off to sleep.
(Author's note: What more did you expect, you hentai-seeking sickos? =P)
*A few days later*
[Marble Garden Zone ~ 6:25 P.M.]
Espio the Chameleon was surveying the part of the Floating Island he was assigned to. When he reached the highest peak of the Marble Garden Zone, he noticed a bright flash in the sky. It seemed like a shooting star, only larger than usual. And it was hurtling toward the Earth at awesome speed, increasing in size!
"That doesn't look too promising…" Espio said to himself. Now the object seemed to be heading straight at him!
"WHOA!" he shouted as he ducked. It whizzed right over his head and plunged into the valley with a loud crash. He leaped down from the peak and sped toward the crash site to investigate.
Espio reached the crash site in a few minutes' time. He found a medium-sized crater with some stranger in the center…
"A hedgehog! But this isn't Sonic…"
This particular hedgehog he found was black with red stripes. He had a tuft of white fur on his chest. Just then, Charmy the Bee happened to be buzzing by.
"Hey, Espio. How's your watch goi— Whoa! Who's this?"
"I have no idea. Go call Mighty out here; tell him I need some help. You and Vector go prepare a place to lay him down."
"Gotcha. I'm on it!"
Once Mighty the Armadillo arrived at the scene a few minutes later, he and Espio carried the black hedgehog to the Chaotix's lair.
"We oughta call Knux in the morning about this," he suggested.
"Agreed," everyone nodded.
*The next day…*
[Angel Island Zone ~ 7:35 A.M.]
Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnggg!
"Unh…" Knuckles grunted as he turned in his bed.
Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnggg!
This time he yawned and half-opened his eyes.
Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnggg!
Irritated, he sat up.
"Damn! Who would call at this hour?" he muttered to himself. He got up out of bed and staggered toward the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Knux. It's Vector."
"*yawn* Now what's so important that would get me up at such an ungodly hour in the morning?"
"Sheesh! You don't have to be such a bitch about it."
Knuckles gave an annoyed growl.
"Right. Anyway, this may seem strange, but someone just happened to crash smack-dab into the valleys of Marble Garden last night. Espio found him."
"Who is it?"
"We don't know, man. It's some black hedgehog, and he's been out cold since last night."
Knuckles' eyes popped wide open and his jaw dropped. Could it be…Shadow?? I thought he… he thought.
"Yo, Knux! You still there?"
"Sorry, I just… I'll come right over."
Knuckles hung up the phone and dashed right out the door.
[Chaotix's Lair ~ 7:40 A.M.]
There was a knock at the front door. Mighty went over and opened it.
"Knuckles!"
"Where is he?"
"Right over there."
Knuckles bustled in and caught sight of the black hedgehog lying down on the cot.
"It *is* him…" he gasped.
"You know this guy, Knux?" Charmy asked.
"His name is Shadow. He helped Sonic stop the Space Colony ARK from impacting the Earth. You saw that on the news, right?"
"Oh yeah we did."
"So this is Shadow…" murmured Espio as he looked over Shadow lying still on the cot. Suddenly, he began to stir.
"Ungh…" he groaned. He half opened his eyes and sat up. He rubbed them a little and was finally wide awake.
"Wh-where am I?" he questioned, looking around the room.
"Shadow, you're on the Floating Island," answered Knuckles.
"Shadow… Why does that sound familiar?"
"Uh, that's your name, dude."
"It is?"
"Ah, jeez. I think he's got amnesia," whispered Charmy to Knuckles, who winced and checked if this was true by asking:
"Er…Shadow, do you remember anything that happened before you woke up?"
"…"
Shadow stared into space with an incontent look in his eye.
"It's all a blank to me. I don't know who I am or how I got here."
Damn, this is sad. We got a situation here. I should call Sonic, thought Knuckles.
"Uh, I'll take him from here. Guys. I know just who can refresh his memory."
"Okay, if you say so," was Mighty's reply.
"Come on, Shadow, follow me."
Shadow got off the cot and tailed Knuckles out the door.
"Who were those guys anyway? Who are you?" asked Shadow as they walked along the edge of the island.
"They were the Chaotix. Espio the Chameleon, Mighty the Armadillo, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy the Bee. They help me, Knuckles the Echidna, guard this Floating Island."
Shadow stopped in his tracks, zoning out as a flashback was coming to mind.
"All of you ungrateful humans who took everything away from me will feel my loss and despair!" the deranged voice of Professor Gerald Robotnik echoed as Shadow sprinted through the halls of the Cannon's Core. Upon reaching the energy chamber, he found a blue hedgehog and a red echidna standing before a massive reptile with blood-red scales.
"Could this be the ultimate lifeform prototype that was supposed to be encapsulated?" the echidna wondered.
"Shadow? Shadow, are you okay?" the same voice asked. Shadow shook his head and continued walking.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
By now, the two had reached Knuckles' home on the Angel Island Zone. Shadow sat on the couch and thought deeply while Knuckles dialed Amy's cell phone number.
[Grand Circle City ~ 8:12 A.M. – Amy's Apartment]
Prrrrrinng!
Amy got her cell out and answered it.
"Hello, Amy speaking."
"Hey, Amy. It's Knux."
"What would you be calling for at this hour?" she asked sternly.
"I need to speak to Sonic. It's urgent.
"All right. He's making chilidogs in the kitchen. Hold on."
Amy walked into the kitchen and handed the phone to Sonic.
"It's Knux. Says it's urgent."
Sonic took the phone into his hands and put it to his ear.
"What's up Knucklehead?"
"Hey, fuck you."
Sonic snickered. Knuckles hated being called Knucklehead.
"Anyway, I don't know how to put this, but…Shadow…is…alive."
Sonic almost dropped the phone
"Holy shit. You gotta be kidding me."
"You know I'm not one to have a sense of humor. He's right here with me, right now. Espio saw him crash in the Marble Garden Zone. But the thing is, he's lost his memory.
"Whoa…"
"He doesn't remember who he is, Sonic. I alone can't refresh his memory."
"That's what I was thinking. I'll come right over after breakfast."
"Okay. See ya."
Sonic hung up and gave Amy back her cell phone. He filled her in on their conversation. She became just as shocked as Sonic was.
[Mystic Ruins ~ 8:15 A.M. – Tails' Workshop]
Tails was asleep with his head on a pillow propped up on his desk. He was awakened by a knock on the door.
"Huh!" he grunted, startled. As he jerked in surprise, he accidentally banged his head on a wall shelf, making a lot of papers spill out.
"Kuso…" he muttered as he dropped off the stool he was sitting on and went to answer the door.
"Oh! Sonic! It's you! …and Amy."
"Good morning to you too," Amy said dryly.
"Can we hitch a ride to the Floating Island?" asked Sonic.
"What for?"
"The Chaotix…found Shadow."
"He…he's alive?!"
"Yeah. He's at Knuckles' right now. But he's got amnesia."
"Poor guy… Then I wanna come too. Maybe I can help out in some small way."
"Of course you're coming! We need someone to fly the plane, Tails!"
"Oh, right. Heheheh."
Tails closed the door. Sonic and Amy just sat on the front steps while Tails was making his preparations. After a while, the cliff next to the workshop parted and revealed a runway. Tails was driving out an upgraded Tornado 2. It no longer ran on Chaos energy, but Tails fixed it so that it went just as fast. It could also seat more people. After Sonic and Amy climbed into the back seat, they immediately took off.
[Backtrack: Angel Island Zone ~ 8:15 A.M.]
Knuckled had just hung up the phone. Suddenly, a white female bat barged in through the front door.
"Hey, Knuckles! Life's been a bore since I quit my job, so I decided to come by and see what you were up to!"
"ROUGE?! WHAT the HELL?!"
"So are you free, Knux? 'Cause I'm bored and lonely and up for a game of—" The black hedgehog sitting on the couch caught her eye. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Rouge shrieked and pointed, "You?! You're…but I thought you…how did…?!"
Knuckles walked over and grabbed Rouge by the shoulders. He turned her around and whispered something to her.
"Bad timing, Rouge."
"Care to explain??"
As Knuckles talked to Rouge, Shadow found himself zoning out again.
"Legend has it, when all 7 Chaos Emeralds are collected, the power creates a miracle. I have 6 of them. They're mine, all mine!" the female bat laughed as she eyed the Chaos Emeralds in the control panel's console.
"I don't think so."
"Shadow…"
"So that was your plan from the very beginning, huh? Or was it a direct order from the President? Now I know who you are. You're that government spy, Rouge the bat, aren't you?"
"Shadow? Shaaaa-dooooow…" Rouge called, waving her hand in front of him.
"Huh?"
"Are you sure you're okay?" Knuckles asked.
"Uh…"
Just then, the sound of a plane landing was heard. It came from outside.
"That must be them."
"Who?"
"You'll see. Come on outside."
The three of them found Sonic, Tails, and Amy climbing out of the Tornado 2. They all met in the middle of the field.
"Rouge. Fancy meeting you here," Amy smirked.
"Yeah, well, it's all coincidence…" Rouge mumbled.
Sonic came face to face with Shadow.
"Shadow…it really is you…" Sonic smiled, embracing Shadow.
"Er…" Shadow grunted, sweatdropping.
"Oh, right. It's me Sonic. Here's your bracelet back…kinda tore it off your glove as I watched you go down…"
Sonic handed Shadow his golden bracelet and he slipped it back on. Then he looked back into Sonic's face.
"Sonic…" Shadow mouthed, beginning to think. It dawned on him slowly.
"You never cease to amaze me, blue hedgehog. I thought the capsule you were in exploded in space."
"You know what I can say! I die hard!"
"So there's more to you than just looking like me. What are you anyway?"
"Well, what you see is what you get! Just a guy that loves adventure! I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"I see. But you know, I can't let you live. Your adventuring days are coming to an end!"
"…Is it all coming back to you?"
"…Piece by piece. It's still kind of a blur to me…"
"Well, maybe this next lesson will jog your memory. Do you still remember how to use Chaos Control?"
"Chaos Control…what's that?"
"I can't believe this. You're the one I learned Chaos Control from. All right. Let's do this. Take out a Chaos Emerald."
"A what? Do I even have one?"
"Sure you do. We shared a set of 7 in our final battle with the Biolizard."
"If you say so… How exactly do I take one out?"
"Damn. I never was a good explainer. Well, I guess you just try to envision one in the palm of your hand. Watch what I do first."
Sonic held out his hand and stared intently at it. Something began to materialize. At first, it was a transparent image of a blue jewel. It gradually became more opaque until it was a solid Chaos Emerald.
"Okay. I think I got it," Shadow said. He mimicked what Sonic did and the Red Chaos Emerald appeared.
"Great! You catch on quickly," Sonic grinned, "Now, to use Chaos Control, think of a place besides where you're standing right now. Any place will do. Then imagine yourself in that place. When that thought becomes a clear picture, just yell, 'Chaos Control' and you'll be there. Let me demonstrate. Guys, stand back."
Sonic clutched his Emerald tightly and paused in silence.
"Chaos Control!" he shouted suddenly.
ZZFFFT!
Shadow had covered his face during the flash. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't find Sonic anywhere.
"Where'd he go?!" he demanded.
ZZFFFT!
"WHOA!"
SPLASH!
Sonic had teleported over a pool of water.
"YEEAAAAARRGHH! Shit!!! Someone help me! I can't swiiiiiiiiim!!!!" he gargled, flailing.
Everyone rushed to the edge of the pool.
"Sonic, stand up," Knuckles snickered. Sonic did so. Everyone laughed.
"Aw, shaddap, all of ya. I haven't fully mastered Chaos Control yet," Sonic growled, "You see, Shadow, I let my mind wander a little. You shouldn't do that unless you want to find yourself in a predicament like me."
Shadow smirked as Sonic stepped out of the pool.
"Hmm. My turn now."
He tried to think of a place to teleport to: By the coconut tree. The ARK. Atop the Tornado. The ARK. Behind the gang. The ARK. Shadow just could not stop thinking of the ARK. So he decided to focus on that.
"Chaos Control!"
FFFZZZTT!
Shadow felt a light feeling, almost like he was floating. The dizziness and bright flash made him close his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in the exact same place he pictured in his mind.
"This is where…all the memories began…" he said to himself as he went over to the window and stared down on Earth.
"Shadow, what do you think it's like on Earth?"
"The professor said his life's work was dedicated to all of those who live down there. He once told that the reason for his existence was making people happy through the power of science."
"Shadow…"
"Maria… I just don't know anything anymore. I often wonder why I was created? What my purpose is for being here. Maybe if I go down there, I will find the answers. Maybe… Maria…"
"Find them! Don't let them escape!"
Maria breathed heavily as the G.U.N. operatives chased her and Shadow down the halls of the ARK. They reached the escape capsule area when…BANG! Maria was shot! She staggered to the controls and ensnared Shadow in a glass capsule.
"MARIA!"
"Shadow… I beg of you…please do it for me…for a better future! For all the people who live on that planet…give them a chance to be happy… Let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought into this world… Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog…"
"Shadow, we need you! Please help us!" pleaded Amy.
"It's all according to plan. There's no reason for me to help them. Besides, there's no way to save anyone."
"There has to be! I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish like the professor said… But they're basically good. If they try their best and never give up on their wishes… They always have a reason to be happy. That's why you should help them out…saving them is a good thing! Shadow, I beg you, please do it for them! Give them a chance!"
"No way that's getting through!" Super Sonic declared as he and Hyper Shadow looked up to the rapidly plummeting ARK. The two of them flew closer to it.
"…Shadow…please give them a chance to be happy…" Maria's voice echoed in Shadow's mind.
"Maria…"
"Now, Shadow!"
"CHAOS… CONTROL!!!" they both shouted, throwing an energy ball at the ARK.
ZZZZFFFZZZ…ZZZFFZZTTT!
As soon as it engulfed the space colony, it teleported it away from the Earth's path.
"This is what you wanted, right Maria? This is the promise I made to you…" Shadow whispered as he fell through the atmosphere. Then everything went black.
[Back on Angel Island Zone ~ 8:45 A.M.]
"He hasn't reappeared yet… Guys, maybe something's wrong," Tails informed.
"I was thinking that too," Sonic agreed, "Let's go look for him."
"I'll inform the Chaotix and have them search too," Knuckles added. Sonic, Tails, and Amy went one way while Knuckles and Rouge went the other.
(Half an hour later)
Everyone met up again in front of Knuckles' home. The Chaotix reported that they saw no sign of Shadow. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge didn't either. Then Sonic had the most far-off idea. He looked to the sky.
"Guys…what if he went to the ARK?"
"Of course! Why didn't we think of that before?" Amy agreed.
"Are you sure, Sonic?" asked Rouge.
"It'd take way past too long to scan the Earth, even with Chaos Control. Most of his memory's gone, so he probably doesn't remember being in…wherever he was when he was here."
"Then how would he remember being in the ARK?" Tails asked.
"That's what I figured too, but maybe, just maybe he had flashbacks about it."
"Hmm, I did catch Shadow zoning out more than once… So the ARK's our only choice," Knuckles concluded. Sonic nodded in agreement and summoned the blue Emerald again. He held it out for Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge to place their hands on. Sonic focused his thoughts to the escape capsule area of the ARK.
"Chaos Control!"
FFFTZZ-FFFTZZ-FFFFZZZTT!
"Good luck, guys," Espio whispered as he looked to the sky after they vanished.
[Space Colony ARK ~ 9:06 A.M.]
FFFZZZZZTTT!
The gang landed on the floor in a pile.
"OW! Dammit, Rouge, your heel is digging into my chest!" Knuckles scolded.
"Ah…ah…achoo!" Sonic sneezed as Tails' tails were brushing his face.
"Aaaiee! Will you please get off my wing?!" Rouge shrieked, shoving Amy. After a while, the commotion died down and everyone was able to get back up on his or her feet.
They found Shadow staring out the window, silently weeping.
"Shadow…are you all right?" questioned Sonic, slowly approaching him. Shadow wiped his tears with his arm and turned to Sonic.
"Sonic…I remember almost everything now. How we worked together to save the world."
Then he looked to Amy.
"Amy…you brought to light the true promise I made to Maria. Heheheh, you once mistook me for Sonic down on the Prison Island."
Amy's face turned red with embarrassment.
"Jeez! I still can't believe I was fooled so easily! I even hugged you!" she raged. Everyone laughed, and Shadow turned to Knuckles.
"Knuckles, Guardian of the Master Emerald. You used it to stop the Chaos Emeralds from making the ARK explode."
"That's right."
Now he looked to Rouge.
"Rouge. The government spy who had me and Dr. Eggman eluded."
"I quit that job. Now I'm just a treasure hunter."
"And Tails. What can I say about you? The only bit of memory I have of you is chasing you in your plane up in the Sky Rails of Pumpkin Hill."
"Waitaminute, you were following me? Er, *cough* yeah. We had few, if any encounters."
"Welcome back, Shadow," Sonic smiled as he shook his hand, "But there's one more thing you have to remember."
"What's that?"
Sonic grinned maliciously.
"I am the Ultimate Lifeform and you are the FAKER."
Shadow's pupils shrank and he zoned out again. That statement triggered a couple more memories.
"It begins with this. A jewel containing the ultimate power…"
"That's the Chaos Emerald! Now I know what's going on!"
Shadow looked down on Sonic from atop a mech, smirking as he approached him.
"The military has mistaken me for the likes of you! So…where do you think you're going with that Emerald?! Say something! You fake hedgehog!"
"Chaos Control!"
FZZSHWWW! FZZZSSHHWWW! FFFZZZZZZSSSST!
In a flash of light, Shadow teleported to the roof of a nearby building.
"My name is Shadow. I am the world's Ultimate Lifeform. There's no time for games…farewell."
"That blue hedgehog, of all places…" Shadow muttered as he looked down at Sonic at a platform in the water. They were in the jungle.
"I found you, faker!" Sonic yelled, pointing at him.
"Faker? I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me? Ha! You're not even good enough to be my fake."
"I'll make you eat those words!"
"Shadow?" interrupted Sonic, waving a hand in his face.
"HEY!" he exclaimed so loudly that everyone jerked in surprise, "Now I completely remember *everything*! *I* am the Ultimate Lifeform and *YOU* are the faker!"
"You fucker! I thought I could pull one over you for once!"
"Hah! You'd have to get up pretty early in the morning!"
"Oh yeah?! If you're so much better than me, how do you fare in the water?"
"I…I… What does that matter anyway?!"
A punch was thrown and a kick in the shin was landed. Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Rouge laughed heartily as the two hedgehogs sparred, rolling all over the floor, shouting instances of "Shut up, faker!" and "No, you shut up, faker!"
THE END
Author's Note: Text in signifies thoughts and flashbacks.
Recovery Of A Shadow
*Right after the ARK incident*
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge had returned to the earth by now. Dr. Eggman had as well, but dropped out of sight because he couldn't stand to hang around the so-called good guys. Everyone had returned to the routine of his or her normal lives…well, except maybe Rouge since she decided to quit her job. But one thing was for sure: the memory of Shadow will forever live in their minds, and they will always wonder whatever became of him. Especially Sonic.
[Grand Circle City ~ 1:23 A.M.]
Sonic stood atop the building Amy's temporary apartment is in. (Temporary because Station Square was currently being rebuilt.) He looked to the stars in the clear night sky, still thinking of Shadow, with his gold bracelet in hand.
"*sigh* I'm sorry, Shadow, that I let you die… If only I had shared more of my energy with you— I could have prevented that. We could have been like brothers…nah, more like friendly rivals. I've got to admit, you were more of a formidable opponent than ol' Knucklehead."
A tear rolled down his cheek as he forced out a smile, thinking of the little "grudge" they held against each other.
"We could have had races, Shadow, to tell who was the Ultimate Lifeform and who was the faker— although I still think you are the faker," he chuckled, wiping his tears with his glove.
"No. I can't just give up like that and believe you're dead. You're as tough as me, if not tougher! I have faith in you, Shadow, and I believe that someday you'll turn up alive…somehow. I'll never lose hope, Shadow. I'll never lose hope."
The stairway door opened, and Amy walked out.
"Hey, Sonic. It's getting pretty late. Don't you want to sleep now?" she asked.
"I'll be right there. I was just—"
"—paying your respects to Shadow. Listen, Sonic, I know what you're thinking. But it's definitely not your fault we lost him."
"*sigh* Do you miss him too, Amy?"
"Of course I do— but not more than I missed you when I thought you died in that exploding capsule."
Amy threw herself upon him and held him tightly. Ah, even in a tragedy like this, she stays faithful to me, Sonic thought.
"Come on, Sonic, I know you're as tired as I am. Let's get some sleep," encouraged Amy, now pulling him by the arm.
"All right, Amy, you win."
The hedgehog couple walked down the stairs, hand in hand, back to Amy's apartment. After a quick snack, the two of them went to bed. Sonic lay awake for a while, staring at Shadow's bracelet, which he put on the little table beside the bed. Amy began to slip her arms around him. He blushed and turned off the lamp.
"Sweet dreams, Amy," he whispered before drifting off to sleep.
(Author's note: What more did you expect, you hentai-seeking sickos? =P)
*A few days later*
[Marble Garden Zone ~ 6:25 P.M.]
Espio the Chameleon was surveying the part of the Floating Island he was assigned to. When he reached the highest peak of the Marble Garden Zone, he noticed a bright flash in the sky. It seemed like a shooting star, only larger than usual. And it was hurtling toward the Earth at awesome speed, increasing in size!
"That doesn't look too promising…" Espio said to himself. Now the object seemed to be heading straight at him!
"WHOA!" he shouted as he ducked. It whizzed right over his head and plunged into the valley with a loud crash. He leaped down from the peak and sped toward the crash site to investigate.
Espio reached the crash site in a few minutes' time. He found a medium-sized crater with some stranger in the center…
"A hedgehog! But this isn't Sonic…"
This particular hedgehog he found was black with red stripes. He had a tuft of white fur on his chest. Just then, Charmy the Bee happened to be buzzing by.
"Hey, Espio. How's your watch goi— Whoa! Who's this?"
"I have no idea. Go call Mighty out here; tell him I need some help. You and Vector go prepare a place to lay him down."
"Gotcha. I'm on it!"
Once Mighty the Armadillo arrived at the scene a few minutes later, he and Espio carried the black hedgehog to the Chaotix's lair.
"We oughta call Knux in the morning about this," he suggested.
"Agreed," everyone nodded.
*The next day…*
[Angel Island Zone ~ 7:35 A.M.]
Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnggg!
"Unh…" Knuckles grunted as he turned in his bed.
Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnggg!
This time he yawned and half-opened his eyes.
Rrrrriiiiiiinnnnnggg!
Irritated, he sat up.
"Damn! Who would call at this hour?" he muttered to himself. He got up out of bed and staggered toward the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Knux. It's Vector."
"*yawn* Now what's so important that would get me up at such an ungodly hour in the morning?"
"Sheesh! You don't have to be such a bitch about it."
Knuckles gave an annoyed growl.
"Right. Anyway, this may seem strange, but someone just happened to crash smack-dab into the valleys of Marble Garden last night. Espio found him."
"Who is it?"
"We don't know, man. It's some black hedgehog, and he's been out cold since last night."
Knuckles' eyes popped wide open and his jaw dropped. Could it be…Shadow?? I thought he… he thought.
"Yo, Knux! You still there?"
"Sorry, I just… I'll come right over."
Knuckles hung up the phone and dashed right out the door.
[Chaotix's Lair ~ 7:40 A.M.]
There was a knock at the front door. Mighty went over and opened it.
"Knuckles!"
"Where is he?"
"Right over there."
Knuckles bustled in and caught sight of the black hedgehog lying down on the cot.
"It *is* him…" he gasped.
"You know this guy, Knux?" Charmy asked.
"His name is Shadow. He helped Sonic stop the Space Colony ARK from impacting the Earth. You saw that on the news, right?"
"Oh yeah we did."
"So this is Shadow…" murmured Espio as he looked over Shadow lying still on the cot. Suddenly, he began to stir.
"Ungh…" he groaned. He half opened his eyes and sat up. He rubbed them a little and was finally wide awake.
"Wh-where am I?" he questioned, looking around the room.
"Shadow, you're on the Floating Island," answered Knuckles.
"Shadow… Why does that sound familiar?"
"Uh, that's your name, dude."
"It is?"
"Ah, jeez. I think he's got amnesia," whispered Charmy to Knuckles, who winced and checked if this was true by asking:
"Er…Shadow, do you remember anything that happened before you woke up?"
"…"
Shadow stared into space with an incontent look in his eye.
"It's all a blank to me. I don't know who I am or how I got here."
Damn, this is sad. We got a situation here. I should call Sonic, thought Knuckles.
"Uh, I'll take him from here. Guys. I know just who can refresh his memory."
"Okay, if you say so," was Mighty's reply.
"Come on, Shadow, follow me."
Shadow got off the cot and tailed Knuckles out the door.
"Who were those guys anyway? Who are you?" asked Shadow as they walked along the edge of the island.
"They were the Chaotix. Espio the Chameleon, Mighty the Armadillo, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy the Bee. They help me, Knuckles the Echidna, guard this Floating Island."
Shadow stopped in his tracks, zoning out as a flashback was coming to mind.
"All of you ungrateful humans who took everything away from me will feel my loss and despair!" the deranged voice of Professor Gerald Robotnik echoed as Shadow sprinted through the halls of the Cannon's Core. Upon reaching the energy chamber, he found a blue hedgehog and a red echidna standing before a massive reptile with blood-red scales.
"Could this be the ultimate lifeform prototype that was supposed to be encapsulated?" the echidna wondered.
"Shadow? Shadow, are you okay?" the same voice asked. Shadow shook his head and continued walking.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
By now, the two had reached Knuckles' home on the Angel Island Zone. Shadow sat on the couch and thought deeply while Knuckles dialed Amy's cell phone number.
[Grand Circle City ~ 8:12 A.M. – Amy's Apartment]
Prrrrrinng!
Amy got her cell out and answered it.
"Hello, Amy speaking."
"Hey, Amy. It's Knux."
"What would you be calling for at this hour?" she asked sternly.
"I need to speak to Sonic. It's urgent.
"All right. He's making chilidogs in the kitchen. Hold on."
Amy walked into the kitchen and handed the phone to Sonic.
"It's Knux. Says it's urgent."
Sonic took the phone into his hands and put it to his ear.
"What's up Knucklehead?"
"Hey, fuck you."
Sonic snickered. Knuckles hated being called Knucklehead.
"Anyway, I don't know how to put this, but…Shadow…is…alive."
Sonic almost dropped the phone
"Holy shit. You gotta be kidding me."
"You know I'm not one to have a sense of humor. He's right here with me, right now. Espio saw him crash in the Marble Garden Zone. But the thing is, he's lost his memory.
"Whoa…"
"He doesn't remember who he is, Sonic. I alone can't refresh his memory."
"That's what I was thinking. I'll come right over after breakfast."
"Okay. See ya."
Sonic hung up and gave Amy back her cell phone. He filled her in on their conversation. She became just as shocked as Sonic was.
[Mystic Ruins ~ 8:15 A.M. – Tails' Workshop]
Tails was asleep with his head on a pillow propped up on his desk. He was awakened by a knock on the door.
"Huh!" he grunted, startled. As he jerked in surprise, he accidentally banged his head on a wall shelf, making a lot of papers spill out.
"Kuso…" he muttered as he dropped off the stool he was sitting on and went to answer the door.
"Oh! Sonic! It's you! …and Amy."
"Good morning to you too," Amy said dryly.
"Can we hitch a ride to the Floating Island?" asked Sonic.
"What for?"
"The Chaotix…found Shadow."
"He…he's alive?!"
"Yeah. He's at Knuckles' right now. But he's got amnesia."
"Poor guy… Then I wanna come too. Maybe I can help out in some small way."
"Of course you're coming! We need someone to fly the plane, Tails!"
"Oh, right. Heheheh."
Tails closed the door. Sonic and Amy just sat on the front steps while Tails was making his preparations. After a while, the cliff next to the workshop parted and revealed a runway. Tails was driving out an upgraded Tornado 2. It no longer ran on Chaos energy, but Tails fixed it so that it went just as fast. It could also seat more people. After Sonic and Amy climbed into the back seat, they immediately took off.
[Backtrack: Angel Island Zone ~ 8:15 A.M.]
Knuckled had just hung up the phone. Suddenly, a white female bat barged in through the front door.
"Hey, Knuckles! Life's been a bore since I quit my job, so I decided to come by and see what you were up to!"
"ROUGE?! WHAT the HELL?!"
"So are you free, Knux? 'Cause I'm bored and lonely and up for a game of—" The black hedgehog sitting on the couch caught her eye. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Rouge shrieked and pointed, "You?! You're…but I thought you…how did…?!"
Knuckles walked over and grabbed Rouge by the shoulders. He turned her around and whispered something to her.
"Bad timing, Rouge."
"Care to explain??"
As Knuckles talked to Rouge, Shadow found himself zoning out again.
"Legend has it, when all 7 Chaos Emeralds are collected, the power creates a miracle. I have 6 of them. They're mine, all mine!" the female bat laughed as she eyed the Chaos Emeralds in the control panel's console.
"I don't think so."
"Shadow…"
"So that was your plan from the very beginning, huh? Or was it a direct order from the President? Now I know who you are. You're that government spy, Rouge the bat, aren't you?"
"Shadow? Shaaaa-dooooow…" Rouge called, waving her hand in front of him.
"Huh?"
"Are you sure you're okay?" Knuckles asked.
"Uh…"
Just then, the sound of a plane landing was heard. It came from outside.
"That must be them."
"Who?"
"You'll see. Come on outside."
The three of them found Sonic, Tails, and Amy climbing out of the Tornado 2. They all met in the middle of the field.
"Rouge. Fancy meeting you here," Amy smirked.
"Yeah, well, it's all coincidence…" Rouge mumbled.
Sonic came face to face with Shadow.
"Shadow…it really is you…" Sonic smiled, embracing Shadow.
"Er…" Shadow grunted, sweatdropping.
"Oh, right. It's me Sonic. Here's your bracelet back…kinda tore it off your glove as I watched you go down…"
Sonic handed Shadow his golden bracelet and he slipped it back on. Then he looked back into Sonic's face.
"Sonic…" Shadow mouthed, beginning to think. It dawned on him slowly.
"You never cease to amaze me, blue hedgehog. I thought the capsule you were in exploded in space."
"You know what I can say! I die hard!"
"So there's more to you than just looking like me. What are you anyway?"
"Well, what you see is what you get! Just a guy that loves adventure! I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"I see. But you know, I can't let you live. Your adventuring days are coming to an end!"
"…Is it all coming back to you?"
"…Piece by piece. It's still kind of a blur to me…"
"Well, maybe this next lesson will jog your memory. Do you still remember how to use Chaos Control?"
"Chaos Control…what's that?"
"I can't believe this. You're the one I learned Chaos Control from. All right. Let's do this. Take out a Chaos Emerald."
"A what? Do I even have one?"
"Sure you do. We shared a set of 7 in our final battle with the Biolizard."
"If you say so… How exactly do I take one out?"
"Damn. I never was a good explainer. Well, I guess you just try to envision one in the palm of your hand. Watch what I do first."
Sonic held out his hand and stared intently at it. Something began to materialize. At first, it was a transparent image of a blue jewel. It gradually became more opaque until it was a solid Chaos Emerald.
"Okay. I think I got it," Shadow said. He mimicked what Sonic did and the Red Chaos Emerald appeared.
"Great! You catch on quickly," Sonic grinned, "Now, to use Chaos Control, think of a place besides where you're standing right now. Any place will do. Then imagine yourself in that place. When that thought becomes a clear picture, just yell, 'Chaos Control' and you'll be there. Let me demonstrate. Guys, stand back."
Sonic clutched his Emerald tightly and paused in silence.
"Chaos Control!" he shouted suddenly.
ZZFFFT!
Shadow had covered his face during the flash. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't find Sonic anywhere.
"Where'd he go?!" he demanded.
ZZFFFT!
"WHOA!"
SPLASH!
Sonic had teleported over a pool of water.
"YEEAAAAARRGHH! Shit!!! Someone help me! I can't swiiiiiiiiim!!!!" he gargled, flailing.
Everyone rushed to the edge of the pool.
"Sonic, stand up," Knuckles snickered. Sonic did so. Everyone laughed.
"Aw, shaddap, all of ya. I haven't fully mastered Chaos Control yet," Sonic growled, "You see, Shadow, I let my mind wander a little. You shouldn't do that unless you want to find yourself in a predicament like me."
Shadow smirked as Sonic stepped out of the pool.
"Hmm. My turn now."
He tried to think of a place to teleport to: By the coconut tree. The ARK. Atop the Tornado. The ARK. Behind the gang. The ARK. Shadow just could not stop thinking of the ARK. So he decided to focus on that.
"Chaos Control!"
FFFZZZTT!
Shadow felt a light feeling, almost like he was floating. The dizziness and bright flash made him close his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in the exact same place he pictured in his mind.
"This is where…all the memories began…" he said to himself as he went over to the window and stared down on Earth.
"Shadow, what do you think it's like on Earth?"
"The professor said his life's work was dedicated to all of those who live down there. He once told that the reason for his existence was making people happy through the power of science."
"Shadow…"
"Maria… I just don't know anything anymore. I often wonder why I was created? What my purpose is for being here. Maybe if I go down there, I will find the answers. Maybe… Maria…"
"Find them! Don't let them escape!"
Maria breathed heavily as the G.U.N. operatives chased her and Shadow down the halls of the ARK. They reached the escape capsule area when…BANG! Maria was shot! She staggered to the controls and ensnared Shadow in a glass capsule.
"MARIA!"
"Shadow… I beg of you…please do it for me…for a better future! For all the people who live on that planet…give them a chance to be happy… Let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it. That's the reason why you were brought into this world… Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog…"
"Shadow, we need you! Please help us!" pleaded Amy.
"It's all according to plan. There's no reason for me to help them. Besides, there's no way to save anyone."
"There has to be! I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish like the professor said… But they're basically good. If they try their best and never give up on their wishes… They always have a reason to be happy. That's why you should help them out…saving them is a good thing! Shadow, I beg you, please do it for them! Give them a chance!"
"No way that's getting through!" Super Sonic declared as he and Hyper Shadow looked up to the rapidly plummeting ARK. The two of them flew closer to it.
"…Shadow…please give them a chance to be happy…" Maria's voice echoed in Shadow's mind.
"Maria…"
"Now, Shadow!"
"CHAOS… CONTROL!!!" they both shouted, throwing an energy ball at the ARK.
ZZZZFFFZZZ…ZZZFFZZTTT!
As soon as it engulfed the space colony, it teleported it away from the Earth's path.
"This is what you wanted, right Maria? This is the promise I made to you…" Shadow whispered as he fell through the atmosphere. Then everything went black.
[Back on Angel Island Zone ~ 8:45 A.M.]
"He hasn't reappeared yet… Guys, maybe something's wrong," Tails informed.
"I was thinking that too," Sonic agreed, "Let's go look for him."
"I'll inform the Chaotix and have them search too," Knuckles added. Sonic, Tails, and Amy went one way while Knuckles and Rouge went the other.
(Half an hour later)
Everyone met up again in front of Knuckles' home. The Chaotix reported that they saw no sign of Shadow. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge didn't either. Then Sonic had the most far-off idea. He looked to the sky.
"Guys…what if he went to the ARK?"
"Of course! Why didn't we think of that before?" Amy agreed.
"Are you sure, Sonic?" asked Rouge.
"It'd take way past too long to scan the Earth, even with Chaos Control. Most of his memory's gone, so he probably doesn't remember being in…wherever he was when he was here."
"Then how would he remember being in the ARK?" Tails asked.
"That's what I figured too, but maybe, just maybe he had flashbacks about it."
"Hmm, I did catch Shadow zoning out more than once… So the ARK's our only choice," Knuckles concluded. Sonic nodded in agreement and summoned the blue Emerald again. He held it out for Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge to place their hands on. Sonic focused his thoughts to the escape capsule area of the ARK.
"Chaos Control!"
FFFTZZ-FFFTZZ-FFFFZZZTT!
"Good luck, guys," Espio whispered as he looked to the sky after they vanished.
[Space Colony ARK ~ 9:06 A.M.]
FFFZZZZZTTT!
The gang landed on the floor in a pile.
"OW! Dammit, Rouge, your heel is digging into my chest!" Knuckles scolded.
"Ah…ah…achoo!" Sonic sneezed as Tails' tails were brushing his face.
"Aaaiee! Will you please get off my wing?!" Rouge shrieked, shoving Amy. After a while, the commotion died down and everyone was able to get back up on his or her feet.
They found Shadow staring out the window, silently weeping.
"Shadow…are you all right?" questioned Sonic, slowly approaching him. Shadow wiped his tears with his arm and turned to Sonic.
"Sonic…I remember almost everything now. How we worked together to save the world."
Then he looked to Amy.
"Amy…you brought to light the true promise I made to Maria. Heheheh, you once mistook me for Sonic down on the Prison Island."
Amy's face turned red with embarrassment.
"Jeez! I still can't believe I was fooled so easily! I even hugged you!" she raged. Everyone laughed, and Shadow turned to Knuckles.
"Knuckles, Guardian of the Master Emerald. You used it to stop the Chaos Emeralds from making the ARK explode."
"That's right."
Now he looked to Rouge.
"Rouge. The government spy who had me and Dr. Eggman eluded."
"I quit that job. Now I'm just a treasure hunter."
"And Tails. What can I say about you? The only bit of memory I have of you is chasing you in your plane up in the Sky Rails of Pumpkin Hill."
"Waitaminute, you were following me? Er, *cough* yeah. We had few, if any encounters."
"Welcome back, Shadow," Sonic smiled as he shook his hand, "But there's one more thing you have to remember."
"What's that?"
Sonic grinned maliciously.
"I am the Ultimate Lifeform and you are the FAKER."
Shadow's pupils shrank and he zoned out again. That statement triggered a couple more memories.
"It begins with this. A jewel containing the ultimate power…"
"That's the Chaos Emerald! Now I know what's going on!"
Shadow looked down on Sonic from atop a mech, smirking as he approached him.
"The military has mistaken me for the likes of you! So…where do you think you're going with that Emerald?! Say something! You fake hedgehog!"
"Chaos Control!"
FZZSHWWW! FZZZSSHHWWW! FFFZZZZZZSSSST!
In a flash of light, Shadow teleported to the roof of a nearby building.
"My name is Shadow. I am the world's Ultimate Lifeform. There's no time for games…farewell."
"That blue hedgehog, of all places…" Shadow muttered as he looked down at Sonic at a platform in the water. They were in the jungle.
"I found you, faker!" Sonic yelled, pointing at him.
"Faker? I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me? Ha! You're not even good enough to be my fake."
"I'll make you eat those words!"
"Shadow?" interrupted Sonic, waving a hand in his face.
"HEY!" he exclaimed so loudly that everyone jerked in surprise, "Now I completely remember *everything*! *I* am the Ultimate Lifeform and *YOU* are the faker!"
"You fucker! I thought I could pull one over you for once!"
"Hah! You'd have to get up pretty early in the morning!"
"Oh yeah?! If you're so much better than me, how do you fare in the water?"
"I…I… What does that matter anyway?!"
A punch was thrown and a kick in the shin was landed. Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Rouge laughed heartily as the two hedgehogs sparred, rolling all over the floor, shouting instances of "Shut up, faker!" and "No, you shut up, faker!"
THE END