Beta Project: Epsilion
by Visler
* * * * *
Author's Note: I hope the lot of you have some tissues near by. This one gets a little sad.
* * * * *
----- Chapter 12: Shadow's Sacrifice -----
"Death Beam!" Epsilion shouted, pointing his finger at Sonic. A thin, red beam shot from his
hand. It was too fast. Sonic couldn't dodge it in time. He blinked as a dark form appeared
before him and pushed him out of the way. The red beam pieced through his body and he cried
out.
"Shadow!" Sonic yelled from the ground and watched as the black hedgehog closed his eyes to
the pain. A silver tear excaped his eye as he fell. Sonic caught him and somehow managed to
manuver him to the ground.
"S-S-Sonic..." Shadow's breath caught in his breat as he looked up at the blue hedgehog. He
was crying. The dark hedgehog smiled weakly and reached up to gently thumb away the tears.
"Why did you do that?" Sonic asked gripping the hedgehog's hand. Shadow winced.
"Be-cause you... would ha-ve d-done the... s-same f-or me..." Shadow smiled closing his eyes.
"Can't you heal yourself?" Sally's cracked voice barely got through to him. Shadow moved his
head to answer and shivered. He felt cold, his warm blood was leaving him. He was afraid.
"What can we do, Shadow?" Knuckles asked kneeling down next to him. Shadow shook his head
again.
"Shadow..." Amy whispered kneeling down beside him. She tried to keep herself from looking at
the gaping hole in his chest, but she failed. She threw herself at him and hugged him, crying.
He cried out in pain and held his breath until the pain passed. "Don't die, Shadow! Please
don't leave us! We need you!... I need you..."
"Amy..." Shadow whispered trying to open his eyes, but found that he couldn't. He stiffled
a yell as someone raised his head to place something soft beneath it.
"We'll get you to the hospital in Knothole. You'll be okay." Tails whispered.
"I'll see if I can start the rocket..." Sally whispered standing up. She ran from the room
as fast as she could.
"No... Time..." Shadow whispered, gasping for air.
"Don't talk like that. I know you can beat this. You're Shadow, the world's Ultimate Life
Form." Sonic whispered holding back the tears. Shadow smiled weakly.
"Good... bye... is... not... -orever..."
"... But farewell lasts a lifetime." Epsilion whispered closing his eyes. Sonic looked at
him for a moment. He felt Shadow relax and turned to him as his last breath reveberated off
the silence. A silver tear slipped to the floor and shattered. Sonic knew he was gone. He
turned to the navy hedgehog in time to see him fall to his knees. "... Shadow..."
"Why are you crying? You're the one who wanted to kill him!" Amy shouted picking up her hammer.
Epsilion looked up at her, hurt.
"I didn't want to kill him... I never ment to kill anybody... But they took everything from
me..." Epsilion whispered to the floor. Sonic watched as his tears shattered on the metalic
floor. "They killed everyone..."
"Then why don't you join them!" Amy shouted angrilly. She raised her hammer over her head
and brought it down.
"No!" Sonic shouted. He caught Amy's hammer before it could strike him. Amy looked at him
confused and angry.
"Sonic, he's evil!" Amy shouted trying to free her hammer from the older hedgehog's grasp.
He looked at her sadly, then slowly released her hammer. The blue hedgehog knelt down beside
Epsilion. The dark one looked away.
"He's not evil, Amy. He's confused and hurt." Sonic whispered and cautiously placed his hand
on the navy hedgehog's shoulder. He felt Epsilion tense at the contact.
"Don't protect me from my crimes." he whispered jerking away. Sonic watched as Epsilion slowly
walked to his brother and collapsed beside him. His tears fell new again. "All I wanted...
was to know what it was like to have a mom... I didn't know something else would come to mean
so much more to me..."
* * * * *
Author's Note: *sniffle* Where's my tissue box? Who would have guessed Epsilion would change
so much? And what of Maria? What will happen now?
Next time on BP:E... Chapter 13: Maria's Plea
by Visler
* * * * *
Author's Note: I hope the lot of you have some tissues near by. This one gets a little sad.
* * * * *
----- Chapter 12: Shadow's Sacrifice -----
"Death Beam!" Epsilion shouted, pointing his finger at Sonic. A thin, red beam shot from his
hand. It was too fast. Sonic couldn't dodge it in time. He blinked as a dark form appeared
before him and pushed him out of the way. The red beam pieced through his body and he cried
out.
"Shadow!" Sonic yelled from the ground and watched as the black hedgehog closed his eyes to
the pain. A silver tear excaped his eye as he fell. Sonic caught him and somehow managed to
manuver him to the ground.
"S-S-Sonic..." Shadow's breath caught in his breat as he looked up at the blue hedgehog. He
was crying. The dark hedgehog smiled weakly and reached up to gently thumb away the tears.
"Why did you do that?" Sonic asked gripping the hedgehog's hand. Shadow winced.
"Be-cause you... would ha-ve d-done the... s-same f-or me..." Shadow smiled closing his eyes.
"Can't you heal yourself?" Sally's cracked voice barely got through to him. Shadow moved his
head to answer and shivered. He felt cold, his warm blood was leaving him. He was afraid.
"What can we do, Shadow?" Knuckles asked kneeling down next to him. Shadow shook his head
again.
"Shadow..." Amy whispered kneeling down beside him. She tried to keep herself from looking at
the gaping hole in his chest, but she failed. She threw herself at him and hugged him, crying.
He cried out in pain and held his breath until the pain passed. "Don't die, Shadow! Please
don't leave us! We need you!... I need you..."
"Amy..." Shadow whispered trying to open his eyes, but found that he couldn't. He stiffled
a yell as someone raised his head to place something soft beneath it.
"We'll get you to the hospital in Knothole. You'll be okay." Tails whispered.
"I'll see if I can start the rocket..." Sally whispered standing up. She ran from the room
as fast as she could.
"No... Time..." Shadow whispered, gasping for air.
"Don't talk like that. I know you can beat this. You're Shadow, the world's Ultimate Life
Form." Sonic whispered holding back the tears. Shadow smiled weakly.
"Good... bye... is... not... -orever..."
"... But farewell lasts a lifetime." Epsilion whispered closing his eyes. Sonic looked at
him for a moment. He felt Shadow relax and turned to him as his last breath reveberated off
the silence. A silver tear slipped to the floor and shattered. Sonic knew he was gone. He
turned to the navy hedgehog in time to see him fall to his knees. "... Shadow..."
"Why are you crying? You're the one who wanted to kill him!" Amy shouted picking up her hammer.
Epsilion looked up at her, hurt.
"I didn't want to kill him... I never ment to kill anybody... But they took everything from
me..." Epsilion whispered to the floor. Sonic watched as his tears shattered on the metalic
floor. "They killed everyone..."
"Then why don't you join them!" Amy shouted angrilly. She raised her hammer over her head
and brought it down.
"No!" Sonic shouted. He caught Amy's hammer before it could strike him. Amy looked at him
confused and angry.
"Sonic, he's evil!" Amy shouted trying to free her hammer from the older hedgehog's grasp.
He looked at her sadly, then slowly released her hammer. The blue hedgehog knelt down beside
Epsilion. The dark one looked away.
"He's not evil, Amy. He's confused and hurt." Sonic whispered and cautiously placed his hand
on the navy hedgehog's shoulder. He felt Epsilion tense at the contact.
"Don't protect me from my crimes." he whispered jerking away. Sonic watched as Epsilion slowly
walked to his brother and collapsed beside him. His tears fell new again. "All I wanted...
was to know what it was like to have a mom... I didn't know something else would come to mean
so much more to me..."
* * * * *
Author's Note: *sniffle* Where's my tissue box? Who would have guessed Epsilion would change
so much? And what of Maria? What will happen now?
Next time on BP:E... Chapter 13: Maria's Plea