Finally back O.o I've been really busy with friends, family, worry about
high school etc. and just didn't have the time. Now I do ^^ and this is the
last chapter. This is it. So sit back, relax and enjoy.
Finding A Way: CHAPTER 10
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A couple weeks had passed since Shadow encountered that incident. He would think about Kayli constantly, but didn't want to. Guilt. Pain. Emptiness.
Sonic had let Shadow stay in the guest room. Rouge would've let him, but she didn't have enough room in her apartment. The two hedgehogs made a truce and were becoming friends slowly.
Yep, it was pretty good. Until Thursday morning.
Shadow sat on the couch in front of the TV, large bowl of cereal on the coffee table. He never had TV on ARK, so it was a change of pace.
"Turn on the news so I can see if it's good running weather today." Sonic grumbled as he walked by, still half asleep. Normally Shadow would argue, but there was nothing else on anyway. He changed the channel to the news to find something bad.
"...and I'm DeniseTurner with your top news. Behind me is a scene like no other. It seems early this morning; a fisherman caught an odd creature in one of his nets. If I heard right, this creature is half fish...half anthro-hedgehog. A missing link perhaps?"
Shadow's eyes widened.
*scene cuts to the fisherman*
"I dunno, it just basically swam into my net. I've never seen anything like it!"
*scene cuts to a GUN officer*
Shadow's eyes widen bigger.
"This creature is one of a kind and will be safely given a nice home at our lab-sanctuary."
Shadow scowled, "Sanctuary my ass." He dropped is spoon, causing milk to get all over the table, and raced out the door.
"Hey! Where ya goin?!" Sonic yelled without an answer from him.
Shadow ran until he realized he didn't know exactly where G.U.N. labs were. His memory finally kicked in and he was quickly on the island Base. It was gonna be tough getting in by himself, but he would manage.
He creeped around the base for about an hour trying not to get caught, until he was finally able to sneak in an air vent. Crawling around for a little while longer after that, he heard voices below him.
He couldn't see much through the tiny holes, but he heard "Merhog" a few times. He knew he was hot on the target. All he would have to do is wait for them to leave the room, go in and grab Kayli, and get out of there.
His plan flawed.
He shifted weight the wrong way and the rusty vent pipe busted out from underneath him.
"Just peachy." He grumbled as he went to get up.
"Well what have we got here?" one scientists said to the other.
"Shadow?! Shadow help me!" Kayli yelled from the other side. He looked to his right to see Kayli in a tank of water.
One scientist got a confused look on his face, then it hit him and he grabbed a phone out of his coat. "We need backup fast! Project Shadow is loose and unrestrained!"
Shadow turned to them, "What do you want with her?!"
"It's none of your business. Why should I tell a weapon our intentions? She is and has always been our experiment."
In less than a second the room was filled with gunfire. Shadow easily dodged the bullets, but it caused several chemicals to mix and a turn into gasses. As if things weren't already harder, but a red light started flashing as the base realized it was under threat.
The officers used their bullets in vain, as they were out. Shadow gave them a nasty 'I can kill you.' Look and they ran away for more ammo and backup.
"Project Shadow, surrender so you can be put back to rest."
"Would you stop calling me that, like I'm not a living thing?!"
"Well, you are, but you shouldn't be programmed with these feelings. Must be a flaw in your design. No matter, we can just get rid of you and make another."
"Maria would never call me that...", Shadow mumbled to himself, but loud enough for them to hear.
"Maria? Robotnik?", the scientist said, "ah yes, now I remember, that girl my father killed on the ARK all those years ago. Ha, I guess you were also transmitted some of those memories as well."
Shadow started to get shaky.
"Shadow, don't listen to him, he's only trying to weaken you." Kayli said from behind.
He tried to take her advice, but continued, "W-What are you talking about. Of course I remember Maria, she was my best friend."
The scientist was slowly breaking him, "WELL, I guess you could've been her friend if you were the real Shadow."
"No, I am Shadow."
"No. The real Shadow died in his space trip to Earth. We found his remains enough to make a clone. You're only but a mere clone, one with a lot of flaws it seems."
"Lies. Lies. You're LYING!"
"Too bad I'm not." The man walked toward a door and opened it, "Here's your proof." He turned on a light to reveal something that shouldn't have been shown.
It was a tank-with a dead hedgehog pickled in a copper colored liquid. Everything was screaming inside Shadow to not come any closer, but he did.
Ears folded back, he pressed his face against the glass in pure shock. It was indeed Shadow, the Ultimate Life, at his worst.
He had seen enough, Shadow ranted out of the room and started kicking things over.
"No, no no nonononononono NOOOOOOO!" he yelled accidentally kicking Kayli's tank, which shattered with the blow.
"wahhh!", she emitted a squeal as a large shard of glass went through her abdomen.
The scientist scowled, "Hey, we need that animal."
Shadow ignored the comment, tears dripping down his cheeks and his ears still down. He walked over to hurt Kayli and kneeled down.
"What have I done?", he picked her up.
"It isn't your fault. T-They taunted you."
Her voice grew weaker, the more blood spilled out.
"It IS my fault", he pulled the glass out, which only seemed to make the bleeding worse, "Don't go..."
He kissed her, she went limp. Another girl he cared about, gone before his eyes. Sure she was still breathing, but he couldn't do anything about it.
He got up, picked up a stray gun on the floor, gave it to the scientist and said
"Kill me."
What seemed like perfect timing. Sonic tumbled through a window.
"I'm here to back you up Shadow!"
"Don't bother, blue hedgehog. I don't want to live."
"The scientist pulled the trigger, but it was empty as expected.
"What are you talking about Shadow?"
He sighed, "I have nothing left."
"Let's talk about this later, come on, think of everyone who cares about you!"
"Fine, for whoever cares about me."
The scientists ran, being unarmed.
"I'll get em'. Come back cowards!" Sonic speeded down the hallway after.
Shadow looked through the cabinets to find something that could be Kayli's last hope. Something to help her breathe, donor blood, something. But something caught his eye.
A small bottle. Label faintly read "antidote" and a few warnings.
"I wonder.", Shadow said. Kayli had nothing to lose anyway.
He walked over to her body, not bothering to check for a pulse, and poured the liquid little by little down her throat. She coughed and sputtered, at least she wasn't dead.
And Shadow watched amazingly as her wound sealed itself up only leaving a scar. Not only that, but she groaned slightly as her tail--turned to legs.
She awoke as if she was sleeping, looked up at Shadow.
"What happened?"
She stuck a leg in the air.
"You did it! Thank you so much!" she sobbed with joy and hugged him. He blushed furiously realizing he had a half naked girl on his lap.
"Uh, Kayli, you--uh..."
She stopped hugging and looked down, "Oh crap." She made him turn around as she got some towels to wrap around herself out of a cabinet.
"Ahem, well, we better go get Sonic..." He said.
------------------------------------------- ----------------
"Come on, kids! Let's get back before we have to walk home in the dark!" Sonic yelled from up ahead of Shadow and Kayli.
Shadow looked away for a minute, looking depressed.
She noticed, "What's wrong?"
"I'm not Shadow; I'm not the real thing..."
"You're a perfect Shadow to me." She said, brightening him up, "oh, and by the way, you're a good kisser." She said slyly and speeded up her pace. Shadow stopped. Then he gave her the same sly look and ran up ahead.
He had a place after all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The End.
*wipes forehead* whew. Longer then all other chapters. Ok, so, that's it. For the most part, I had fun writing it. So, like it, hate it? Anything I might consider editing if I revise the story later on?
Finding A Way: CHAPTER 10
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A couple weeks had passed since Shadow encountered that incident. He would think about Kayli constantly, but didn't want to. Guilt. Pain. Emptiness.
Sonic had let Shadow stay in the guest room. Rouge would've let him, but she didn't have enough room in her apartment. The two hedgehogs made a truce and were becoming friends slowly.
Yep, it was pretty good. Until Thursday morning.
Shadow sat on the couch in front of the TV, large bowl of cereal on the coffee table. He never had TV on ARK, so it was a change of pace.
"Turn on the news so I can see if it's good running weather today." Sonic grumbled as he walked by, still half asleep. Normally Shadow would argue, but there was nothing else on anyway. He changed the channel to the news to find something bad.
"...and I'm DeniseTurner with your top news. Behind me is a scene like no other. It seems early this morning; a fisherman caught an odd creature in one of his nets. If I heard right, this creature is half fish...half anthro-hedgehog. A missing link perhaps?"
Shadow's eyes widened.
*scene cuts to the fisherman*
"I dunno, it just basically swam into my net. I've never seen anything like it!"
*scene cuts to a GUN officer*
Shadow's eyes widen bigger.
"This creature is one of a kind and will be safely given a nice home at our lab-sanctuary."
Shadow scowled, "Sanctuary my ass." He dropped is spoon, causing milk to get all over the table, and raced out the door.
"Hey! Where ya goin?!" Sonic yelled without an answer from him.
Shadow ran until he realized he didn't know exactly where G.U.N. labs were. His memory finally kicked in and he was quickly on the island Base. It was gonna be tough getting in by himself, but he would manage.
He creeped around the base for about an hour trying not to get caught, until he was finally able to sneak in an air vent. Crawling around for a little while longer after that, he heard voices below him.
He couldn't see much through the tiny holes, but he heard "Merhog" a few times. He knew he was hot on the target. All he would have to do is wait for them to leave the room, go in and grab Kayli, and get out of there.
His plan flawed.
He shifted weight the wrong way and the rusty vent pipe busted out from underneath him.
"Just peachy." He grumbled as he went to get up.
"Well what have we got here?" one scientists said to the other.
"Shadow?! Shadow help me!" Kayli yelled from the other side. He looked to his right to see Kayli in a tank of water.
One scientist got a confused look on his face, then it hit him and he grabbed a phone out of his coat. "We need backup fast! Project Shadow is loose and unrestrained!"
Shadow turned to them, "What do you want with her?!"
"It's none of your business. Why should I tell a weapon our intentions? She is and has always been our experiment."
In less than a second the room was filled with gunfire. Shadow easily dodged the bullets, but it caused several chemicals to mix and a turn into gasses. As if things weren't already harder, but a red light started flashing as the base realized it was under threat.
The officers used their bullets in vain, as they were out. Shadow gave them a nasty 'I can kill you.' Look and they ran away for more ammo and backup.
"Project Shadow, surrender so you can be put back to rest."
"Would you stop calling me that, like I'm not a living thing?!"
"Well, you are, but you shouldn't be programmed with these feelings. Must be a flaw in your design. No matter, we can just get rid of you and make another."
"Maria would never call me that...", Shadow mumbled to himself, but loud enough for them to hear.
"Maria? Robotnik?", the scientist said, "ah yes, now I remember, that girl my father killed on the ARK all those years ago. Ha, I guess you were also transmitted some of those memories as well."
Shadow started to get shaky.
"Shadow, don't listen to him, he's only trying to weaken you." Kayli said from behind.
He tried to take her advice, but continued, "W-What are you talking about. Of course I remember Maria, she was my best friend."
The scientist was slowly breaking him, "WELL, I guess you could've been her friend if you were the real Shadow."
"No, I am Shadow."
"No. The real Shadow died in his space trip to Earth. We found his remains enough to make a clone. You're only but a mere clone, one with a lot of flaws it seems."
"Lies. Lies. You're LYING!"
"Too bad I'm not." The man walked toward a door and opened it, "Here's your proof." He turned on a light to reveal something that shouldn't have been shown.
It was a tank-with a dead hedgehog pickled in a copper colored liquid. Everything was screaming inside Shadow to not come any closer, but he did.
Ears folded back, he pressed his face against the glass in pure shock. It was indeed Shadow, the Ultimate Life, at his worst.
He had seen enough, Shadow ranted out of the room and started kicking things over.
"No, no no nonononononono NOOOOOOO!" he yelled accidentally kicking Kayli's tank, which shattered with the blow.
"wahhh!", she emitted a squeal as a large shard of glass went through her abdomen.
The scientist scowled, "Hey, we need that animal."
Shadow ignored the comment, tears dripping down his cheeks and his ears still down. He walked over to hurt Kayli and kneeled down.
"What have I done?", he picked her up.
"It isn't your fault. T-They taunted you."
Her voice grew weaker, the more blood spilled out.
"It IS my fault", he pulled the glass out, which only seemed to make the bleeding worse, "Don't go..."
He kissed her, she went limp. Another girl he cared about, gone before his eyes. Sure she was still breathing, but he couldn't do anything about it.
He got up, picked up a stray gun on the floor, gave it to the scientist and said
"Kill me."
What seemed like perfect timing. Sonic tumbled through a window.
"I'm here to back you up Shadow!"
"Don't bother, blue hedgehog. I don't want to live."
"The scientist pulled the trigger, but it was empty as expected.
"What are you talking about Shadow?"
He sighed, "I have nothing left."
"Let's talk about this later, come on, think of everyone who cares about you!"
"Fine, for whoever cares about me."
The scientists ran, being unarmed.
"I'll get em'. Come back cowards!" Sonic speeded down the hallway after.
Shadow looked through the cabinets to find something that could be Kayli's last hope. Something to help her breathe, donor blood, something. But something caught his eye.
A small bottle. Label faintly read "antidote" and a few warnings.
"I wonder.", Shadow said. Kayli had nothing to lose anyway.
He walked over to her body, not bothering to check for a pulse, and poured the liquid little by little down her throat. She coughed and sputtered, at least she wasn't dead.
And Shadow watched amazingly as her wound sealed itself up only leaving a scar. Not only that, but she groaned slightly as her tail--turned to legs.
She awoke as if she was sleeping, looked up at Shadow.
"What happened?"
She stuck a leg in the air.
"You did it! Thank you so much!" she sobbed with joy and hugged him. He blushed furiously realizing he had a half naked girl on his lap.
"Uh, Kayli, you--uh..."
She stopped hugging and looked down, "Oh crap." She made him turn around as she got some towels to wrap around herself out of a cabinet.
"Ahem, well, we better go get Sonic..." He said.
------------------------------------------- ----------------
"Come on, kids! Let's get back before we have to walk home in the dark!" Sonic yelled from up ahead of Shadow and Kayli.
Shadow looked away for a minute, looking depressed.
She noticed, "What's wrong?"
"I'm not Shadow; I'm not the real thing..."
"You're a perfect Shadow to me." She said, brightening him up, "oh, and by the way, you're a good kisser." She said slyly and speeded up her pace. Shadow stopped. Then he gave her the same sly look and ran up ahead.
He had a place after all.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The End.
*wipes forehead* whew. Longer then all other chapters. Ok, so, that's it. For the most part, I had fun writing it. So, like it, hate it? Anything I might consider editing if I revise the story later on?