PART ONE:
The Thousand
Unique? Not quite.
"If you want a rematch, just give us a call" Sonic smirked before running off.
Shadow looked down on the still form of Metal Sonic in Omega's arms, watched Knuckles and Rouge's retreating figures and felt his heart sink. The battle was over, but he wasn't relieved or happy, he just felt… empty and abandoned. The arid space in his mind where his memories should have been seemed to grow, threatening to consume him. He looked down on Metal Sonic and couldn't help feeling sorry for him. A creation, a product of human curiosity, just like him, Metal was a copy of Sonic, a machine, built solely to destroy him. Sonic seemed to be becoming a universal hate figure, and was apparently oblivious of that fact.
"What do we do now?" Shadow felt himself jump into the air before he could stop himself. Omega stared at him. Hastily he found his voice to respond.
"I don't know. Rouge has gone off chasing that Echidna, there's no way down from here"
"We will find a way" Omega said in his monotone voice.
"Huh" Shadow grunted, somehow he couldn't be so confident. Slowly he walked off to the edge of the airbase. He stood beside one of the cannons, inactive now. He looked down over the edge. The rain was clearing. The fragmented moon was beginning to break through the storm clouds. His bad omen was dissipating, but he still didn't feel any better. Above those clouds the stars were shining, it was night now. It had been a very long three days, but they were the only three days he could remember, so he guessed he should appreciate them. Shadow was tired; all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and go to sleep. He closed his eyes and listened to the wind in his ears, felt the lasts of the cool rain patter on his head, and heard the rumbles of thunder get further and further away…
"Shadow, you're so silly sometimes" she giggled at him as he stretched to look out of the window at the stars. He turned to look back
"Maria what's that big rock-
"Shadow. Metal Sonic can land the airbase"
Shadow turned round to face just Omega, in the distance he could see Metal Sonic with his hand merged into the machine.
"Ok" he mumbled and turned back to gaze out at the sky again. He looked up; he could see the moon and its fragments shining through the thinning clouds, flitting in and out of his vision. When it passed behind the clouds it turned them silvery grey. Behind him he heard Omega walk away. He let himself breathe again; he closed his eyes and kept them shut. The rain stopped. The thunder had long since ceased to growl.
Shadow listened to the sounds of his feet against the metal floor of the airbase. He felt lost, and alone. He'd have given a lot for one of the others to have stayed with him, the Echidna, Rouge, even Sonic. Omega was standing off with Metal Sonic, Shadow felt the outsider watching them, they were the same… All three were created, but Shadow knew he could never be like them. Slowly he wandered towards a pair of doors, he'd seen Rouge and Omega come out of before, and he wondered what they'd been looking at. Just as the door closed behind him he heard Omega call his name.
He looked around. Shadow couldn't believe what he saw, a thousand of himself in long rows of stasis pods. He didn't know what he was feeling as his breaths came in gasps. The door opened again.
"Ugh… I… just what am I?" Shadow stared around, dropping to his knees "I'm no different to you… How… what? Am I a machine? A useless hunk of metal?" Behind him he heard the clanking footsteps of Omega and Metal Sonic. "Omega… does this make me just another useless consumer model?"
"You are not a machine"
"But if there are so many, I'm just the same"
Metal Sonic came up beside him and swiped one of his hands at his face. Shadow was sent sprawling.
"Hey why did you do that?" He asked pressing his hand against his cheek.
"I cut you, you bleed. We do not."
Shadow took his hand from his face and looked down; deep crimson blood stained his glove.
"We are machines. You are flesh and blood. You are the Ultimate Life Form"
"How can I be the Ultimate Life Form?" Shadow asked weekly, kneeling, he lifted up his bloody hand "There's a thousand of me!"
"You are the Ultimate Life Form. You have not even begun to realise your full potential"
Shadow tasted metal in his mouth, he spat bloody saliva on the floor.
"No-wonder I don't remember what happened before, I wasn't there…" Shadow paused "Rouge said I was… Created…" The word tasted foul in his mouth "Why?" He stood up and turned to the others, his ruby eyes burning "Why?"
"You are like me" Metal Sonic said "We are creations, of the same family… Doctor Eggman made me, his grandfather made you. Stay with me, help me, Shadow the Hedgehog and I will teach you to use your power, together we will get revenge against our creators and wipe that sorry smile off Sonic's face!"
Shadow felt sick.
"I'm not like you, I don't want revenge. I don't hate Sonic!"
"That is the problem with flesh and blood. It cannot be controlled. Shadow the Hedgehog; you will help me destroy them!"
"What? No!"
Shadow started backing away. He looked at Omega
"Omega, stop him… you can't seriously be thinking about helping him… can you? Omega destroy this place. Destroy all these… these things…"
"Negative"
"Omega! Sonic talked about teamwork!... We're still a team… aren't we?"
"Rouge made us a team. She is no longer here. Eggman's robots have been destroyed. I no longer have any mission to ally myself with you."
"But he's one of Eggman's robots! Don't you want to destroy him too?"
"Negative"
"But Omega…!" Shadow had never been good with words; he didn't know what to say.
"If you will not help us you will be destroyed"
They walked forward as one, blocking Shadow from escaping. He jumped out of the way as Omega's arms began shooting at him. As he landed one of Metal Sonic's fists made contact with his leg. Shadow heard a cracking noise even over the din of Omega's guns. He was trapped, held by pain and Metal Sonic's strength. Shadow watched as Omega drew closer, pinned on the floor beneath Metal Sonic's fist. Omega came closer and pointed his gun at his head.
"Omega… We're a team…"
"No-longer Shadow the Hedgehog"
Shadow watched as the parts of his arm prepared to fire. He summoned all his strength… and time, stopped.
Everything was still. Shadow could see the bullet just emerging from Omega's arm. Pausing only to blink he managed to scurry free of Metal Sonic's grip. He dragged himself up and squeezed out of the half closed double doors. As he raced for the edge of the Airbase the clouds above were still, the world utterly silent, aside from his running feet. He reached the edge of the ship, took only a single glance over it, and jumped.
As he fell the world started moving again. Shadow looked down; he could see a forest getting swiftly closer. For some bizarre reason he was having déjà vu. There was rushing in his ears, the world was nothing but noise. Then briefly trees were scratching at him, pulling his limbs, breaking with snapping sounds like gunshots. Then all was still, silent and black.
He was warm; he could hear birdsong, gentle contented twitters, and the rustling of the wind through leaves and grass. He could smell earth, warm and comforting. Shadow wondered if he had died and gone to heaven. He opened his eyes; he was laid in a shaft of emerald sunlight amongst the dusky shadows of a lush forest… Around him tree limbs lay broken. Then there was pain, a sudden wave of it, as though grabbing hold of him and shaking him. Shadow's world and senses were suddenly thrown into sharp relief. He noticed the pool of blood around him, the crackling noise his lungs made when he breathed, and the way his heart pounded against his ribs. He wasn't just laid on the earth, but in fact buried a few inches into it. He closed his eyes…
The sun was higher in the sky, almost at the point at which it would begin to sink again when Shadow's world swam back into focus. He stared about him, confused. He sat up, pain raced through him like lightening. His memories started to return. He had to warn Sonic, he'd wasted enough time already. Shadow leapt to his feet and started running. They still had the Chaos Emeralds he could track them by those. Far in the west the sun began to sink below a distant mountain…
He raced through the tall grass, clawing at his legs, all the way up to his hips. The rain pelted down on him, soaking into his fur. Lightning cracked the sky, the grass whistled and danced in the gusting wind, but above it all he could still hear the deep rumbling call of the Echidna's cry for help. As he ran against the full force of the storm the only thought that went through his mind was "Oh no, not again"
Behind him he left the Master Emerald unguarded. Even now it was clawing at the corners of his mind, calling him back, filling his mind with images, promises it couldn't keep, fantasies. But along with those came the images that held more power over him, the thought of what could happen if he was gone too long… Shaking himself he ran on, up the final sloping hill towards the School, a place that held the memory of a far happier life than the one he lived now.
He slowed as he climbed up the slope. He was going as fast as he could, but he wasn't nearly as quick on his feet as some. Only now did he notice the rumbling cry had cut out. As he climbed the wind and the rain brought him a different smell, smoke. It filled his heart with terror. His whole body was electrified with fear as he reached the brow of the hill and looked down on the Guardian School. His heart sank. The buildings were on fire, the brightness of the flames against the black night prevented him from being able to discern even their shape. The thick smoke blowing in his direction already hurt his eyes and made them stream. Terrified he careered down the slope.
He raced as close to the school as he dared. The heat from the flames pushed him back. He stared through the smoke at the barracks; the students would all have been asleep inside… As he watched the roof collapsed. He wanted to break through the flames… see if there was anyone left alive inside but he wasn't strong enough… The call to arms had come too late… The flames pushed him back. Desperately he let out his own rumbling cry, echoing even over the roar of the fire… surely anyone left alive would respond… he waited for what he felt was an eternity… but no-one answered. Then suddenly the whole island shook, like an earthquake…but how could they have an earthquake… the island was flying… The Emerald!
He ran, away from the charred remains of the Guardian Training School, towards his Emerald. Some dirty meddling thief was trying to steal it. The Master Emerald was crying out to him, asking him to help it, frightened and for once not saying "I told you so" He had to be fast. He had to stop them, or the hundreds of lives at the school would have been wasted. He ran, the rain and the lingering smoke stinging at his eyes left salty tears running down his face. Up ahead lightning struck a lone tree, setting it aflame. Burning branches fell to the ground, smouldered and went out. There had been something unnatural about the flames ravaging the school… but how could fire be unnatural? He shook his head dispelling the thought and the memory of the burning school from his mind. He ploughed ahead; he had to get back to the shrine!
He could see the shrine up a head, through the rain. A flash of lightning lit it up. He thought he saw a dark shape standing on top of the Master Emerald. He must have imagined that surely. No-one could be that stupid, to violate his Emerald and in full sight. By the next lightning flash he was closer. He was sure he saw someone this time. He ran right to the foot of the steps and looked up. The shape stood on the top of the Master Emerald and looked down on him. There was another flash, a black shape was outlined vividly against the bight sky. His whole body tingled, an odd sensation of familiarity, recognition filling him. Then there was a green flash not contributed to the storm, so bright he had to look away… when he opened his eyes again the Master Emerald… was gone.
"Get back here with my Emerald!" Knuckles leapt up.
"Ouch!" Sonic and Tails yelped in unison
"I'm gunna be sick"
"Not over us your not, Echidna boy"
"You have a nightmare again?" Tails asked
"Oh yeah… It was a bad one this time"
"Well go back to sleep" Sonic groaned
"Sonic the sun's up we should get up"
"Yeah, I have to be heading back to Angel Island today"
"Aww… Ok"
After a time Shadow had grown too weak to run, then his walk was reduced to a slow stagger. He seemed to go on like that for an eternity. Sonic team had been moving fast, but then they had slowed, as though keeping pace with him, never letting him get close. The sun had sunk low in the sky before they stopped. Shadow still staggered on, the moon and its fragments had passed across the sky and the sun was rising again long before he found them…
"Sonic?"
The three of them all jumped at the sound of the strained yet familiar voice.
"Shadow?" Tails asked looking at him with a mixture of fear and concern.
Silently the world dropped out from under Knuckles' feet.
"What do you want Faker?"
Shadow found his legs wouldn't support him any longer, the pain became too much for him to ignore. He fell forwards. He wasn't expecting them to come to his aid but to his surprise when his eyes opened again Knuckles and Tails were standing next to him, Knuckles gently trying to help him back to his feet. Sonic approached more slowly.
"I… need… your help" Shadow managed
"Why would the Ultimate Life Form need my help?"
"Sonic" Tails scolded
"T-Tails' is right, h-he helped us out, we do owe him a favour" Knuckles said, his voice shook, but no-one noticed
"Hmm, what do you want?"
"To warn you… Metal Sonic is coming… with a thousand of me"
"Huh?"
Shadow could stand it no-longer, his world went black. Knuckles stared down uneasily at the dark shape in his arms; then looked up at Sonic and Tails, unsure of the expression that would be portrayed on his face. He was worried, very worried, that his friend was going to die. Surely that muchwas normal.
"He's real banged up…" Knuckles muttered softly, gently easing him to the ground so that he didn't hurt what he knew from experience were broken bones.
"I can see that"
"Don't start this again" Tails said helplessly "What do we do Sonic, you or Knuckles can't heal him can you?"
Knuckles shook his head "Not this much no, my training didn't go this far, I'm a Guardian, not a doctor, it's supposed to be my job to stop people getting in a state like this"
"I can't either" Sonic growled irritably, as though Shadow's presence was simply an inconvenience.
"Doctor…" He looked up from his thoughts "Sonic do you think you could find-"
Sonic shook his head suddenly "No way!"
"But doctor Eggman might be the only person we know who can help him!"
"No way!" Sonic repeated
Knuckles had been fussing with Shadow's injuries, now he took his hand off his pulse and looked up at him
"Please Sonicu…" he said earnestly, unusually so for him, without a hint of pride, more desperation. Sonic stared at him for a moment then shook his head.
"You're sick Knuckles"
Knuckles just looked at him. He'd let Sonic believe whatever he wanted to as long as it served a purpose. Sonic growled to himself then disappeared into the trees. Once he was gone Knuckles turned to Tails.
"How's your medicine little buddy?"
"Not good"
"Hmm… mine's a little rusty too" Knuckles paused "do you have anything we can bind these wounds with?"
"No other than a few spare pairs of gloves"
Knuckles scratched his dreadlocked head. "Stay with him… Don't let him get cold… and put your hand here" Knuckles put Tails' hand over a puncture wound in Shadow's abdomen "They're old… he shouldn't bleed out… I'll be back"
Knuckles disappeared into the forest leaving Tails staring helplessly after him.
Tails was growing increasingly anxious before Knuckles returned. The first thing that warned of his return was the sound of branches being snapped. Then he reappeared through the trees. In his hands he carried what looked like moss, his mouth was filled with strips of something. He flopped to the ground and dropped the stuff on the floor beside him
"Sorry Tails that took longer than I thought… Ok you can move your hand now." Knuckles tore the moss up and once Tails moved his bloodstained hand away placed a large clod of it over the wound, pressing it down surprisingly gently.
"Will that help?"
Knuckles shrugged. "It helps the blood clot, seals the wound, at the very least it keeps the flies off"
As Tails watched Knuckles pulled his glove off with his teeth.
"I can fix machines… I'm not so good with people. I didn't know you could do medicine"
"The Guardian School taught me summin'. Its not rocket science… especially if I understand it"
Tails laughed softly and shook his head as Knuckles ran his hands tenderly along each of Shadow's limbs. His face growing more and more concerned. At his leg he paused.
"Pass us that stick"
Tails did as he was told and watched closely as Knuckles used the stringy pieces of bark that has been in his mouth to bind his leg to it. Once he was finished Knuckles sighed.
"That's it… I can't do anymore"
"We hardly need Doctor Eggman!"
Knuckles didn't look so hopeful "This is field medicine. I can't do anything for his pain, or permanently seal those injuries, or stop him becoming riddled with infection. That'll be what will kill him… I just hope Eggman can concoct something." Knuckles looked desperately down on Shadow "Because I can't… it's funny though… Those wounds aren't bleeding nearly as much as they should… and he has broken ribs but he doesn't seem to be having too much trouble breathing" Knuckles shook his head "Don't question a gift right?... Tails can you relight that fire?"
Tails smiled "Now that I can do"
"Good, coz I don't fancy the old fire bow thing. Stay with him while I go find some wood ok?"
"I'll go… if you'd rather stay with him"
Knuckles just shrugged. Tails had known him long enough to understand and trotted off into the fringes of the trees surrounding the glade they'd camped in.
Tails wandered happily through the trees. He thought the forest was pretty; with spring just about to become summer everything seemed to be bursting with life. The floor wasn't barren like most places, completely starved of sunlight, here there was grass in the brighter places and otherwise a thick carpet of moss covered the ground. Tails liked to be among the trees, it was his favourite place. He knew Knuckles on the other hand must be longing for the open air and the endless sky of his home on Angel Island. Sonic didn't care much for anywhere in particular, as long as he could keep moving. As Tails listened to the birds singing in the branches, smelt the scents of wet earth and felt the warm sunshine on his fur he couldn't help but feel happy, despite Shadow's injuries. As he bent to fill his arms with sticks for a fire he found himself singing to himself.
"Listen to him" Knuckles laughed to himself "Someone's happy. Can't say I can imagine you singing, me neither for that mater"
Tails re-emerged from the trees "You talking to me Knux?"
"Nope, not really, just talking to myself"
"Did yourself answer back?"
"Not recently"
Tails raised an eyebrow as he set about relighting the fire. As he worked Tails spoke "This has screwed up your plans hasn't it Knux, going back to Angel Island I mean"
Knuckles looked down "This is more important. At the very least I have to know what's going on before I leave. One more day isn't going to make much difference." He sighed "But I have the worst feeling that I won't be going home for a very long time…"
"Why?"
Knuckles looked away and refused to meet Tails' eyes
"I'm not sure exactly… but… I have a strong feeling that the fighting isn't over yet"
"Your nothing if not a pessimist Knuckles!"
Knuckles shrugged "That way you can't be disappointed. But look at Shadow, he's evidence the fighting isn't over. What happened to make him like this?"
"I don't know Knuckles. When he wakes up, we can ask him" Tails succeeded in sparking the dry wood and let out a small whoop of delight. Knuckles didn't notice, he had his hand on Shadow's wrist. At that moment Tails noticed the ground seemed to be vibrating, and Knuckles was the cause.
"You will wake up wont you?"
"What are you doing?" Tails asked sitting back on his haunches.
"Err…Talking to myself" He grinned "You know me… talk to myself… talk to inanimate objects-"
"Eh, you talk to Sonic"
Knuckles laughed "Now that was cruel Tails"
Tails just smiled and watched as Knuckles positioned himself so that he was the other side of Shadow from the fire, shielding him from the wind. After a moment Tails spoke again.
"Why is it you always want a fire Knux, even in the middle of summer?"
"I don't know… I've always found fire… comforting somehow" He shrugged "Except last night, I always dream of fire… but last night it was a nightmare… The Guardian School, it was burning… burnt to embers before I reached it…" he frowned "There was something… unnatural… about the flames. But how can fire be unnatural? It's an element"
Tails shrugged his shoulders "You know what dreams are like Knux, they never make sense"
He grinned "Yeah, I suppose so"
They watched the sun cross the sky and begin to sink again in the west in silence for most of the day. After a while Tails got bored with Knuckles uncommunicative mood and wandered off into the forest, returning periodically to check all was well only to find both hardly moved from how he'd left them. Knuckles had fallen back into his old traits, watching and listening for danger but his mind was firmly somewhere else.
"They've obviously been this way"
"How can you tell?" Tails asked
"Look at all the wreckage"
"How do you know Shadow did this? It could be Amy; or that other lot we've never seen before"
"There are bullets scattered around from the robot and-" Knuckles picked up a piece of wreckage.
He placed his fingers against a small set of handprints burned into a metal door. His heart was consumed with terror.
"Knuckles!" Sonic was shouting his name and clinging tightly to him. "You nearly went over the edge…"
"Sonic?"
"You ok buddy… You scared me for a minute there"
Knuckles stood up "Of course I'm alright"
"What happened?"
Knuckles moved away from Sonic "Just for a minute there… I was back on the ARK"
Sonic growled under his breath but Tails spoke before another argument could break out
"You ok to keep moving?"
"You bet!"
"Knuckles! What planet are you on?"
"Earth! I'm alright! Huh what?" He answered startled.
"I've been trying to speak to you for the last five minutes! I could have walked up and stolen the Master Emerald by now"
Knuckles chuckled "I knew you were no threat Tails"
"Hmmm. I was trying to ask are you hungry?"
"No not really" He got to his feet and walked around the fire a few times, stretching each of his heavily muscled limbs in turn. Finally he yawned loudly and stretched in all directions at once.
"Any sign of Sonic and Eggman?"
"No. I found a high place that looks over the forest. I couldn't see any sign of any of them. But coming back will be slower though won't it. They can't run as fast as Sonic."
"No…" Knuckles muttered settling back into his former position.
"Don't you get bored just sitting there all day?"
"Echidna aren't intelligent enough to get bored"
"That's not true!"
"I have yet to meet a clever Echidna or a clever Guardian"
Tails laughed softly "I think it depends on what you count as being clever"
"We're given an education, but it would take me an eternity to know what you do, to learn to build things like you do"
"So what do you learn?"
"Mostly the legends of our people. We Guardians have many legends; they make up our history, and our belief system. One thing I was good at was memorising them, I could remember any spoken conversation in several languages to a frightening degree of accuracy and repeat it back on demand… just… don't ask me to write it down… We learnt all kinds of things but spoken languages were the only things I was good at, I couldn't count much beyond the number of my toes, let's face it, I was never going to make the scholars proud."
"I don't think you're as stupid as you make out"
"Then you have too much faith in me" Knuckles sighed "I'm clever enough to get by. No more than that. Sometimes I envy you Tails."
"Well I envy Sonic and you; I'd give a lot to be strong enough to fight"
Knuckles shook his head severely "Listen to me Tails. My kind of strength is not something to covet. It is a terrible thing only capable of bringing evil, you must not lust after power, or that lust will consume you, and you will do something you'll regret all your life. Once your hands are stained with blood they are not easily cleansed."
Tails starred at him, his mouth hanging slightly open. Knuckles had always been the most serious of the group, but he'd never spoken to him like that before.
"Power corrupts little buddy, the stronger you are the further you can err from the path…"
With that Knuckles looked away, to stare blankly back into the flames.
"Dear stars… what have I done? I deserve a slow painful death and descent into the Black Pit for this. Their punishment will never be enough. I'm a monster- I'd do anything short of selling my soul to turn back time…
"Hey Echidna boy I mite get jealous"
Knuckles was on his feet with his fists bared in one motion, a white shape leapt into the sky in front of him.
"Keep your hands to yourself!"
"Rouge! Don't wake me up like that I could have killed you!"
"That's no way to greet a lady" she dropped to the ground in front of him "I come all this way and find you cuddled up to another guy!"
Knuckles frowned confused. Then his foggy mind woke up a little, he looked briefly down at Shadow.
"Shut up Bat Girl. What do you want anyway?" He flopped back down onto the ground.
"Knuckles… who you talking to?" Tails sat up and rubbed his eyes
"Just Rouge Tails, go back to sleep"
"Hey I'm here too!" Came another voice
"Amy?" Knuckles asked, he hadn't noticed her standing in the darkness behind Rouge.
"What are you two doing here?"
"I was following Sonic… he gave me directions here then just ran off in a hurry just as I managed to get him on his own…"
"And I found her wandering in the forest, I thought I'd better help her find you lot before she got herself anymore lost" Rouge added.
"Hey is that Shadow?" Amy asked "He's a mess. What happened to him?"
"We don't know…"
"Are you sure that's the same Shadow?"
"The same Shadow? What are you talking about Rouge there's only one of-" Tails looked up shocked just as Knuckles began to speak
"Metal Sonic is coming with a thousand of me… Rouge do you know what that means?"
"Urr yeah… but now isn't the time… Where did Sonic go anyway... didn't look like he was in that much of a hurry… at least not until Amy turned up"
Knuckles growled quietly under his breath.
"He went to go find Eggman, to help Shadow."
At that Rouge sat herself down close to Knuckles' side; normally he would have been pleased, but this night his anxiety was at fever pitch. Shadow was dying in front of him, and he could think of nothing else. He looked up at the sky through the canopy of dark leaves to try and discern the time of night. He recognised none of the stars and drew a blank. Silently he wondered what was taking Sonic so long… then if he even had any idea where to find Eggman.
"I'm tired" Rouge said lying down and dragging him with her. On the other side of the fire Amy had settled for Tail's companionship since Sonic was unavailable.