This is the hardest chapter to write yet, especially at 9:15 in the morning when I haven't eaten anything and my stomach is killing me…

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Sonic, Shadow, etc- none of it belongs to me. They belong to SEGA. Remember that well.

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STORY TITLE: Just A Shadow In the World

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CHAPTER EIGHT: Emotional Showdown

Shadow had miscalculated the time difference between his last location versus the current location of the Freedom Fighters. As the sun was just rising in the desert, it had been high in the sky at the Mystic Ruins. The fighters themselves were restlessly standing around the rubble left from the wall, arguing over who should search through it. None of them wanted to search through the chunks of rock-who knew what would pop up from the blackness beneath?
Sonic volunteered, finally, to test the wall and be the brave one, as usual, in which no one disapproved accept Sally, who didn't dare speak up. So he approached the rocks and pulled a large slab away, then another and another. Everyone was stone still, quieter than a mouse. Slab after slab was slid out of the way, an occasional grunt from the weight, and then another. Soon the pile nothing more than a few cracked chucks of gritty stone. Sonic heaved heavily, sweat glistening down his cheek, puffing wearily. Guilty, Knuckles finally aided him in removing the last large chunks with little effort.

"You're all so much help," He sneered angrily, "Real friends." No one spoke from the shame. They had never felt this type of fear before.

"Hey, I think I see it!" Sonic suddenly exclaimed enthusiastically, "The Chaos Emerald!"

"Let me see," Knuckles shoved him aside. Below the rubble shone a slight sparkle, "Yup, that's gotta' be it. I'll get it for you." He stepped bravely forward and reached down towards the glitter.

"Destroy, destroy." A faint voice growled vacantly under the rocks, echoing with the void of lifelessness, "Revenge will be mine!" A few seconds passed. Knuckles backed up slightly, next to Sonic, as the rest of the team backed up a few more paces than what was necessary.

"What was that?"

"M-Metal Arnus!" Charmy squeaked.

The rocks blasted to pieces. A seething Metal Arnus roared violently. Metal tentacles shot out from the sides of its body, grabbing Sally, Cream, Antoine, and Charmy in its slimy grip, "All will perish before Metal Arnus!" The robot sliced the air with his voice.

"Get him!" Sonic screamed, "Get his arms off my fiancée and the other fighters!"

"Mwu ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Arnus's low laugh was mocking. Sally and the other fighters, who had been screaming for help, fell lifeless to the ground, eyes closed, and barely breathing. Their bodies were popping with strange goo that slowly hardened their skin to scaly bark-like flakes.

"You-you monster! What did you do to them?" Sonic leaned over the princess, "She's not responding!"

"According to my scans, she's been injected with a venomous poison that, if not removed right away, will kill her! Their skin-see how it's mutilating into this-this crust? There's more of the same going on inside where we can't see." Tails gulped, "Sonic, we have to destroy this thing, but without that eighth Chaos Emerald, I don't know how we can defeat him. Sally and the rest of our friends won't make it much longer."

"We have to trick the stupid thing."

"It's far from stupid." His voice was low and frightened.

"Don't be scared Tails, all of us are a team! We fight together-let's go!"

"But we're not a whole team anymore," Tails raced after Sonic, "We're broken and incomplete."

They raced back to the scene where Knuckles was dodging the tentacles and other attacks with his fists. He was getting tired, they could tell, and there was no one left but he, Tails, and Big, and Bunnie. She was engaged against Metal Arnus as well, flashing her guns around and dodging with her long, metal legs. Big wasn't much good, no matter how bulky and strong he was, for he was almost too dumb and slow to make much of a difference.

"I'm the only one besides Shadow who can use Chaos Control and he's the only one besides this jerk that can use Chaos Command." Sonic pulled out the blue Chaos Emerald, thinking aloud in a breathy voice, "But if this is what it'll take to fetch th'last Emerald. I can't let this dude use that move-he'll kill us all." Turning, he yelled to his friends, "Guys! Distract him so I can use the Chaos Emerald to get at him!"

"Roger!" They responded, pumped from the fight. Fire constantly blew from the robot; acid arrows and plasma darts shot out from its hands every second-by the dozen-and those metallic arms were flying around, searching for fresh victims.

Sonic ran around to the back of Metal Arnus, hoping to hide from its sensors, but it seemed more interested in him than with anyone else. He must have been considered its most threatening foe. Metal Arnus's stone bulk groaned heavily as it turned on it's main frame. Determined, Sonic glared up at the minion, new purpose erupting from his powerful words, "Chaos Control!" And he sped forward, ready to strike the machine and take the emerald, but Metal Arnus disappeared faster than his attack could hit! "Not this again! Well, two can play this game." He vanished himself. If Arnus thought that old move was going to stop him, he'd just learn the true nature of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Bunnie, Tails, and Knuckles stood together with Big on the side, unwarily, looking at their surroundings-accept for Big who was wondering what Froggy was doing back at his place at that moment. A strange haze had settled over the mossy grounds, cool, relaxing. The sky was clear, birds were chirping somewhere off in the jungle, rippling waters from the streams gargled peacefully.

"This guy is such a menace!" Knuckles growled, "Tails: scan the area!"

"I have-twice-there's no sign of him! No traces of plasma energy, fuel, or hot air. And where'd Sonic go?"

"I have a bad feelin' about this," Bunnie readied herself; "The climax has yet to rise."

She was right. The ground started to rumble steadily, the old buildings cracking and crumbling magnificently. A low growl filled the hot air. Bunnie searched the skies, "He's comin' back! Sonic, do somethin'-we can't take this guy anymore!"

"If only my Tornado II was here but it's non-functional!" Tails pouted, "I broke the landing gear on it again so it's sitting uselessly at my shop! Its gun could certainly cause damage to this freako!"

"And we need to get Sally and the rest to a doctor-they're gonna' die!"

"Chaos Control!" Sonic suddenly shouted from nowhere, hitting an invisible object in the air. An ear-shattering crack erupted from the un-seeable objects, red liquid spilling from Arnus's life tubes, "I'll teach you to hurt my friends!" The earth rumbled heavily as Sonic fought the minion with his whole will. Sounds of scraping metal and explosions sparked the air and all the fighters below could do was to stare at the effects flying from the invisible battle above their heads and dodge the sizzling fluid as it sprayed the soil.

"Sonic!" Tails watched the hedgehog formulate in the air. Something was wrong-very wrong! Arnus was gripping an unconscious, bleeding Sonic by the throat. Slow-motion, Sonic was thrown clear of the ruins, far across the sky, farther than Tails or Knuckles could fathom ever to see. "Sonic, no Sonic!" Tails burst into tears, "Don't die-you can't, not when I need you now! You and I have always saved the world together-you just can't die now!"

"I think you better shift your attention elsewhere!" Knuckles ripped Tails from his small, pathetic mourning, "This is our last hope!"

"No, it's not!" Another voice blast through the zone, "Chaos Control!"

"Shadow!" Bunnie clapped, "He's back and he can use the Chaos Command!" New hope clutched the small leftover team. Did they dare believe that victory wasn't impossible to dream of at last?

"Ya, this is if he can get the emerald from that monster!"

The monster had grown in size to a considerable bulk. Some would say it was the size of a rather large skyscraper. It had surely taken after it's now-deceased older brother, Metal Sonic, rendering himself to a similar shape as the Metal Overlord had in the last large fight, accept the difference with this menace was not only color, but choice of weapons and the overall shape. Arnus reeked with pure evil, diligent to the bitter end of his mission, powerful and heartless, willing to destroy anything, no matter the cost of the loss.

"Destroy!" Metal Arnus looked towards the sky. Hundreds of car-sized missiles broke free and spun through the air, "Targets: Metropolis, Casinopolis, Harboropolis, Lumberopolis, Countryopolis!" He shook. Two seconds later, earthquake-shattering booms exploded hundreds of miles from every direction, cracking the ground and upsetting the fighters' sense of balance. The cities burned, people were dying from the explosion and destruction, and buildings had fallen in massive piles of smoke and flying dust-thick dirt.

"He's destroyed all those cities-oh, the people!" Tails shuttered fearfully, "I can't believe this!"

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Shadow was a professional in the arts of the Chaos Control, unlike Sonic, who had only learned how to use it for invisibility. He whipped around the top of the robot, invisible, and with a shielded aura around his body. "I will defeat it once and for all and teach that worthless Eggsack a lesson!" He spat furiously, "For Sally and Cream-for Sonic, Amy, and all those innocent people you tried to eliminate for your selfish desires! For all the people you've killed!"

"Identification as Shadow the Hedgehog: the Ultimate Lifeform," Arnus boomed, "You will be destroyed."

"I think not! Chaos Spear!" Electric shocks bolted from his hands, shocking the monstrous beast, "Chaos Control!" Shadow shot downward, breaking into the main storage area of Metal Arnus: the stomach. It was empty inside accept for, against the wall to the farthest left, hung the eighth Chaos Emerald, connected to translucent tubes leading to Arnus's life energy. "I have it now…" He cautiously stepped forward to grab the treasure, but it started to heat up hundreds of degrees over, glowing with red radiance, too hot for the average touch to withstand. "What the? No! It must be powering up the Chaos Command! I have to stop it!" He lunged for the emerald and grabbed it, screaming as his hands burned, but, with a power he had not realized he had, ripped the emerald from its bindings. "Chaos Control!" He yelled one last time. The two Chaos Emeralds coursed reviving energy back and forth through his veins: power he desperately needed to keep him alive and strong.

"Error, error." Arnus paused, "Eighth Chaos Emerald lost. Searching, searching. Chaos Emerald gone. New mission: find Chaos Emerald."

"He's got it!" Bunnie burst into relieved tears, "Do yur' stuff Shadow!"

"Some people fight because they wish to be honored with gold ribbons and fame," Shadow slowly walked up beside them, regretting what he was going to have to do, "Others fight to kill the enemy just because they despise them."
"What do you fight for, Shadow?" Amy tried to hold her tears back. Before, he had ordered her to stay hidden behind the large pyramid now looming in the center of the ruins, but she had disobeyed him just to touch him one last time. Imagining a life without Shadow was so stunning now; Amy bit her lower lip tremendously.

"At one time I fought for the promise I had to Maria. Now… Now I fight for all the people on this planet that she wanted me to protect. I do this for her and for you," He turned to her, "And for everyone else that deserves to have the same chance at life. I fight not because I have no choice, but because it's the right thing to do. I will keep my promise to Maria and to you. Remember that I love you even if I don't survive." His eyes told her so.

"D-don't-don't say…" She hiccupped through the choking tears, "You will survive! I know you will, you're the Ultimate Life! I know the power you have within you is from your heart and the heart is the driving force of everyone. If you truly want to survive, you will! Survive for me, Shadow."

He slid a finger down her arm, blankly, and then ran forward without saying a word. He didn't look back for it was too difficult to see her this way. Behind him, Amy crumpled into a mass of tears and sobs with Bunnie and Tails comforting her to no avail

-Sonic Heroes: Dark Theme-

The purpose… I do this for you, Maria, the white Chaos Emerald fell to the ground as he ran, but the pink one, locked safely in his hands, started glowing as it had within Metal Arnus the minutes before. The previous Chaos Emerald he had owned was useless now that this one was his. They couldn't meld, couldn't share power for the attack he was about to perform. For all the people on this planet… just as you wanted of me because I love you. I feel the power of this emerald reaching the core of my body, but I've never used Chaos Command before. How do I do this? Give me the insight and strength to use this and survive-to make things right.

"Eighth Chaos Emerald located!" Metal Arnus's house-sized hand spun downward at Shadow, "Prepare to die, you foolish creature!"

"No! I will destroy you and make things right!" He picked up speed, "Chaos Command!" His person shot into the air high above the Metal Arnus, thousands of volts of energy pulsing through him, "I command you to destroy Metal Arnus!" And with one point, a blinding ray of light shot from his hand, breaking the machine before everyone's eyes in a spectacular explosion, "Now I command you to heal those that were sacrificed in this fight!" More, this time thinner rays of different colors, shot out of his fingers down onto Sally, Cream, Sonic, and all those that were hurt. Shadow felt more power than he ever experienced by using Chaos Control and it thrilled his wild side. Hot pink and white light had totally engulfed him and whatever command he wanted, the emerald obeyed. "Lastly, I command of you to restore the cities destroyed and the lives lost!" One last massive energy-zapping command and the buildings rebuilt themselves, people revived, applauding this miracle-everything was once again set to rights.

But, no, something horrible was happening to him. The powerful, rocketing energy Shadow had been soaking in before was dissipating and he felt instantly drained. So drained, he couldn't keep his eyes open. Perhaps this is how it was supposed to be, just perhaps. It seemed so right to save the world and then disappear into the past, no one ever knowing what he had done. The mission was complete; his purpose was through. There was no reason to fight the fading glimmer left inside his heart. No reason. No thoughts as he fell fainted. Just blissful peace.

"Shadow!" Amy screeched, "He's falling!" The Chaos Emerald plopped down on the damp grass. "Catch him!"

"I got him!" Knuckles ran, skidded in the grass, and grabbed the limp hedgehog in his arms seconds before making contact, "He's breathing, but barely."
"Tails, do something!"

"It appears that the Chaos Command sucked all his energy. He'll be fine but I can't say when he'll wake up. Most likely around a week or so. Don't worry Ames, he'll pull through. You know how Shadow is."

She sniffled over his body, "He's the only one I've loved this way. I hope you're right."

"Yeah, it'll all be ok. I'll take'm back to my Shop-"

"NO! I want him with ME!"

"Sheesh! Fine! But I don't recommend that course of action."

"I need him." Her tears flowed as waterfalls, "Please let him come with me."

"…Fine…"

"Ames, Tails! What happened?"

"Sonic!" Amy burst from the grass, "You're alive! You're alright-where did you go?"

"Man, I don't remember anything after that freako threw me over the jungle."

"Oh, I'm just so happy you're alright-and so's Sally and Cream-everyone's awake and well! This is the most perfect ending I could ever have wished for!"

"Metal Arnus is defeated?" Sonic grabbed both women in his protective arms, snuggling all their love and warmth in, "Was it Shadow?"

"Ya, he came right after you had been…thrown and used the Chaos Command! I couldn't believe seeing him so full of all that light. Whatever he commanded was carried out. The cities that were destroyed are fixed now because of him. Sally and all of you are well 'cuzz of him."

"But is he ok?"

"Tails says that his energy was totally zapped from the emerald but that after a few days of rest, he'll be fine."

Silently, Sonic broke away from the females, stopping in front of his near twin. "I guess you really weren't a faker after all, neither of us were. So alike yet so different all in one. Now I see what Amy has been admiring in you all these days. You're one heck of a friend and I hope you and I can… bond and stuff when you wake up." Solemn the moment was for Sonic, for showing emotion of that sort was something he had never learned to master. His words were only whispers in the wind-whispers of care and concern for the soundly-sleeping hedgehog lying at his feet, so helpless.