CHAPTER 12

THE LAST BATTLE

"MARIA!" Shadow shouted, rushing up to the blond girl. When he reached her he knelt down. "Maria...," he said, cradling her head in his lap.

Maria opened her eyes halfway. "Shadow," she began.

"I'm here," he said, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Shadow," she said again. "Please... stop this... for everyone.. please.. do... it..." She ran her index finger over his cheek. "Please..."

"I promise," he said. "Don't go! Please! I lost you once I don't want to lose you again!"

"I...am...sorry," she said, her eyes beginning to close. "Good bye... Shadow.." Her eyes closed and she was gone.

"No!" the black hedgehog screamed. "Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!" He buried his head in her chest and began to sob bitterly. "Why? Why do they always leave me alone?" he cired. "Why? Why am I always being left alone?"

How pathetic, a voice in Shadow's mind said.

Shadow stopped crying. That thought hadn't been his own. He turned to glare at the Biolizard. "What did you say?" he demanded.

You heard me, it said. You're pathetic. Getting all sentimental over a little girl.

"Shut up!" the black hedgehog shouted angrily, standing up and clenching his fists. "She was more than just a girl. She was one of the most important people to me!"

She was nothing but a pathetic human.

"You're going to regret that!" he roared. Without anymore thoughts about himself his rage took over and he charged at the prototype.

At that same instant Sonic, Suicide, Mystic, and Gerald Robotnick entered the room. Gerald nearly had a heart attack when he saw the Biolizard. Sonic was surprised to see it was still alive. Suicide and Mystic didn't have much of a reaction.

They watched Shadow attacking it for a moment. "He can't beat that thing," Sonic finally said. "He's not strong enough!"

"He has to!" Mystic said.

"But how?"

Mystic noticed the blue hedgehog was carrying something. The seven Chaos Emeralds. She remembered something she had heard about them a few months ago. That when the seven Emeralds came together something wonderful would happen. This just might work, she thought.

"I think I know how!" she said.

Before Sonic had a chance to ask what she ment the winged hedgehog had snatched the Emeralds and went running toward the battle.

"MYSTIC!" Sonic shouted after her.

She glanced back at him. "If Shadow can use these he can beat that thing!" she told him.

"But..."

She was no longer listening. "Shadow!" she called turning her face forward. "JUMP!"

Out of reflex Shadow threw himself into the air.

Mystic heaved mightily and the Emeralds left her hands.. They careened at the airborne Shadow.

The instant the glowing jewels made contact with him they reacted. A bright flash of light enshrouded him for a second. When the light was gone Shadow appeared. He was a shiny silver color and he was floating in the air.

"Super Shadow," Sonic said in surprise.

Mystic looked back at him and smiled. "Yes," she said her eyes closed halfway. "Now he can beat the Biolizard."

"But he'll need help." Sonic looked like he wanted to fight it too.

Mystic roughly grasped his arm. "No," she said firmly. "He has to do it himself. Alone."

The two looked up at the shiny hedgehog.

Shadow faced the Biolizard.

You think you can beat me just because you're shiny now? the reptile demanded swining his tail. Well think again!

Shadow put up his hand and stopped the tail in mid swing. "You will never hurt anyone again!" he shouted ignoring the lizard's words. "I'll make sure of it."

We'll see about that!

Shadow flew at the huge ultimate life form prototype. He was not going to let this thing win. He was going to make sure it died. For real this time. He'd promised...

The Biolizard had limited mobility unlike the small adgile hedgehog. It had a hard time keeping an eye on it's 'half brother' so to speak.

Shadow smiled to himself as he dodged another blow from the thing's tail. He was playing 'Keep Away' with it until his ultimate attack (which he'd incidently learned in Sonic Battle) was fully charged. When it was he'd use it and finally put an end to this nightmare forever.

The Biolizard wasn't going to let him get away with that so easily. It opened it's mouth and used it's other attack. The Dark Spheres. The Spheres he'd used to kill Maria...

Shadow was able to avoid the Spheres except one. The last one hit him and knocked him back. In doing so he'd lost some of his charged power.

Shadow came back at the lizard but it had learned his moves and was quicker than he expected. One minute he was in the air the next he was being crushed under a browish tail.

"Shadow!" Mystic screamed. Forgetting what she'd told Sonic she tried to rush forward to help.

"Wait!" Sonic exclaimed, grabbing her arm.

"But we have to help him," she shouted almost hysterical.

"If we try to help him we'll be killed," he pointed out.

"I don't care."

"Mystic," Sonic said in a serious voice. "Listen to me."

She stopped and turned her head back to him. "Remember what you told me?" he asked, his voice low and totally serious. "This is something he has to do. Alone."

She stared at him a moment. She nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "What was I thinking?"

"Oh God! Look!" Suicide exclaimed pointing.

The two hedgehogs looked at the battle again.

"Ohmigosh..." was all Mystic said.

Shadow was flying in the air, holding the Biolizard's tail in his left hand.

The lizard reared its head back in surprise. How did you-?

"Because," Shadow said in a monetone. "I am the ultimate life form."

Suddenly Shadow was enshrouded in a bright sphere of light. This one was even brighter than the one that had been there when he'd turned super.

"What is that?" Mysic asked.

"I don't know," Sonic said. "I've never seen it before."

The light faded away almost as quickly as it had appeared. The four saw Shadow again. His eyes were pure white and white surounded his body. Both of his hands held flames of three different shades of green.

The Biolizard was totally surprised.

The ultimate life form hedgehog stared the lizard down. "You will no longer cause trouble for anyone!" he shouted in a strange voice that sounded like a mixture of his and someone else's. "NEVER! This time I will make sure of it! This time you will never come back! This time you will DIE!"

The silver hedgehog then charged at the giant monster, his whole being ready to end this horror once in for all.

The Biolizard was too big to react at all. By the time he could have it was already too late.

The monster roared loudly in pain as Shadow shot in and out of him. It didn't last much longer. After about a minute it let out one final roar then its head fell limply to the floor. The force of the impact shook the Space Colony.

Shadow hovered in the air a moment watching the dead lizard. He finally felt relieved and satisfied. But his heart hurt because someone had died. Just the thought seemed to drain him.

As he slowly floated to the ground his body began to change back to its normal color. When his foot touched the floor his powers left him and he staggered forward.

Mystic rushed forward and caught him before his face hit the floor.

"I did it Maria," he said, staring at the prone body that had once been Maria. "I stopped it. I stopped it..."

Mystic stroaked his ears a moment. She smiled. "It's okay, Shadow," she said softly. "It will be all right." She too stared at the body a moment. "I'm glad you did. You never broke your promises." Suddenly she was no longer speaking. Someone else spoke through her. "I'm glad you never forgot me."

Maria? He looked up at the purple hedgehog holding him up. "What?" he asked.

Before she could say anything a thought crossed his mind as if it were being spoke out loud. If I have to go I'm taking you all with me!

Suddenly the Ark began to shake and rumble, knocking the two hedgehogs off balance.

"What's going on?" Suicide asked, fluttering in the air to keep from falling over.

It clicked in Shadow's head immediately. "The Biolizard is trying to destroy Ark!" he shouted, his arm around Mystic to keep her standing. "We have to get out of here!"

The group of five rushed out of the core and back up to the Research Lab where the escape pods were kept. When everyone was in the room Gerald ran up to the controls. The others ran as far as the circle on the floor then Gerald shouted. "Stop! Don't come any closer!"

"Doctor, what-" Sahdow began, taking a step forward.

Before he could go any farther his creator pushed a button and a glass capsule fell over the animals.

"Gerald, what are you doing?" Mystic asked.

The professor looked away. "I am so sorry, Mystic," he said. "I guess I should have told you."

She stared at him. "Told me what?" she asked.

Gerald gave her a sad look. "The reason you were created." was his reply.

Shadow noticed she seemed to wilt. "T-the r-reason I was created?" she stammered.

Gerald nodded. "Yes, Mystic. The reason I created you was because I was lonely. I was still grieving over the loss of my grandaugher. I needed someone to be with me during those times. Someone like her. Someone to comfort me. So using some of my old ultimate life form data I created you."

Mystic gasped and clutched the area of her chest where her heart was.

"I created a female version of the ultimate life form-you- to be all that Shadow was and more. But you also had something special about you."

"W-what was that?"

"I was so worked up about Maria I needed a reminder. So using some of my grandaughters DNA cells I added them to your genes."

Now it was clear. That was why she remembered Maria's plea with Shadow at her last living moments. Tears sprang to her eyes. "Doctor..."

Now he address both ultimate life forms. "Shadow, Mystic. I am sorry for what I have done to you both. I know you will never forgive me but... promise me something..."

"Yes?" Mystic asked.

The professot never answered. His hand slapped the Eject button and the capsule was released into the atmospthere.

"GERALD!" Mystic screamed as it fell away. Msytic started crying. "Why Gerald? Why?" she asked over and over.

Sonic and Suicide stayed back. They stared at her with pity in their eyes. They knew they couldn't do anything to help her feel better. If they tried they'd probably make it worse.

All this time Shadow had been standing back in shock. Now he knew. That was why he thought he knew her. She had Maria's DNA in her body.

Maria. Mystic. he thought. Maria! Mystic? He closed his eyes. Maria's in Mystic...? Maria is Mystic! No Mystic is Maria...

He opened his eyes and stared at Mystic. "Maria...," he said. He slowly walked over to her and sat down beside her. "Mystic?"

She looked at him. "Shadow," she said. "I am sorry! I am so sorry!"

Shadow reached over and hugged her. "It's all right," he said. "I'm all right. I forgive you..."

Mystic didn't answer. She just sobbed in his shoulder.

Shadow stared down at the world below. Now that this whole thing was over he felt extreamely tired and longed to be back on the planet. As he sat there darkness slowly crawled into his vision. He was tired. So tired.

I hope we get there soon. he smiled slightly. I can't wait.

Then everything went black.

A/N

Please don't kill me! This was my sister's idea. She helped me out with this chapter. Heh. Man I haven't updated this fic in almost a year. Or has it been a year? (Maybe that's why the part of Gerald apoligizing to Mystic and Shadow reminds me of Star Ocean 3) Anyway it's updated. I am happy. I have only one chapter left to do but I'll wait awhile before I do it. My fingers are killing me!

Anyway. Sorry if anything offended you all in this chapter. I changed a few things that weren't needed but I kept my original idea for the chapter. Just to let you know; my sister suggested I make Maria die. I personally don't like making characters die but I had no choice in this story. If Maria had lived the cute sceen in Chapter 13 would have never happened. Heh. I'm not there yet. You'll find out what I'm talking about when I get there.

Just one more thing. Feel free to review and let me know what you think but please if you want to critisize don't say something like. 'What the fuck! What is this fing trash? You totally Fuck!" In my opinion if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. In my oppinion if you say something like that someone is going to get mad at you and go to your name and insult your fic without even bothering to read it. Okay that's it. Till next time.