Whatever makes you happy

Rouge lay fast asleep on the couch in her apartment. It all seemed so unreal to her. A loud banging came from the door behind her. Rouge almost jumped out her skin. She bit her lip. She was scared to answer the door.

"Rouge! It's Shadow! Let me in!" Another loud knock.

Rouge hesitantly walked towards the door. She clutched the brass handle, hoping to god. She opened the door. It WAS shadow. A very bloody Shadow. Rouge was slightly taken aback, but came to her senses fast. Shadow was almost crying.

"I was so close. He was right in front of me. I've been chasing him god knows how long… I had the gun to his head… All I had to do was pull the trigger."

Rouge opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say. She let Shadow continue.

"I was too weak Rouge. I- I was weak…" Shadow clenched his fist. Rouge finally spoke up.

"I've almost killed it a hundred times. Each time I was weak. Each time I was scared…"

"I couldn't give it up… All that power… It knew my name… It knew my past. It spoke to me. Said… It wouldn't hurt me."

"You're a fool… But, I guess… I am too…" Rouge laughed and hugged shadow. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

Shadow looked relaxed, even though two heavily armed guards had just "escorted" him right into a GUN base. Shadow slowly approached the old general, who, despite his size, still seemed nervous in front of Shadow. Shadow laughed coldly. The general lifted his head and spoke.

"Shadow, with everything I have on you, I could have you executed in an instant. No questions asked." The general lent down so he was now level with Shadow. "And nobody would care… But I'm not going to do that. Do you know why, Shadow?"

Shadow was beginning to feel slightly intimidated. "Because you need me."

"Well done, Shadow…" The general walked away from Shadow. "Are you familiar with the robot your creator found?"

Shadow jumped up. "E-Emrel?"

"Yes… When you father found 'Emrel', he found something else. Where you aware of that?"

"The… The professor mentioned something about a stone…"

"Haha… Yes… The stone… The professor decided it would be best to tell nobody of that rock. Except his grandson. You know Robotnik, right?"

"Y-yes…"

"He's dead." The general showed no sympathy for the late doctor.

"D-doctor Eggman! So… Sonic finally-"

"It wasn't Sonic… That rock… You met Metal Sonic. There was also a robotic version of the guardian of that emerald… There was also a doll made."

"A-a doll?"

"Well… A robot made to look like a doll… The robot is almost harmless, nothing to it at all... But… The doctor used the stone he stole from his grandfather to power it…The machine… The stone is… Well… Not right…"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Not right?"

"That stone… Isn't just powering the robot… It's controlling it… Almost like… It has a mind. A will. Thoughts."

Shadow blinked, then smiled. "You expect me to believe that?"

"There are a lot of things that seem hard to believe Shadow. You saved the world from a giant robot. But-"

"There is no magic…"

"… E-excuse me?"

"Magic… I-It doesn't exist… There is science… The professor taught me that… Magic… It isn't real…"

"I don't care what you believe. Are you with us?"

"…Us?"

Rouge walked out a shadowy corner of the room. "Us."

"Y-your keeping it?" A much older Shadow screamed at Rouge, his hand shaking but keeping a firm grip on the gun. He was in Rouges shop now. "W-we've been following this thing for years… I-It's killed so many people! And you want to kill it?"

Rouge stood, guarding the doll chest. "He doesn't have to die! We can still keep that power! Think of what we can do if we can control him! Think of-"

Shadow's eyes widened. "…He? Y-you've been talking to him… Haven't you?"

"Shadow… It… Fine… We don't have to control it. But you know as well as me we can't kill it. We should just keep it here… Safe…"

"It's safe at GUN, locked up in a room somewhere! Not in a box!"

"It's too weak to get out Shadow!"

"… You're just making excuses… You don't want it gone anymore. You-you…"

Some boxes behind shadow where knocked over, and a large wind blew through the shop, even though the door was firmly shut. Shadow felt something behind him, although there was nothing there. There was, however, a dim red glow in the mirror to his left. There was the faintest whisper in the back of Shadows mind.

She betrayed you.

Shadow spun around quickly, he was hysterical.

Everything you've been through.

Shadow gasped for breath.

She doesn't care about you. Nobody does. This is proof. You're a fool to think otherwise.

Shadow summoned up the courage to talk back to Rouge. "You going to keep him, huh?" Shadow raised the gun.

Can you feel the sunshine?

"W-well Rouge…" Shadow pointed the gun to his head. "… You finally got the best jewel in the world. I hope it makes you happy!"

Does it brighten up your day?

Shadow looked over the city, enjoying the view from the balcony. Rouge happily strutted up to him. "Heya Shadow."

Shadow was silent a moment. "R- Rouge… Do you think we can beat it?"

"'Course we can…" Rouge stretched. "Even if it kills us!"

Next chapter will probably be t3h last one. I feel the sunshine.