A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body.
There was a ceremony held in the wake of the kishin's defeat. The event served as a way to make some amends for the DWMA's history while aiming toward an era of peace. Two podiums were placed in front of the campus's damaged central tower, with a crowd gathering at the bottom of the stairs.
It was hosted by Starline who, in a gesture that surprised many, made an offering of peace with the greater witch society. It was his first major action as the new Grim Reaper. Such a political move drew the attention of many; attendance for the event was especially high. The latter end of Starline's speech didn't fail to impress.
"While the DWMA will continue hunting the souls of corrupted demon weapons, we will no longer create death scythes using the souls of witches. Any witch souls acquired by the DWMA will be returned to witch society for proper burial. In initiation of this arrangement, we offer the ancient soul of the witch Tikal,"
Starline handed over a familiar glowing soul to the grand witch, who was joining him at the front of the main building. Normally, the grand witch wore dark robes and a sizable hat that obscured their true appearance. Today was different. A tall echidna man with graying quills made an appearance at the DWMA. The robes he wore were more formal and tight fitting. His beard was remarkably long, having been well groomed for this occasion.
The grand witch spent a short time speaking on his plans of future cooperation with the DWMA. With no objections from either side, the ceremony concluded. The gathered crowd of spectators dispersed after their lingering questions had been answered. Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles regrouped after the event.
"Shadow didn't feel like showing up?" Amy asked.
"He wants to keep his distance from the DWMA for now," Sonic explained. "We'll both be doing our own thing from here on out,"
"Doing your own thing?" Suspicion graced Amy's tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"See the world. Maybe help some people along the way,"
"Cream and Vanilla are going on vacation too," Amy noted. "How long will you be gone?"
"It's kind of an indefinite thing,"
"Wait, you're coming back, right?"
Sonic leaned on the nearby stone wall. "Well Shadow and I can just teleport back here whenever we want so we won't be gone forever. Probably won't show up here for a month or two, though,"
Amy's eyes widened. "Gone for two months?"
Sonic shrugged. "Maybe not that long, but still. We're the strongest duo on the planet. Don't wanna be too available, you know?"
"Starline's letting you skip out on two months of class?"
"You really think I'm still a student?" Sonic wondered with amusement. "Shadow and I saved the world,"
Amy gestured at Tails and Knuckles. "We helped save the world, and we're still students,"
"Yeah well, Shadow and I are strong enough that we don't have to be students or DWMA employees. We're going to stay independent, working with Starline and hopefully other groups around the world,"
"Sounds like you'll be really busy," Amy pondered. "If you're really going to be gone for a while, then let's go on a date before you leave!"
Sonic chuckled cautiously. "Amy, I can't do that. Shadow and I are dating,"
A long pause came while Amy stared blankly. After examining the expressions of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, she was unable to find any visual confirmation that the statement was false.
"That's not…allowed,"
"Pretty sure it is in most parts of the world," Sonic mused.
"How long has this been a thing?"
"It's recent-ish,"
"This won't do," Amy held a hand over her mouth in deliberation. "We were on track to be married and have kids. If Shadow wants to interfere with that, he has to follow proper hedgehog mating rituals. Meaning, he has to fight me to the death,"
"Even though none of that's true, he might accept your challenge. You might want to be careful,"
Amy pumped her fist into the air. "Now's not the time to be careful. Shadow better be the one who's worried, because I'm hunting him down!"
She ran off, nearly bumping into the incoming group on her way out.
"I thought I'd find you two here,"
The man speaking was a hulking crocodile accompanied by two others. It took some time for Tails and Knuckles to recognize them.
"You're those guys we fought!" Knuckles recalled.
"Yup, we're the Chaotix," Vector began. "Honestly, I'm hurt. You were dealing with a massive grim reaper conspiracy, and you didn't call your favorite group of detectives to help you investigate?"
"You guys are detectives?" Knuckles asked.
"Yeah!" Vector seemed ever so slightly distraught. "I'm pretty sure we mentioned it,"
Knuckles shrugged. "Maybe you did, but we uncovered the conspiracy without your help,"
"Yeah, but think how much easier things would have been with us around,"
Vector and the rest of the Chaotix beamed confidently after his statement. Another lesser known voice entered the fray afterward.
"Vector, you know these guys?"
It was Rouge the witch. She wasn't wearing any witch robes like she had been when Sonic first met her. She was dressed casually, as were each of the three Chaotix members.
"We fought once, but they're actually pretty chill," Vector explained.
"They were a lot stronger than they appeared," Espio recalled.
"It was a fluke," Charmy declared. "Espio would win if you had a rematch,"
"A rematch?" Knuckles grinned. "That could be fun,"
"I don't know them, but I do know him," Rouge pointed at Sonic. "Long time no see. Where's your mysterious hedgehog friend?"
"He's spending some time with his brother before we leave town for a while. How have you been?"
"Just living my best life. Although, I can't say that I saved the world. Who would have thought that the two sweet, innocent hedgehogs I bumped into randomly one day would end up defeating the kishin?"
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Sweet? Innocent? Sure you aren't thinking of someone else?"
"Maybe I am," Rouge chuckled. "With this whole 'peace treaty with the DWMA' thing going on, I can find out just how sweet and innocent you two really are. I don't suppose you're bored of being a scythe meister and would let me use your weapon?"
"I'm definitely not bored of Shadow," Sonic bantered.
"Fair enough. There are plenty of interesting weapons around here, anyway," Her gaze fixed on Knuckles. "You're a weapon, aren't you? Echidna weaponry is pretty rare,"
"I've heard that one before. All the other echidnas I've met are witches. Even your leader is an echidna. What's up with that?"
A somewhat familiar voice answered his question.
"His name's Imperator Ix. You don't know anything about echidnas, do you?"
Knuckles was startled enough to sidestep reactively. He saw Shade had appeared behind him.
"Where'd you come from?" He demanded.
"There's a reason they call me Shade, you know,"
"So that's your name,"
"Shade, you know them too?" Rouge asked.
"Our paths crossed more than once while I was stuck working for Tikal,"
"Last time we met, she beat me in a fight," Knuckles said. "Then she started acting kinda weird and left,"
"Of course you'd bring that up," Shade groaned.
"Did she mention echidna birth rates?" Rouge asked. She sighed after seeing Knuckles nod. "Shade…"
"I was just explaining an objective fact about reality!"
"If you're interested in a man, just say so. Don't bring up birth rates," Rouge countered.
"Interested?" Shade scoffed audibly. "As if. I barely even know him,"
"Oh, you're not interested? In that case..." Rouge faced Knuckles. "Want to get together sometime?"
"Rouge!" Shade protested.
"What? If you're not interested, then this doesn't concern you,"
"I have an unbiased concern for his well being as a fellow echidna. Knowing your track record, I don't think I can let you do as you please,"
Rouge's sly demeanor shifted into hostility. "Do you want to start a fight with me?"
Shade smirked. "It's my understanding that the DWMA has areas for fighting. Why don't we settle this in an official way, Rouge?"
"You're on,"
"A witch duel? This should be interesting," Espio observed.
"Yay violence!" Charmy cheered.
"Two chicks are fighting over me," Knuckles breathed. "Tails, I'm going with them. If I die, don't cry. It was worth it,"
"I can assure you, I won't cry," Tails replied with distaste.
Everyone aside from Tails and Sonic left. The two walked their own path until they ran into Starline, accompanied by Eclipse.
"Shadow says: 'Hurry up, dummy,'" Eclipse announced.
"Since when is he the impatient one?" Sonic complained.
"I'm grateful that Shadow agreed to let Eclipse become a student at the DWMA," Starline said. "Hopefully more trust can be established in the future,"
"We think it'll be good for Eclipse to get used to being around other people in a normal-ish environment," Sonic agreed. "Plus, he can start learning how to use his scythe form better,"
"On that note, we discovered recently that he can transform into just about any weapon,"
"Whoa, really?"
Starline nodded. "If Eclipse consumes the soul of another demon weapon, he'll gain their transformation. His base form is a scythe, and he can't manifest any other transformations right now since he was drained of all the other souls he'd consumed. He'll have access to more forms in the future as he grows stronger. We'll need more data, but it's likely he inherited this power by having black doom's soul bonded with his blood,"
"Wow, Eclipse. You've got all kinds of powers to figure out,"
"It sounds like a lot of work," Eclipse observed, weakly.
"It will be," Starline concurred. "But you'll have plenty of time to get used to your new life, and your new powers. I thought it might be worth volunteering Miles to help you get situated on both of those fronts,"
"Me?" Tails blurted.
"You're a talented young meister. I think it's a bit too early in your career to limit yourself by using only a gauntlet. Eclipse's wide array of powers presents a complex problem, one that you're the best candidate for solving, in my opinion,"
Tails thought for a moment, then confidence reached him. "It's worth a try. What do you think, Eclipse?"
Eclipse smiled. "Okay,"
Starline leaned over slightly. "Sonic, could I have a word?"
Sonic nodded. "Good luck with school, Eclipse," He turned to Tails. "Do me a favor and look out for him, okay? I'll be back before you know it,"
"Sure thing," Tails replied. "Eclipse, want to help me make sure Knuckles doesn't die?"
"Yes,"
Eclipse and Tails waved goodbye, then left. Starline moved with Sonic into a more private area that overlooked death city. Everything was livelier than usual, with many people moving about the streets in the distance.
"Banning demon scythe creation is a pretty big deal. I'm surprised, but also glad you did it," Sonic said.
"Theoretically we'd be at a significant disadvantage if the grand witch turns against us. But, since we have the most powerful death scythe and scythe meister in the entire world as allies, that disadvantage is moot for the most part,"
"Glad the DWMA has a reason to stay on my good side,"
"Perhaps now is a good time for me to apologize?" Starline stated wryly. "I hope you don't resent me for how I betrayed your trust, though I'd understand if you did,"
"Nah, I like you Starline. Even though things got tense for a bit, I wouldn't have been able to save Shadow if it weren't for you. Plus, I always kinda viewed you as a role model. Which is weird, since I've never really had one of those before,"
Starline was embarrassed enough for it to show on his face. "It's all new to me too, unfortunately. I like you too, Sonic. Seeing as how you'll be leaving soon, I'd better give you this,"
Starline tossed what looked like a digital watch composed of sleek metal. There were several different buttons on the side, as well as embedded audio speakers.
"It's a communicator that will allow you to be contacted anywhere in the world. We're reviving some old satellite projects that Ivo had sitting on the backburner, so hopefully worldwide communication can become more efficient for everyone in the coming months. So far the only ones who can contact you will be either me or Tails. I imagine that number will expand as the need arises,"
Sonic put the watch on his left hand. "Oh, cool,"
"It's intended for urgent matters, but you can use it as you see fit. Take this too," Starline handed over a small tape recorder. "Even though the recording doesn't involve me personally, I'd like to apologize to you and Shadow in advance,"
Sonic inspected the device, but didn't feel the need to inquire further. "I better go take it to him, then. Guess I'll see you whenever we decide to come back to Death City,"
Starline waved playfully. "Enjoy your honeymoon,"
Sonic produced a mildly amused grunt, then took his leave. After walking to the edge of Death City, he found Silver and Blaze loading their things into a limousine.
"Heading back to Sol?"
"We are," Blaze replied. "Even though saving the world was a good excuse, it still feels like we've been gone too long,"
"Gonna miss having you two around. With all the changes going on, it's good having people close who you really trust,"
"If you're ever worried, you should come visit Sol," Silver suggested. "You and Shadow can teleport there anytime you want after you've seen it in person, right? Then you can just show up whenever you need help,"
"Or whenever you guys need help," Sonic countered with a smirk.
"I'll invite you and Shadow to come visit the palace with the caveat that you both stay out of trouble," Blaze proposed.
"Don't think I can promise you that last part, but we'll stop by for sure," Sonic grinned.
"I don't care how powerful you and Shadow are. If you make a scene in my home, I'll make sure you regret it," Blaze made her threat playfully.
"In that case, we'll be on our best behavior,"
"Take care, Sonic,"
Blaze held out her hand, and Sonic shook it. He did the same with Silver. They each smiled and waved goodbye before going their separate ways. The limousine drove off while Sonic went to find Shadow.
He wasn't far away. Shadow had parked his motorcycle off the side of a dirt pathway, beneath a tree. He stood on a wooden bridge above the peaceful river that ran through the outskirts of Death City. Sonic found his weapon calmly watching the clear water drift by. They greeted each other with a kiss.
"Ready to head out?" Shadow asked.
"Yeah. Things are under control in Death City. Everyone seems happy. Except maybe Amy, who wants to challenge you to a deathmatch,"
"Sounds like she's handling things well,"
They left the bridge. Upon reaching the motorcycle, Sonic perked up.
"Almost forgot," He brought out the tape recorder. "Starline gave me this. He apologized for what's on it. I haven't listened yet,"
"Then let's play it,"
Sonic gave the recorder to Shadow, who flipped it on. Audio feedback caused static sounds to take up the beginning of the aged recording.
"This is Gerald Robotnik recording a personal audio log numbered…." He grunted. "Who gives a damn?" A much longer period of silence came from the recording, one that almost made Sonic wonder if it was broken. Gerald's voice returned.
"Maria's dead,"
A loud slamming sound came from the recorder, followed by the sound of a few miscellaneous objects hitting the ground.
"That idiot Zero thought he could hold Maria hostage, but his wavelength had killed her long before I reached ARK. I can't believe such a useless piece of trash managed to bring down the entire facility just so he could go on a weapon hunt,"
A drawn out groan of frustration came from Gerald.
"I'm wiping Shadow's memory and putting him on ice for a while. His Black Arm biology should make him resilient enough to let him survive cryostasis. The next one can wake Shadow up when he needs a powerful scythe,"
Sonic glanced at Shadow. He was focused, but was listening without much change after the first revelation.
"Normally, I'd try steering Shadow towards getting revenge over Maria, so he'll be more motivated to get stronger. But I can't risk him finding out that I handed Zero over to the grand witch to finally ease some of the tension between our groups. Shadow would be even more disloyal than he has been lately,"
Sonic noticed Shadow's stoic demeanor fade quickly. His eyes were wide with concern while he stared at the spinning tape.
"Shadow promised Maria that he'd take her off the island without my knowledge. I monitor all areas of Ark very closely. He didn't think I'd have an audio bug planted at Maria's favorite spot. I'd have been amused if I weren't so disappointed with him. I believe he's too far gone to salvage, so I'll give him a clean slate,"
Gerald released a labored sigh that underlined just how poor his health must have been at the time of the recording.
"Maybe the new grim reaper will put Shadow to good use. Maybe they'll find a way to revive the human race. I'd keep trying but I'm just…so tired,"
The tape concluded with a click. Shadow took a half step away. His grip on the device tightened, to the point of snapping it into several pieces that fell on the ground.
"I'm glad Gerald's dead," Shadow snarled. "And Eggman. And Negative,"
Sonic hugged his weapon from behind. "Same,"
"I just-" Shadow grunted, searching through his rage for the right words. "I should have-"
Sonic squeezed Shadow tighter.
"Stop trying to make me feel better!"
"No,"
It took some time, but Shadow eventually relaxed. A long exhale came before his words.
"I'm sick of this,"
"Same,"
Shadow pulled away, plucking the still intact tape from the minor rubble on the ground before approaching the bag attached at the back of his motorcycle. He dropped the tape in, brought out an old book, then sat on the bike to read for a bit. The pages inside were a compilation of excerpts cut from other books accompanied by large sections of handwriting. Sonic sat next to Shadow, facing the other side of the bike. A few minutes passed, and Shadow spoke without enthusiasm.
"Apotos. Known for its stunning seaside view, beautiful architecture, and great food. It borders an ocean containing a broad range of fish, providing tourists with a unique dining experience even during extended stays,"
"Did you just pick that place because it has seafood?"
"Actually, Maria alphabetized all the entries. It was the first one,"
"Oh," Sonic laughed. "Maybe we should find whichever place is closest to us, first?"
Shadow closed the book with vigor, producing an audible thump. He placed it back inside the bag. He sat down, grabbing the bike's handles.
"Why don't we just drive for a while? See what happens?"
Sonic smiled, and positioned himself properly on the bike. He clung onto Shadow tightly.
"Good idea,"
The motorcycle's engine rumbled as it started up. The bike crept onto the dirt path before accelerating harshly thanks to the driver. It was an abrupt jump in speed that made Sonic laugh, which in turn soothed Shadow's mood enough to make him smile. They continued off into the distance, heading towards the life that sat beyond the horizon, awaiting them both.
-The End-
So, that's the story. I thought I'd have more to say after finishing it, but I peaked emotionally when the ARK plotline concluded. I cried a bunch when I typed that part out (and some other parts), but for these later chapters I've just been casually typing when it's convenient. At this point, I've worked on the story for over a year, even though I started posting only six months ago. It was a big project and I'm not sure how I'll feel in the coming days now that it's over.
I have no idea what I'll do after this. I plan on doing some minor revisions for the story after I go back and reread it. I may post an update after I'm done making any changes. Might come up with a plan for promoting the story somewhat, just to get some more eyes and opinions on it. Other than that, I don't have much of a plan.
A while back, I had written down a bunch of thoughts on this story and its connections to the Soul Eater franchise that I would post after finishing, but I kinda lost interest. It covered a lot of my reasoning for certain decisions I made for this story, as well as general opinions on the original Soul Eater anime/manga. I'm okay with letting this fanfiction speak for itself, at least for now. If I ever decide to finish that or work on anything relevant, I'll post it as an extra update to this story.
Right now, I don't feel like working on more Sonic themed stories. Although I have thought of many different ideas for other Sonic fanfics, I'm pretty burnt out on Sonic, and writing in general by now. If I ever do decide to put any of those ideas out there, I'll post them as new stories through my account on this site. Follow my profile if you're into that, but I don't want to get people's hopes up unnecessarily. I honestly have zero plans for further content right now.
If you made it to the end, thanks for reading. I'd be happy to hear the thoughts of any of you who read this story in its entirety. I felt weird about asking for reviews while it was incomplete, but now I'm just curious what you all think, and how many people actually cared enough to stick around. Like, what were your favorite characters? Favorite story arc? Favorite joke?
Since this is a fanfiction, the primary things I gained by creating it were: the satisfaction of working on/completing such a project, and seeing what my handful of readers had to say about the story on either of the sites I posted it on. So now's the time to let the comments rip if you haven't already. If any of you are reading this off in the distant future, I'll still get emails anytime the story receives comments, so I'll definitely end up reading them at some point, even if the story is really old or inactive.
That's all I've got. Take care, everyone!
