Chapter 16: Last Words

Day 20

There was no relief the next day.

When the sun rose, Shadow had to struggle to awaken the blue hedgehog with him, who was still very weak with hunger and hurting from the insect bites.

Before they had left, Shadow had tried to make Sonic eat once more, but just the same as the last two attempts yesterday, Sonic had thrown up the rich berry pulp once more, unable to stomach it.

Now, as they walked along the path, Sonic was moving slower and slower, barely able to stand upright with how weak he has become. Shadow had offered to carry him like how he had done yesterday, but Sonic refused, saying that he needed to try and toughen this out, but it wasn't going so well.

"How you doing back there, Faker?" Shadow asked as he stopped to look back at his companion once more.

"Not… so well…" Sonic admitted as he slapped another notch into his stick with the machete. He seemed to be stumbling all over the place. "I feel… dizzy."

"Here, why don't you sit down for a moment?" Shadow suggested as he grabbed Sonic's shoulders and made him sit down against a tree.

"But, we have to get outta here." Sonic slurred.

"It won't do us any good if your stumbling all around." Shadow frowned.

He studied the young hedgehog in front of him, taking note on his condition. His once cobalt blue fur was now more of a sky blue and drenched in sweat. His face was red and he was panting heavily, and his hands… they were shaking. Shadow frowned and felt the hedgehog's forehead, pulling back quickly. He had a fever.

"... It's starting." Shadow whispered grimly.

"What's starting?" Sonic asked.

"You've been attacked relentlessly for too long." The ebony continued, tears starting to brim at the corners of his eyes. "We've been stuck in here for days without proper treatment."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sonic…" Shadow whispered as he looked into the emerald green eyes, his tears slowly falling down his face. "You've got Malaria… and the effects are taking their hold."

The words felt like a punch to the face. Sonic couldn't believe it. He knew he was gonna get Malaria eventually, but he had hoped the effects wouldn't react so quickly.

Tears started to fall from Sonic's own eyes as he began to think about the situation he was in. The Malaria was destroying his red blood cells, starving his body and brain of the oxygen it needed to survive. As these thoughts went through his head, his mind turned to his friends, who were over 5,000 miles away.

It wasn't fair!

He was gonna die out here, he was sure of it, and his friends would never know what happened to him. Unless…

"Shadow," He spoke weakly to the ebony hedgehog. "Do we still have the map, and that pen that Karl gave us?"

"Uh, yeah I'm pretty sure it's still in the backpack. Why?"

"Can I see them… please?"

Confused, Shadow took off the backpack from his back and opened it, digging through it to grab the map and the pen, handing them to the sick hedgehog.

"What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to write a message to my friends back home." Sonic answered. "And you are going to deliver them."

"What?" Shadow gasped, wide-eyed.

"You're the Ultimate Lifeform and immortal. You'll survive and get out of here no problem. But me… I'm dying Shadow… I know I am. It's not fair to my friends back home to not here my final words to them. They need to know what happened."

"Sonic, you're not gonna die out here." Shadow frowned as he reached for the material in Sonic's hands, but said hedgehog moved them away.

"Please… Shadow… let me do this… it'll at least make me feel better."

Shadow stopped and stared at the azure hedgehog. Sonic stared back, his emerald eyes streaming with tears, but left unbroken, his choice final. Shadow sighed and nodded.

"Thank you." Sonic nodded before he started writing on the back of the map.

Dear Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, Rouge, Cream and Cheese, and all other friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to write this, but I felt that you deserved to hear my last words. It may be hard to believe, but it is true. If you are reading this, then I am sadly dead.

I honestly don't know what to say, but I don't want to leave this off by just saying that I love you guys, which I really do. I'm so lucky to have friends like you.

I know what you're all probably more than likely thinking. "This is all Shadow's fault." You all knew I was going on a mission with him, but I need to let you guys know, that it is not his fault. Without him, I probably wouldn't have last as long as I did.

No, Shadow did everything he could to protect me. To feed me and keep me well. It was either the Malaria or the hunger that got me, but Shadow had no partake in it. The jungle of the Amazon Rainforest is an unforgiving place, I didn't stand a chance.

Shadow kept saying over and over again that I wasn't gonna die in here, that he wouldn't let me, but even he can't promise that, no matter how many times he pinky swears. Yeah, that's become our new thing since we came to the jungle.

Honestly, I'm glad that I came with Shadow. I've seen a new side to him that I never thought that I would ever see and I can honestly say, I fell in love with it. It takes a lot of work to get through his tough exterior to see the real hedgehog underneath, but I tell you, it is worth it.

Please do not be too sad with my departure. I will always be with you in memory. As for who will take over the team now that I am gone? Well, I would say Tails, but that's too much responsibility for a child.

No, in honesty, I want Shadow to take over. Team Sonic will now be Team Shadow.

I hope you all approve of my decision, and I'm sorry I couldn't come home this time.

I love you all. Please, never give up.

Always with love, Sonic

As Sonic wrote his message to his friends, Shadow couldn't help but read along. The words that the blue blur wrote pulled roughly at his heartstrings, making him want to sob uncontrollably. Sonic however, didn't hold back. He openly sobbed as he wrote, tears falling onto the message, creating ink smudges and blurring some of the words.

When he was finally done, Sonic dropped the map and pen and sobbed, flinging himself into Shadow's arms as he wailed into his chest fur. Shadow wrapped his arms tightly around him as he held him close, tears falling from his own eyes.

"You're not gonna die. I won't let you." He whispered into his ear, gently rocking them back and forth.

"Shadow…"

"You're friends are never gonna see that message, because you're gonna get out of here."

"Shadow…"

"I promise Sonic, I promise."

"Shadow!"

Shadow stopped and looked down at his companion. Sonic looked back up and sniffed, his eyes red and puffy from crying. He gave a gentle smile as he looked into the beautiful ruby eyes of the darker hedgehog.

"Now that I have your attention, there's something I wanna do, before it's too late."

"Sonic, for the last time, you're not gonna…"

Shadow didn't have a chance to finish his sentence however. Because at that moment, Sonic thrusted himself up to Shadow's face and planted his lips right onto his, kissing him passionately as he wrapped his arms around his neck.

Shadow was frozen stiff as Sonic kissed him. He couldn't believe this was happening. Sonic was kissing him! A little voice in the back of his head was telling him that this was wrong. That he should push him off and snap at him. But in the front of his mind, a much bigger voice told him that this was so right. That this is where he needed to be.

Taking the bigger voice's advice, Shadow closed his eyes and kissed back, pulling Sonic closer to him. It felt so wrong, but at the same time, it felt so right.

Sonic was mentally squealing with delight as Shadow kissed back. He had a feeling that he would be angry with him and push him away, but boy was he wrong. As they kissed, Sonic's love for Shadow burned brighter, and with Shadow, love for Sonic burned too.

At last, the two parted their lips, both gasping for air, their faces glowing with blush.

They stared into each other's eyes, foreheads pressed against each other, just marveling in the moment, savoring it to memory.

Soon enough though, Shadow frowned. Sonic's expression fell along with his ears.

Was Shadow actually mad?

However, his mood brightened up some with the next words the crimson streaked hedgehog said to him.

"Sonic… I swear to Lord Chaos on Mobius, and God and the Lord Jesus on Earth. We will make it out of here. Together. That is a solid promise. We will get out of here. Alive. And together."