Chapter 17: Comatose
The sun rose in the sky and Shadow reverted to his hedgehog form. The thick black claws from his paws shrunk back into toenails and fingernails. His paws became hands and feet, breaking apart into five hands and toes. He stood up on two legs, fur and tail shortening. His muzzle receded, causing his face to sink as his ears grew round, teeth shortening and eyes changing to their normal red color. Shadow got up and looked around. He saw that Mephiles was dead, and he smiled.
It looks like Sonic and I killed Mephiles, he thought. But what happened to Sonic? Where is he?
He started walking around, calling for Sonic. A few minutes later, his eyes widened as he saw Sonic on the ground. Shadow ran over to him.
"Sonic? Sonic, wake up!" Shadow yelled.
Sonic didn't move. Shadow had a sinking feeling as he checked Sonic's pulse. There was none.
"No...no; Sonic, you can't die! Not now!"
He picked Sonic up and rushed out of the forest, toward Chris's house.
Tails and Knuckles sat on the couch, watching television.
"Do you think that Sonic and Shadow are okay?" Tails asked.
Knuckles shrugged. "Who knows?"
A knock at the door jolted them from their seats. Tails answered the door and Shadow ran inside, breathless. He lay Sonic down on the couch.
Tails looked confused. "Did you kill the werewolf?"
Shadow nodded and looked at Sonic. "We defeated him but..."
Tails' eyes widened and he shook his head in denial. "No! He didn't..."
Shadow nodded sadly. "I'm afraid Sonic's dead."
Tails looked at Sonic. "I'm going to try and see if that's true..."
He ushered Shadow out of the room and began a medical diagnosis. A few minutes later, Tails came into the kitchen and looked at Shadow.
"Sonic isn't dead..."
Shadow's eyes widened as he heard this. "Not dead? But...he's not breathing. And I couldn't feel a pulse!"
Tails shook his head. "That doesn't mean he's dead, Shadow. Sonic is very much alive."
"Well, what's wrong with him?" Shadow asked.
Tails sighed and lowered his head. "He's in a coma."