In Cosmo's Shadow
By Kellie Fay
Disclaimer: Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Cosmo, and the others all belong to SEGA, Team Sonic, 4 Kids and other people not me
I hope you've enjoyed the story I just wish I had more feedback. Keep on the Look out for a story for April Fools and that's no joke.
Epilogue 2
[500 years later]
Shadow looked at the child not believing his own eyes. In front of him stood a hedgehog about 12 inches shorter than himself. His eyes shown an emerald green, and by his build and expression Shadow guessed that he was only seven years old, but what rocked him to his core was the confident air that hung about him, and his cobalt blue fur.
Shadow locked eyes with the child for a second, and even though there was no real recognition the youngster seemed to relax slightly, knowing without understanding why that Shadow meant no harm. In his eyes Shadow saw in his own mind glimpses of the Sonic Hedgehog he knew hundreds of years ago.
Could it be true? Could this child hold the spirit of the hedgehog he knew long ago? Shadow turned to look at the young chipmunk at the blue hedgehog's side. In her eyes could clearly see images of Amy Rose. Shocked and uncertain Shadow fled the group hiding back in the trees.
For four days Shadow spied on these children. The chipmunk and what looked and ran exactly like a younger Sonic seems to be part of a motley group of rebels. Shadow had left his sanctuary in the Cloud Palace to see if the rumors of a human creature using a machine to turn the Mobians into robots were true. The truth was more horrible than the rumors. He was human, he did carry the name of Robotnick, and he did have a machine that could turn the citizens into robots.
There were days afterwards that Shadow would wonder if Doctor Gerald had insanity in his family line. He could only thank whatever gods that existed that it did not touch Maria.
The more he watched the group the more certain he became that somewhere within the bodies of those children lingered the spirits of those he knew over five hundred years ago. His most convincing piece of evidence was that the blue hedgehog had the long lost ability to break the speed of sound when he ran, for no logical reason.
After a month Shadow went back to the Cloud Palace to ask Lord Stratus if such a thing could even be possible.
Only Stratus knew his true age. Only he knew the whole truth about Shadow's existence.
He could never age and never die.
Only he could get away with calling Shadow a child, even though the immortal hedgehog had at least two centuries on the old mutt he looked three hundred years older than Shadow.
"We have known such a thing for some time child," he said causing Shadow's quills to bristle in annoyance. "Souls once lost can return in other forms. They do not remember their past lives, but there are etches within one's soul that makes it easy for one who has the talent to see these things."
Shadow had lived among the monks for about a hundred and thirty years. In that time he learned a great deal about the mind and soul of an individual. He could look at these children and within their souls could see who they once were. Shadow looked up at the monk feeling a longing desperation in his heart.
"What do I do?" He asked his mentor.
Stratus shook his head sternly. "They will not know you, Shadow Hedgehog," he says. "It would not be good for them if you were to force recollection of their past lives upon them. They are new people now. You have to leave your friends back in the past."
"But you said that they are my friends," Shadow demanded. "Should I just ignore that and leave them to their own destinies? How can I even think to do such a thing? That human down there is robotizizing everyone! Should I not even help them?"
Stratus glared down at his rebellious pupil. "I did not say not to help them, and I did not say to leave them to their fate. There is no reason you could not connect with these young Freedom Fighters if you wish, but you must remember even though the souls of your friends are etched within them, they will not know you. Can you look at them, knowing this, and yet dealing with them as they are now, instead of who they were? Can you keep this secrete within you for as long as they live?"
Could I? Shadow wondered. Could he keep this secret until they passed away like their predecessors before them? Did he even want to go through the torture of seeing his friends once again grow old and die?
In the end he become the ancient dark angel Milana threatened to make him in her stories. He became The Shadow Hedgehog, a dark spirit who would protect the Freedom Fighters and watch over them. It was still a lonely existence, but it left him with a sense of satisfaction. Friendships could be forever. Sonic and the others had come back. They may never see him, and never know him again, but they had come back. Stratus always told him that the universe moved in cycles. If they could come back once, they could do so again.
And maybe then Shadow would be ready for them.