A/N: Hey guys I'm going to issue a new warning in this chapter. Robotnik in this fic is not like the Eggman at all that you see in cute and fluffy SONIC X. This Robotnik is much more like the SATM series evil genius. Maybe even more sinister than that. And pure evil. You would not even want to know what he'd do to an animal once he caught it. Just take your average human for example with an abattoir.

There's going to be character death and blood and swearing. If you do NOT like that sort of thing, please, please skip this chapter. Oh yeah and you may have noticed that Sonic dumbly calls Shadow Shads. It's dumb I know. But bear with it. Lol.

And Clave is some past dragon robot i used for Sonic Heroes.

Warning: Blood and character death.

******

Chapter 13: Sonic

'And from below the foot of the valley the darkness gathered into motion.' Mordant's Need – A Man Rides Through – Stephen Donaldson

********

Sonic was standing on a ridge, watching the battle. He had a backpack on, which he had managed to obtain from a camp, and in that backpack was the green emerald. But still, even with the power of chaos, one emerald could do little against a force of so many.

Shadow had found him earlier after Sally had dismissed him. His features seemed to burn in anger and resentment. And he told Sonic what Silver had told him.

'He managed to get all six emeralds in my time, but he never found the seventh, because I found it first.'

"So where are the others?" If only he could turn super and show Robotnik that you couldn't cull animals into a corner before destroying them. Now however, the only way to get by, was to retreat. Sonic, and someone else capable enough, had to defend their army while they fled. There was a ravine to the west, not too far from battle. If they could all make it there, Robotnik's army would be bottlenecked, and so they wouldn't be able to come at them as fiercely or do so much damage. And he wanted his partner to be Shadow in this. There was no one else could maneuver as quickly.

He allowed Shadow to sleep for a few hours before coming to rouse him. The black hedgehog wasn't happy about being disturbed. In fact, he wasn't happy about anything. He cursed and spat, and his wounds still sore. Sonic guided him out of the tent, and together before nightfall, they planned.

Before they departed, Shadow slid off his bangles from his wrists. The golden bands hit the snow with a soft ding. Sonic cocked his head at him and his face was cast in shadow.

"Shads, what are you doing?"

"I told you not to call me by that name." The bones underlying his features seemed to become iron; his eyes seemed to catch and reflect the light like tempered and polished metal. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with muffled strength – and veiled threats. "I'm taking off my restraints so I can use my full power."

"Is that wise?" He didn't mean to sound almost like he was patronizing him, and Shadow glared at him. Sonic smiled grimly. "All right, just remember not to use all your strength, otherwise we'll be in a bit of a jam!"

"Whatever."

Shadow left the bangles on the floor as if they were discarded rubbish.

Dusk settled like a thick sponge over the snowy valley. Sonic was ready, but kept getting this bad feeling that something was going to go wrong. Shadow knew his part of the plan, and together, they dashed down a hill and split up. Sonic went left and met up with the flank of his army. The captain of the brigade was Salter, the stoat. Half his face had gone, and blood had soaked into the fur of his throat and mouth. Sonic tried not to appear disgusted by the sight and instead felt pity. "We need to turn round and escape into the ravine," the hedgehog was saying, "that way, Robotnik will be slow to follow us and he won't be able to flank us."

"A reasonable plan," the aged stoat sounded contemptuous, "but there is mist in the ravines. We'll get lost easily and that filthy human may just pick us off easier there than here." His one eye blinked fiercely.

"That won't happen, I'll make sure of it. The mist will clear at dawn before it settles again. Then we can escape."

"Escape where?" Asked a gold feathered bird.

"Yes, where?"

Sonic tried to clear his head. "Back to our homes, to defend them."

"That won't work." A cheetah came up to him, and like the stoat, he was gravely injured. Some of his teeth were missing and he had lost one arm. The stump had been coated in gauge, but even then the blood shone through. "I've seen Robotnik's dark magic. These tiny bots, called nano-implants, have been invading our camp. Do you know what they do?"

Feeling like a novice, Sonic shook his head.

The cheetah continued ruefully, "they infiltrate your mind. They set brother upon brother."

"What he's trying to say is," interrupted the stoat with half a face, "is that tiny insects come from nowhere, attach themselves to you, and possess your mind, and these poor creatures go berserk and try to kill their families. The only way to stop them, is to kill them."

Sonic's mouth hung open. After his shock had subsided a little, he asked, "how big are these insects? What should I be looking for?"

"They're green." Replied half a face, "and they're as small as your toenails. I'm not joking. Me and Bargeia saw one the other night. We stomped on it before it could do any harm."

Just wonderful.

He wanted to tell Shadow this, but there was no way of reaching him now. He had a job to do.

But… mind-control bugs?

Absurd as it sounded, it was very frightening. Sonic was now paranoid enough to keep a constant eye on the ground to spot any bugs.

He led his team over the snow-drenched ground, and he saw the side Shadow was on doing the same thing. The robots however, were clenched for an attack like a sharpened bolt of lightening. They ploughed into the flanks of Sonic's army and sank their mottled metal teeth into soft flesh. Birds and hedgehogs whirled to fight the threat. Shadow pierced through the barrier of animals and rammed into the machines. His aid gave enough time for more of the animals to retreat without harm. That was until, machines broke from the mud and pulled creatures underground. Eggman had thought of everything. If you couldn't fight your enemy directly, you could fight him from the air and the ground.

Screams jostled the retreat. Shadow kept to his side. He didn't aid Sonic's half of the army.

Vexed, but not consumed with anger, Sonic decided to defend both sides by himself. It was a task that may have been considered impossible, but he was going to do it.

He rushed over to the metallic foes, shoved them hard with his overused spines, he kicked and he punched. Knuckles was nowhere to be seen. Amy was in one of the tent's near Sally. (Amy had given up fighting because she had got scratched on her knee), and Tails was lost to them. His communications had been in his planes, and without them, there was no way to reach him with the communicators.

Hot and bleeding, Sonic got out his emerald from his backpack. It was supposed to be used as a last resort, but it was time to get out his guns. Clenching the gem tightly, he showered his foes with chaos splinters. A metal bird he did not see, knocked him down and his face received a mouthful of dirt and snow. The bird reared like a dinosaur, ready to spear its peak into him when Shadow kicked it headlong into its comrades. He helped Sonic to his feet, with fury etched in the lines of his face. Then they teleported away from the dense fighting. "Sonic! You're not doing your part! The bastards are coming in like flies! You have to defend your side!"

"No! There's too many! We have to break away!" Sonic said between his teeth.

Shadow pushed him aside. "No! I will not take that order!" He was like a coiled spring, tightened to the point of outbreak. "Do as I say!"

"What's your reason for ordering me around like this?" He asked darkly.

"That reason is being able to protect others with the power that I've got."

Sonic wanted to slap him. No! You follow my orders! And you do them without question! We're saving lives now! Not winning wars! You're not protecting them this way!

"Well, I'm in charge, Shadow." He used his full name. His dark rival stared at him malevolently, as if he were planning in his head the best way to attack Sonic. They stared heatedly at one another, and at last, it was Shadow who backed down.

"Fine." He snarled, feral with anger, "do as you wish, but nobody controls me. Fight as you wish, hedgehog." He turned and warped away. Sonic lifted his lips in ire himself. The gesture caused his bottom lip to split.

So be it.

So it was back to the fighting, on his own. He tried to group the animals in as much as possible. But panic stemmed from them like a fever and they didn't listen to commands. They broke apart like water. Without Shadow, he was getting nowhere.

***

Robotnik took a sip of his charnade. It was a rare wine. The best wine in all of Mobius and he had harvested it, he had labored to deliver the best delicacies that this fifthly land had to offer.

"Honestly, it's like a zoo out there." He watched the battle progress on one of his large screens. He had many, all of them at different angles, and one always watching Sonic's movements. In all, there were fifty-two screens showing the war, and he marveled like a boy, watching, waiting. Robotnik had lost many robots. Some of them had been his best, but really, the loss wasn't that big of a deal. There were hundreds, no, thousands more and they skinned the animals like it was a slaughter house.

Robotnik laughed at them.

He refilled his goblet of wine by the decanter beside him and pressed the rim of the glass to his fat lips. His chair creaked under his vast weight and his stomach wobbled and slouched like dough.

Oh, how he loved to see them die. A few foxes got murdered under the explosion of VIGIL290 (a turtle robot), and as he discerned their burning corpses on screen, he thought of how many fur coats and scarves these creatures would make.

He chuckled to himself. His fat fist gripped the base of his chair until a trickle of wine fell from his cup and splashed across the armor on his chest.

A robot whom he had spent years designing, named Clave, walked up beside him like a dutiful servant.

"Clave," his voice boomed in the room, "how are my bugs doing?"

"Sir, two-thirds of them have been destroyed."

Now Robotnik lost his cheery smile. "What?" Spit shot from his moist lips.

"But the last remaining have done a good portion of damage."

Robotnik grinned despite the news, which had despaired him for a few seconds. "And Sonic? Have you sent one to my good friend?" He gulped down a mouthful of bitter wine and his fat face twisted.

"It's on its way."

"Good." He swiveled in his chair, his black eyes back on the monitor screens. He pressed a few buttons on the handle bar of his chair and one screen blinked and showed live action of Shadow. "I always reward my betrayers." He spat, his voice livid but his face still adorned that evil grin. "I never forget them. And he will get his rewards soon." He smile widened so much that his white teeth showed and they gleamed under the harsh lights of the room. "Now, Clave, go and do my bidding."

The dragon robot nodded obediently like a dog and walked out of the room. Robotnik then peeled into bouts of convulsive laughter. Tears tricked from his eyes. The wine in his goblet threatened to spill. "I love what I do!"

***

Sally was talking into her communicator back at her tent. The news from the battle was not good. Silver was breathing adequately without his facemask. Of course, being in the infirmary tent all the time led to huge levels of boredom, so while Sally was distracted, he slipped outside into the cold snowy world. He didn't go every far. On the ground he noticed there was a small topaz colored insect that looked like a strange beetle with wings. Silver was overjoyed. Insects were rare in his time.

Being careful so as not to damage it, he picked it up in his bare hands and studied it with glee.

"Wow, you're stunning." He decided to take it back inside to show Sally. When he tried to show her it, back inside the dismal tent, she was still talking into the communicator.

"No, I want to talk to Sonic!" She was muttering, as she tried to keep calm, "can't you see I'm worried?"

Silver tried to show her the bug he had caught. "Princess, it's so pretty! Look!"

"Not now Silver, can't you see I'm on the communicator!" She exclaimed shrilly.

The white hedgehog shrugged and went back to sit on his bed. He let the bug have a wonder on the blankets. After a closer look at it, he began to see that it looked more like it was made out of metal than anything else.

"Weird."

Amy came in, sporting a huge bandage on his left knee. She moaned and groaned about it, despite the wound being little more than a scratch she had got from falling over. However, she said she had got the wound from fighting a seven meter tall badnik.

"Where's Sonic?" She asked, "I want to see him!"

"He's not here." Silver got up and passed the bug to her. "Look at this! I found it just outside! What do you think it is?"

The instant he placed it in her hands, she shrieked and recoiled. The bug dropped like a stone to the floor. "Ewww! Silver you moron! I hate bugs!"

"Sorry!" He rebuked unkindly, "now you've probably hurt it!" He looked down to find it, but he couldn't see it anywhere. "You've lost it!" His boyish features tightened with vexation.

"Who cares! Here I am worried about Sonic and all you can do is look after your pretty pet!" She stamped on the floor wildly. Sally had left the tent to talk into her communicator without the commotion.

Meanwhile, the bug had left the camp at a quick crawl, intent to find its true, programmed target.

***

A bomb was deployed from the air. When Knuckles, Rouge and the Chaotix looked up, they saw that it had been Tails who had unleashed the weapon and the freedom fighters crowed with joy. The plane was a small prototype. Nobody knew how Tails had managed to acquire it, but it did substantial damage to the right side of Eggman's army. Hot metal spewed like vomit, fire cascaded like liquid water. But it still wasn't enough.

Shadow plunged into the frontline. Then he retreated. Then he plunged again. The enemy closed in around him like vultures. The line of animals bent under the charge of Eggman's army. Their retreat to the ravine was too slow. They would all be killed before they got there. Shadow's shoes crunched as he stood over corpses of his fallen comrades. The ground was layered with the dead.

The sadness of the situation pushed his fierceness aside and he thought of Maria. She had saved him. She had scarified her own life and he didn't want it. He wanted to close his eyes against the pain. He didn't want to see when she got shot. He didn't want to see the bullet that tore into her chest. He didn't want to see the blood that gushed and bubbled like a thick stream.

Behind him, the screams of Sonic's army transformed to tumult and chaos. The robots cut through them. There were only a score of them left…

Shadow focused on the battle once more and his eyes sharpened in the daylight.

I will die here today. Maybe Silver did speak some truth. But I am glad he is right.

He threw himself into the enemy's arms.

Sonic was exhausted. He needed water. He needed rest. But oh Gods they were losing.

"To the ravine! Run for it!" It was barely a league away, but still, no one was listening. Half face was gone. Dead with his comrades. Bertha, the dragon that breathed fire, had also been taken down. There was hardly anyone left.

"Fuck this, I'm going home!" Yelled Vector. The crocodile, with a spear in his hand, ripped past Sonic in his haste. Sonic tried to stop him.

"Wait! Come back!"

He suddenly got an itch at the back of his ear and he scratched at it fervidly. He saw a red hot blast from the south. Shadow had just used his chaos blast again.

When he was done scratching, he pulled his hand away and saw a tiny metal insect leg on the tip of his finger. It caught in the wintry sunlight, shining in his eyes. "What the?" He reached back behind his ear but could find nothing else. Maybe it came from one of the debris while he had been fighting Eggman?

As he went to step forward, a kind of loss of realism hit him and he staggered instead. His legs turned cold and numb, and icicles slithered up and down his arms. "What?" His confusion mounted. He didn't panic. He couldn't panic. Maybe he was really, really tired and that was all.

He fell to his knees. A pain started in the back of his head. He didn't know what to do.

He slapped both hands to his head. The pain increased until it burned. His eyes diluted. Blackness swam before him; it was like he was in sinking in the middle of a dark ocean.

Sonic grunted and fought against the pain. He fought against the burning numbness that crept into his body. He shivered violently. The snow melted around his knees.

"Fuck!" His vision was dissipating altogether. He needed help. He needed someone to tell him what to do. "What's happening t-to me?"

The pain fell upon him like bricks.

He screamed.

And then, when he opened his eyes, all he saw was red and all he felt was the passion, to kill.

Shadow panted angrily. He spat blood from his mouth. Disemboweled robots lay at his feet like trash. "You've… you've got to do better than that… Eggman…"

"Shadow!" He turned sharply. It was Rouge. The bat landed neatly beside him. Her makeup had been smeared over her face, making her look aghast under the baleful light of the sun.

"What?" He gasped, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. His limbs shook. He didn't know how much longer he could fight for.

"Look at you! You've got to retreat! You'll kill yourself!"

Her concern made him sneer at her. He lifted his hand and wiped the blood from his lips. "Go home, Rouge." He told her venomously, "I don't want another corpse under my feet."

His steel, icy tone made her hang back. "What? So you're just gonna keep fighting? You can't beat Eggman all by yourself, Shadow. That's stupid."

"Maybe, but at least I try." He held her gaze darkly. She blinked heavily, unable to decide what to do.

"I've managed to make some of the freedom fighters retreat. The ravine's almost within walking distance. You can make it too."

"Oh really?" His sardonic tone hit her like an icy bullet.

Her belligerent mood wasn't helped. "Shadow, if you don't move then…" A sudden, unseen wind clenched her for a moment. Perplexed, she turned and saw Sonic standing behind her. "Oh, hello Sonic." She said sordidly, "come to fight 'til you drop too?" But when she looked into his wide eyes, she saw that they were not the brazen green color they once were. They were pale and blue. Almost bland in appearance. "Sonic?" She asked when he did not respond.

Shadow stepped forward, ignoring the crunch of bone and metal under his feet. "Sonic? What are you doing here?"

The blue hedgehog turned to face him, and he grinned. But it was not a grin Sonic dished out when he was glad or happy. It was an evil grin, one that Shadow never thought he'd see.

Sonic's eyes seemed to latch onto Shadow's, and the blue hedgehog, with one hand, hit Rouge across the face. He didn't even look at her as she fell. But Shadow jumped into full throttle. He slammed into Sonic, sending the younger hedgehog into the air. He landed rather heavily into a ditch of snow. Shadow had done him no harm.

The dark hedgehog came to Rouge's side. "Are you hurt?" He asked simply.

She shook her head, her eyes swollen with shock and bewilderment. "Why… why did he do that?"

Seeing that she was okay, Shadow stood to his full height and watched as Sonic got to his feet also.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Shadow grated as a cold ripple of snowy air touched their fur, "why did you hit her?"

Again, Sonic didn't speak. He just grinned. The sight greatly unnerved the darker hedgehog.

Pissed off, Shadow spat at the floor and went to help Rouge to her feet. The bat was shaking. Tears welled up in her eyes, then cascaded down her cheeks like thick raindrops.

"Thank you, Shadow." She murmured deferentially. She got her legs under her and stood.

"Leave us, Rouge." He whispered this time.

"I can't!" She replied helplessly, "not without you!"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Now leave."

As sudden as the wind, she saw something in the corner of her eyes and she snapped, "LOOK OUT!"

Shadow turned too slowly. He didn't see it coming.

Sonic flew into him like a rock and Shadow went hurtling into the ground. His kneecap ripped on a stone and he cried out. Blood spurted out in docile bursts, leaving wet, small puddles of blood on the snow laden earth.

"SONIC!" His scream tore at the air until it rang. "What are you doing?"

The blue hedgehog was still smiling like a crazed lunatic. Some of Shadow's blood had flicked onto his face like red paint. He licked it off as they lay together on the floor.

Shadow went to move. Sonic grabbed the white tuft of fur on his chest and powered a fist into Shadow's face. His nose cracked under the force, making his countenance look as though he wore a crimson mask.

Hurt and angry, Shadow kicked Sonic off him. Sonic caught the blow in the stomach, and he spun in the air, landing perfectly on his feet. He stood there proudly, as if he had never been harmed.

Shadow on the other hand, had blood all over him. He pressed a hand to his ripped knee, and cursed. He had to keep his mouth open, unable to breathe through his smashed nose.

"Sonic, what's going on?" His voice broke momentarily and he coughed deeply. "Why are you attacking me? I'm not your enemy!"

Sonic didn't seem to have heard him, but his ears were pricked forward, and he advanced slowly, his footsteps bitter and heavy. He was preparing for another attack.

"Stop!" He yelled anguishly at him, "stop it now!"

He kept coming.

Rouge had her hands over her mouth. Tears dribbled down her white cheeks. She was silent except for the occasional sob that wrenched through her.

Shadow didn't think that he could stand. Sonic was getting closer. He had to fight, even if it meant hurting his friend.

He didn't want to do it.

But maybe if he hit Sonic hard enough he would knock him back to his senses.

Sonic shot forward again like a living torpedo. Shadow joined the charge and they smashed into one another.

Sonic caught Shadow's left ear with his teeth, tearing the soft tissue. Shadow hissed with infuriation as blood spurted from his torn ear. He lashed out with a sharp kick, straight into Sonic's chest. He swore he heard a rib crack and Shadow hesitated. He didn't want to do this. He couldn't fight Sonic this way. What if he killed him?

Sonic fell away, and only briefly held his sternum before meeting his adversary's eyes again. His teeth showed, white and malign, between his lips; loathing stretched all the mercy out of his features.

Shadow was dripping with bloodied sweat. "Sonic, listen to me!" The blood from his nose fell into his mouth, staining his teeth, "come to your senses! Can't you see that fighting me is getting you nowhere? I am not your target!" He begged Sonic to listen. He ached to see his old self. What had happened to him? "Please!" He slouched. He couldn't stand using his weight on both legs. "Listen to me!"

His words fell on deaf ears. Sonic came at him once more.

Rouge seemed to shrivel further and further into the ground. She sat there, huddled and sobbing.

The hedgehog's shadows danced on the ground as the two foes threw themselves at each other's throats. The sun glimmered like a gorgon's burning eye. Snow was kicked up. Blood lacerated the soil.

Sonic's eyes remained bland and impassive to what he was doing. He struck out his actions like a puppet. It was almost as if he had no idea what he was doing at all. But his attacks did not ease. He seemed to be getting stronger.

Shadow did not understand why his friend was this way. He could not use chaos blast. That might kill him. So instead he used his kicks and punches. It all seemed even until Sonic fled, only to get the emerald out from his bag. Shadow gasped.

"Sonic! NO!"

The emerald pulsed with divine light. It enveloped Shadow in its translucent lustre. The red quilled hedgehog tried to defend with the dark powers of his own, but that defense cost him an exertion, which seemed to shred his energy. He couldn't hold on. His chest swelled with pain. Blood rose in his throat.

Sonic, please don't do this.

Unexpectedly, Sonic lost that misty look in his eyes and that emerald hue returned, if only for a heartbeat. Then it was clouded over swiftly.

Maria…

Hold on.

I can't…

With an effort, which felt desperately heroic, Shadow tried to break the emerald's seal over him.

'If that if your final decision, you despicable critter, then fine. I warned you. You will pay for this, Shadow. And not just with your life.'

"Eggman…"

Images, flashes of past events filled his head.

Robotnik.

This had to be Robotnik's doing.

Sonic was probably being controlled.

With a last roar of rage and pain, the aura around him from the emerald shattered like glass. Then, using his last reserves of strength, he went straight at Sonic. When he was close enough, and before the blue hedgehog could defend himself, Shadow landed a heavy punch on his skull. Sonic fell and cracked his head on the ground. Blood leaked from Sonic's ears and his pasty blue eyes were watery with tears. He wasn't smiling anymore, and for that Shadow was glad.

Unable to hold his own body up anymore, Shadow fell to the floor lifelessly.

Sonic rose to his head, cradling his head. The emerald had dropped to the floor and even without an owner, it still throbbed with irresistible light.

Angry from being knocked down, Sonic scooped the gem into the palm of his hand and limped over to his fallen antagonist.

For the first time in his entranced state, he spoke. "Now to finish you off!" His voice didn't sound natural. It was dark and lifeless. He crept up to Shadow's inert form and held the emerald high in his hand. "Now you die!"

Shadow grinned, opened up his own hand and a shot of dark light hit Sonic square in the eyes. Blinded by the attack, Sonic retreated, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

Rouge fought back her fear and rushed up to Shadow. "Get up!" She shrieked at him, "come with me and we'll get out of here!"

Shadow never thought he would hear her so frightened for him. "I can't." He stated past the blood that poured from his mouth and nose. "I've used up all my energy."

She noticed that he didn't have his bangles on. "You can try! Get up, come on! Before he comes back!" Her tears dropped down and hit his gory face.

"You go, Rouge," he told her, "before he decides to hurt you again."

"No! I won't leave you!"

"Pah! Why?"

As they spoke, Sonic regained his sight and he looked very angry. His pale eyes were livid. It was time to end this.

Shadow saw Sonic advancing. "Rouge, fuck off! Before he kills you!"

The bat was hesitant. She gingerly wiped some of the gore away from his chin. "No."

Sonic was too close. He kicked the bat aside. Shadow didn't notice him come so quickly.

"Don't you touch her!" He tried to rise. He tried to grab Sonic's arm. He saw metal fall away from Sonic's ear, but that small detail was lost when a fist met his face.

"I touch who I like." He said dankly. He moved so that he stood over his nemesis. "I hope you have a good time in hell."

Again, he rose the emerald.

Shadow shut his eyes, expecting death. But nothing happened. When Shadow opened his eyes, Sonic was still standing over him. He had the gem in his grip, ready to bore it down. He didn't. It was then that Shadow noticed the green hue in Sonic's eyes. The emerald coloring grew deeper, brandishing the once blue paste. Finally, all remnants of the mist in his orbs seemed to vanish, and Sonic stood quivering. His emerald eyes blinked a few times, and the chaos gem fell from his grasp.

Shadow couldn't see well anymore. His once sharp crystal vision had crumbled. However, the pain he was feeling was starting to fade. Numbness took its place.

"Sonic?" He choked.

The blue hedgehog sounded pitifully scared when he answered, "what… what have I done?"

Rouge had recovered from the kick to her side, and cradled her throbbing ribs. "Leave Shadow alone you bastard!" She shouted, her voice cracking.

Sonic looked over at her, and she at once saw that his eyes had returned to normal. He didn't look at her long. He knelt by Shadow's side and felt bile rise in his throat.

"Shadow… what did I do?"

"Nothing!" The black hedgehog tried vainly to smile. "But I think you were possessed. I don't know."

Sonic felt tears in his eyes. "What have I done to you?"

"Sonic… you can… you can change this!" He wanted to close his eyes. He wanted to sleep. "You can go back in time and stop this from happening."

"How? HOW?"

Shadow's head filled up with black water and he lost his vision in the dark. "Use the emerald that you've got and save Silver. Save your army. Kill Eggman."

Sonic shook his head in dismay. He couldn't do this. "Shadow, holy Gods I'm so sorry I did this to you! I'll take you back to Sally! She can help you!" He started to get his arms under his maimed body, but Shadow hissed dolefully.

"No! Sonic, I'm glad I have known you. When you go back into the past, do not save me."

"What?"

"I want to die, don't you see? This is how I want my life to end. You have to do this one small favor for me."

"No!"

"You must!" He was losing consciousness. He felt the sticky pool of blood growing beneath him. "For me, Sonic. Let me die."

I want to be with you… Maria…

"Shads… I…"

Shadow smirked. "You still won't let that name drop, will you?" A sudden convulsion wracked through him, causing him to arch his back. The pain flared anew. Sonic yelled out. Then Shadow relaxed, and smiled. "Maria…" His whisper hung in the air, and he slowly closed his heavy eyelids. His chest rose for the last time. Then he breathed in no more.

A stark and intimate dismay flashed in Sonic's face. "SHADOW!" He gripped him by the shoulders and shook him lightly at first, all the while crying his name. "Shads! Answer me! Get up!"

The dark hedgehog did not respond to any of Sonic's efforts. He was as limp as a corpse.

Sonic let him go and he covered his face with his hands.

******

TBC

Sonic, it's not the end yet. Make the difference. Or die trying.