Shadow the Hedgehog of the Colossus
Chapter 7: Avion
Deep within the mountains, at the front gates of the hidden city. The masked Echidna Shaman, Lord Emon, was rounding up the clans' finest warriors and the city's fastest horses, preparing them to leave their homeland and venture out into the outside world for the first time in over a hundred years.
Ever since they've lost their original kingdom, which has now become the Forbidden Lands, their ancestors have made a vow to never leave the sanctuary of their city under any circumstances.
But this was something so dire, something that cannot be ignored. Something so dangerous that they wouldn't hesitate to break the vow of peace over. Emon sacrificed so much to ensure that Dormin would never rise again. But the Ultimate Lifeform threatens to release him and put his clan in danger.
Emon knows that if Dormin is resurrected, the first thing they'd do is wipe out the Colossus Clan and destroy the second civilisation they've built over the years. And once that's done, they'll venture out into the rest of the world and consume everything in darkness until the whole world is but a smoking husk of forgotten dreams.
"Lord Emon. The warriors you've requested have all been gathered." One of the Echidna guards informed him.
Emon walks over to the group of ten Echidna Warriors. All of them wore Roman-styled armour and animal masks. Some of them have swords in their sheathes attached to their waists. And some have a bow and a bunch of arrows on their backs. The warriors all stand at attention as Emon looks over each of them carefully, making sure they were perfectly presentable for the mission.
"My Warriors. You have all been gathered here today because a great danger is slowly awakening." The shaman explains in a soft, but serious, tone. "The sixteen Colossai, our ancestors created to seal away the remnants of Dormin, are being slain by a rogue who seeks to use their power for himself. That rogue is known as Shadow the Hedgehog. The Ultimate Lifeform has saved this planet on several occasions. But now he wishes to destroy it by resurrecting Dormin… We must travel to the Forbidden Lands and stop him from completing the Forbidden Spell before he succeeds in killing them all."
As Emon explains the magnitude of how serious the situation is, many warriors start to feel anxious about leaving their home and their families behind. Some of them have heard about the power Shadow possesses, and fear that he may kill them, should they get in his way.
"I will not lie to you. Some of you may not make it back alive. If anyone here has loved ones, say your goodbyes now while you still can. If not, choose your horse and stand by my side as I lead the way."
The warriors heed their leaders' words and head to their huts to bid farewell to their friends and families. As much as Emon cared for his people, time was not on their side. Even now where he stands, he fears how many more Colossai have been slain by the black hedgehog, bringing him closer to completing the ritual.
Shadow had once again fallen back into the void after his victory over the fourth Colossus. But he did not stay there long, as he was once again dragged into another memory of Maria Robotnik.
This one took place straight after the unfortunate death of Maria's mother, Meredith. He was back in the waiting room of the hospital. He can see that the room was occupied by two people. One was a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties wearing casual clothes. His only facial features were a curved moustache just like Gerald's, but not as big as Eggman's.
Sitting next to him was a young boy wearing round glasses, a red jumper with yellow stripes and black trousers, fiddling with some kind of gadget. The gadget looked like an Android tablet except for the fact that it had robotic spider legs attached to it.
He places the legged tablet on the floor and pulls out its remote control. He switches it on and has the device walk around the room. The screen then starts to project a hologram of a bunch of people clapping with fireworks going off behind them. Above them was a banner which read "Congratulations, it's a- Welcome to Earth little -" Two of the words were left blank until the gender and name of the baby have been confirmed.
"Julian! Turn that thing off! People are beginning to stare!" The man quietly scolded the boy.
Julian huffs at the man and powers down his device before getting into an argument with him.
"Look here, Uncle Geraldo. I was only testing out my latest invention to make sure it works properly. My baby cousin could be due any minute now, and I want it to be perfect!"
"I'm as excited as you are. But you don't need to show your appreciation through your robots." Geraldo attempts to convince him, which backfires quickly.
"Who said I was doing this for you? This device is to impress Grandpa. I want to grow up to be a great scientist just like him someday. Then I could show the whole world my genius."
Shadow instantly connected the dots in his head on the identity of this boy. It was without a doubt, the true young Doctor Eggman. Though he looks nothing like how he does today. He's skinny with a full head of brown hair, and he's not as insane as he usually is. It's almost as if they're both completely separate people.
"Look, Julian." Geraldo softly addressed his nephew. "My wife and I took you in because my uncaring drunk sister and her boyfriend abandoned you on the streets. We gave you a home. Food. A warm bed. And a promising life. I would appreciate a little gratitude from you every now and then."
"I was only abandoned because my parents were too stupid to be parents. Yes, drinking played a vital part in my mother's severe drop in the intelligence department. But it does not change my view on the world." Julian picks up his device and gives it a couple of looks over while he talks to his uncle. "It's not easy, you know, being clever. People like me, look at the world and connect things in ways nobody else can. And I always ask myself, "Why can't anyone else see it?" "The rest of the world is so painfully slow! It drives me mad!"
Shadow should've known that even at twelve years old, the young Ivo Robotnik – who his uncle kept calling him by his middle name for some reason – was an arrogant person who looks down on those whose intelligence is lower than his.
But he now knows the match that lit the fuse that would explode into his role of a mad scientist was being abandoned by alcoholic parents. Gerald was the only one within his family that he'd grown to love, as he wanted to be just like him one day. Whilst his aunt and uncle he couldn't give a damn about.
"You shouldn't say things like that, Julian-
"Stop calling me that!" The young Eggman shouted at his uncle, drawing the attention of the other visitors in the Waiting Room. "Julian was my old, loser name. Someday I will be known to the world as Doctor Ivo Robotnik. The greatest scientist in the world."
"Don't you raise your voice to me like that, young man." Geraldo scolded the boy. "When you turn eighteen you can leave and build your robots to your heart's content for all I care. But until then, I am responsible for you. I have to protect you when your mother couldn't."
"Not likely," Julian smirked evilly. "Once Grandpa has completed construction of the Space Colony ARK, I'm going to be the first child genius to live in space. Away from you and the rest of these moronic apes!"
At this point, Geraldo had given up on trying to talk some sense into the boy and went back to reading his newspaper. Julian, satisfied that he'd won this round, went back to working on his project.
The two of them, and Shadow, ended up waiting for almost half an hour until the silence was finally broken by the doctor who helped deliver Maria approaching the family, alongside the young Gerald Robotnik. The doctor was carrying the newborn Maria in his arms, who was now sleeping soundly.
Julian quickly sets up his device and activates it, allowing the holographic video to play out again. He was expecting his grandfather to smile and show approval for his efforts. But instead, Gerald was filled with loss and despair, forcing the young Eggman to turn it off.
"Dad? What's wrong? Don't tell me Meredith had a miscarriage!" Geraldo fearfully exclaimed to his father.
"The baby is fine, Son. And she is in good health." Gerald says thankfully. "As for Meredith… I'm sorry, Geraldo… But she didn't make it."
Shadow watched as Gerald explained what happened in the last memory he'd seen. Geraldo's face switched from worried to downright horrified by the news. The man was starting to hyperventilate over the news, forcing him to press his hand against his chest, feeling his own heart beating faster than its usual rate.
Panicked that he may be having a heart attack, Gerald and the doctor rush to his side. The doctor hands Maria over to Julian to make use of his hands.
Shouting across the halls gains the attention of the nurses as they all rush to lend aid to Geraldo who is now on the floor. His whole body shaking uncontrollably, showing signs of having a seizure.
Maria was woken up by all the shouting and started to cry in fear. Julian was unsure of what he should do to calm her down. He tries rocking her, humming a tune, he even tried asking politely, which was something he rarely does. But nothing he does could calm down his baby cousin.
"Oh, come on now! I'm doing the best I can here." He complained to her, even though she couldn't understand a word of what he was saying.
On closer inspection, Julian noticed the name tag on Maria's onesie, which had her name written on it. Julian quickly grabs hold of his remote control and uses one hand to type her name into the blank spot on the device, as well as confirming her gender to be female.
The video plays again, with a computer voice reading out "Congratulations, it's a girl. Welcome to Earth, little Maria." That was what finally got the baby to calm down. She even managed to form a small smile on her face as her bright blue eyes looked up at her older cousin.
Julian didn't know how to respond to that. Normally he cared very little about the people around him, the only exception being his grandfather. And his uncle, he doesn't mind being around most of the time. But for some reason, looking down at his new baby cousin has awakened something inside him.
Julian started to smile. This was not one of his trademarked evil smiles. This one was his first-ever genuine smile. A smile that shows that he expresses real care and love for someone other than himself for once.
His mind was no longer filled with thoughts of one day rebuilding the world in his image when he grows up or seeking his grandfather's approval and following in his footsteps.
Right now, his only thoughts were keeping Maria safe and happy while Gerald and the doctors tended to his wounded uncle and hoped that he recovers for her sake. She'd already just lost one parent, he doesn't wanna see her lose another like he did.
Julian knows that deep down he's not a stable person. He's aware that he can be an arrogant jerk most of the time. But he can't change himself since he was born this way. The least he could do is ensure his baby cousin doesn't grow up to be like him. The Robotnik family doesn't need another bad egg in their basket.
"Hm? Never would've imagined I'd see the day Doctor Eggman shows any compassion to another human being." Shadow commented to himself. "Then again, he never would've cloned her had he never cared in the first place. I suppose even he has good in him every now and then. As poor as it can be."
Shadow then notices the doctors lifting Geraldo onto a patient carrier and quickly rolled him down the hallway to the Surgery Room. Gerald stays with Julian and Maria to keep watch over them.
Gerald looks over the device Julian had built and was impressed with the craftsmanship.
"Did you build this yourself, Ivo?" He asked him.
"Yes, I did, Sir. It was supposed to be a surprise for you and Maria… Do you like it?"
"Under normal circumstances, I would've loved it. But I am impressed with your ingenuity." Gerald sits closer to the young Eggman and places his hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for calming Maria down. You're a good boy, Ivo."
Julian/Ivo smiled up at his grandfather and handed Maria back to him. But that smile fades away upon realising the things he'd said to his uncle, as well as what he heard happened to his aunt.
He and his aunt and uncle may not get along most of the time, but they were still family. He felt bad that he never got the chance to apologise to Meredith for never appreciating her love and care. He promises to do so with his uncle Geraldo when the doctors revive him. Hoping he doesn't meet the same fate as his wife and leaving Maria without parents.
Shadow's dream journey in the past comes to an abrupt end once again as he starts to wake up. The now four Shades standing over him slowly fade away as he opens his eyes.
He catches a glimpse of the statue of Phaedra shattering into pieces and crumbling to the ground with the other three. As he climbs back to his feet, he notices that Agro had been standing over Maria's body, gently nuzzling her head, expressing her concern for her safety.
Shadow walks over to the altar and gives Agro a little pat on the side of her neck as he approaches Maria the sleeping hedgehog. The two of them take a moment to appreciate her beauty despite her being a hedgehog now.
"I hope your father made it in the end. I can't imagine you growing up to be raised by the Professor and Eggman before going to the ARK… You knew nothing about life on Earth. This must mean Gerald brought you to the ARK when you were still a baby. Still, though, I gotta know what happens next."
Shadow snaps out of his train of thought by the sounds of Agro getting spooked by the ominous echo of Dormin's voices around them. Shadow ignores her and pays attention to what they had to say. The sun shines down on the next statue. This one had the appearance of some kind of bird. Shadow was intrigued by its appearance, wondering if he'll encounter a Colossus that can fly.
"Thy next foe is… It casts a colossal shadow across a misty lake as it soars through the sky… To reach it is no easy task."
Shadow takes a deep breath and prepares himself to set out once again. With the sword in hand, Shadow raises it high into the sunlight and waits for the sword's beam to light the way.
With his next destination set, Shadow ran for the exit as fast as his feet can carry him. However, something was very wrong with him.
He was running, but he wasn't moving as fast as he usually would. Instead, his running speed has lowered to the maximum speed of the average athletic human.
"My speed is gone! I can't run at the speed of sound anymore!" Shadow, angered by this revelation, came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs leading out of the shrine and punched the ground so hard that it cracked open.
"At least I still have my super strength. But without my speed, I've lost my greatest advantage over the slow, lumbering Titans."
The Colossai he'd seen so far were big and strong, but Shadow had the advantage of being fast, which helped him a great deal in killing them. But now that it's gone, he is forced to completely reconstruct his strategies on finding the best, and less difficult, way to defeat them.
Not only does losing his speed present a problem in fighting the Colossai, but now he can't get to their hidden locations as fast as he usually would. Running there at his current speed would take him hours, maybe even days. Maria's soul would be long gone by then. He'll have to find another way to get to Avion's location.
Agro then gets his attention by turning her head towards her back, motioning it back and forth, telling Shadow to climb on.
"You expect me to climb on your back and ride you to my next destination?"
Agro responds with a light nod. Shadow rolls his eyes. His pride wouldn't allow him to ride on the back of a horse. But he can see no other alternative to getting to the Colossai faster than running at his much slower pace. He lets out an annoyed sigh and gives in to his companion's request. He has little difficulty climbing up on Agro's back, using the higher steps to act as a platform.
Before heading out, Shadow looks back at Maria and worries about leaving her and the Chaos Emerald unguarded now that Agro's travelling with him.
"Wait! We can't just leave Maria and the emerald unprotected. Someone could come by and steal it!" Shadow warned his horse.
"Thou needn't not worry, mortal. We will protect the maiden whilst thee fights the Colossai." Dormin replies.
"How can I trust you?"
"We cannot do anything in our current condition. We present no threat to her, even if we wanted to." Dormin explains.
Shadow does not like the idea of Maria being left alone with Dormin watching over her. But he does know for a fact that it also means they can't protect her from any trespassers on the shrine in his absence. All the more reason for him to get moving and finish this mission as quickly as possible. Knowing Blaze and Knuckles, they've probably already attempted to follow and try and stop him.
Shadow lightly kicks the side of the black horse and Agro charges full speed out of the temple, following the guiding light beam from the ancient sword.
Shadow and Agro were heading to the west side of the shrine, riding along the side of a cliff. They were so high up that Shadow had little difficulty seeing the bottom of it, and the shrouded darkness surrounding it didn't help either.
Up ahead, the swords beam points down another narrow gorge heading deeper into the mountainside. He wasn't getting there as fast as he would like, but full speed on horseback is much better than running there at a human's pace.
There was one issue he didn't account for. The fact that his horse doesn't seem to do everything he tells her to do all the time. Instead of heading straight down the gorge, Agro decided to take a little detour and head over to an apple tree, hungry for its tasty fruit.
"You're going the wrong way you stupid horse!" Shadow vented to his annoying, nonspeaking companion.
Agro ignored him no matter how hard he pulled on her mane to go the other way. She was starving. All she had to eat the whole time they arrived was grass. That wasn't enough to fully satisfy her hunger. One or two apples from the tree and a nice drink of fresh water from the stream beside it should do it.
Shadow attempted to yell at the horse and force her to do his bidding, but he stopped over the sound of his stomach growling. This came as quite a shock to him.
This was the first time in his life that he felt hungry. As the Ultimate Lifeform, he had infinite energy flowing through his veins, keeping his body well-fed and at its peak at all times. While he is capable of eating and drinking, he never really needed to consume sustenance to survive. Whenever he does decide to eat or drink, it's mostly because he likes the flavour of certain foods.
"It looks like my speed isn't the only thing that I'm losing. My body… It feels a lot weaker than when I started. It feels like the energy flowing through me is beginning to lose its stability… Just what are these Colossai doing to me?!"
Agro then stands up on her hind legs to reach the apples above her. Shadow holds on tight to her mane as she struggles to reach the nearest apple. Why is it that all apple trees have branches that hang their fruit just out of reach?
Shadow decides to make things easier for her by leaping off her back and kicking the tree hard – but not too hard – causing the branches to shake and drop some of its apples.
Agro was excited over how many apples were laying on the ground all around her. She looks over each of them, trying to determine which was the juiciest one to eat first.
"Just pick one, they're all the same." Shadow pointed out harshly. He then picks up a random apple and takes a bite out of it. The apple's bitterness and sweetness were perfect, even when they made contact with his tastebuds. Usually, an apple can be either too sweet or not sweet enough when eaten straight from the tree. But these were practically perfect in every way.
Shadow admits that he was enjoying the flavour of these apples. It's mostly why he eats anything at all. But with his body getting weaker over every Colossus, he kills; He can't afford to think about being the Ultimate Lifeform anymore. He needs to start thinking like a mortal creature if he can defeat the rest of them.
After finishing his apple, Shadow tosses the core over his shoulder and into the river. Droplets of the water end up splashing onto Agro as she was drinking, forcing her to shake her head.
"Ok, we're both full of apples. Now stop wasting time and take me to the next Colossus." Shadow ordered the horse.
Agro gets back up onto her hooves and stays still as the black hedgehog climbs onto her back. Shadow raises the sword once again and points towards the gorge where the light is focused. Agro, now full of energy, races down the gorge, following the light to their destination.
Upon reaching the other end of the gorge, Shadow and Agro come across another ruined structure. It looked like some kind of wall with a spiked fence atop it. Shadow wasn't sure what this wall was for, though he can guess it was to keep the Colossus inside.
Agro comes to a halt upon reaching the end of the stream which leads to a small pond that ran under the wall to the giant misty lake that Dormin mentioned to them.
Shadow climbed down from his horse and scouts out the area, getting a good look at the surroundings. According to the sword, he was in the right place. But there was no sign of the fifth Colossus.
Shadow climbs the wall and gets a better look at the area. "I'll have to get down there." He then turns back to Agro who was still standing by the pond. "Get back to the shrine. I'll be transported there once I defeat the Colossus. Make sure Maria is safe."
Agro turns around and races back in the direction of where they came from. With Agro gone, Shadow had no reason to stick around. He leaps over the fence, avoiding getting hit by the sharp pointy ends, and lands back in the lake on the other side.
He avoids the water by launching himself off the wall and landing straight onto one of the towers in front of him. Its appearance reminded him of one of the towers connected to the great wall of China. But unlike said wall, it was in pieces and the majority of the land it stands tall in has been submerged underwater.
Shadow reaches the top of the stairs to the top of the tower, allowing him to get a better view of the area. Something felt off about all this. Everything was quiet. Too quiet for his liking. He should've seen, or at least heard, the Colossus by now. But he couldn't see anything below him.
Shadow then senses a shiver going through his quills, causing the Ultimate Lifeform to look up. The wind has shifted, he can feel it. Moments ago, it was just a gentle breeze. Then all of a sudden it felt like he was hit by a heavy force of wind that only lasted a few seconds.
The strong wind was soon followed by the sound of a low-pitched bird caw. Looking up at the sky, Shadow was able to find the culprit. It was none other than Avion, the fifth Colossus for him to fight. So far, the only Colossus that was capable of flight. Its appearance resembles that of a falcon with a stone-structured beak, spiked back, and claws on its wingtips. It has an elongated tail, the back of which was all black fur. It also had bird talon feet made of stone. From what he can see, Shadow estimated it to be 140 feet long with a wingspan of 130 feet.
"So, there is one that can fly. It is quite a majestic creature. Killing it will be easy. The hard part is finding a way to get to it. And if it starts flying, I'll have to hang on for dear life."
Avion was circling the whole area, searching for a place for it to perch and rest its wings after a long flight. It didn't take long for it to land atop a tall circular stone pillar and come to a stop. Its wings tucked into its sides and its long tail dangled over the water below.
The giant bird opens its beaked mouth and lets out a yawn as it begins to drift off to sleep. Its glowing blue eyes slowly get dimmer until they inevitably go out.
Now was his chance to get an angle on the bird Colossus. Shadow jumps down to the pieces of the stone structures sticking out of the water, using them as platforms, getting closer to Avion.
The Colossus was still sleeping as Shadow got as close as he can. Its body was perfectly still, not even moving an inch. Shadow could've mistaken it for a statue had he not seen it land there.
Shadow already had it all planned out. First, he would wake it up with a Chaos Spear to the head, forcing it to come down to his level. Then once it was close enough, he would leap onto its back before it gets the chance to pull up again. Not the best plan, but it's the only one he's got. With his ability to teleport gone, he can't exactly appear on its back and stab it while it's sleeping.
There are many ways this could go wrong. One, Avion might not be able to wake up no matter how much he provoked it. Two, Avion could circle him rather than swoop down and attack directly. Some of the Colossai he fought have proven to be more intelligent than others. Had he brought all seven Chaos Emeralds with him, he could've easily flown up to it in his Super Form. But where's the fun in that?
His hand drawn back; Shadow takes a deep breath as he steadies himself on the platform. Then at a moment's notice, unleashes a Chaos Spear in the direction of the sleeping Colossus.
The Chaos Spear manages to hit Avion right in its left eye, causing the giant bird to shriek and flail in pain and shock, its eyes turning bright orange upon reawakening. The pillar starts to crumble under the weight of the Colossus as it was moving about, forcing Avion to take to the skies.
The pillar crumbles to pieces and plummets to the lake below just as the giant bird kicks itself off the top to take flight.
Soaring in the sky once again, the bird of prey scoured the area below, trying to locate the one that disturbed its slumber. It didn't take long for it to spot Shadow standing on the small platform near the centre of the lake. Enraged at being rudely awakened by the small intruder, Avion begins its descent.
Avion swoops downwards, wings stretched out and talons open, ready to grab the tiny hedgehog. As the giant bird got closer to the water, the g-force of its wings creates waves beneath it, as well as a strong gust of wind.
Shadow jumps off the platform just as it was about to grab him and lands atop its right wing. Avion quickly pulls up as it was nearing the mountainside wall. Shadow held on as tight as he could to its fur. The bird Colossus flaps its wings hard and fast as it begins to ascend again.
The wind turbulence proved too much for the black hedgehog to handle as he barely managed to climb atop its back, clinging to its stone armour as Avion begins to level itself out.
Using the sword, Shadow locates three weak spots atop Avion's back. One on each wingtip, and one on the tip of its long tail. Reaching them is going to be tough, especially the wings. When Avion starts flapping them again, it'll make getting to them harder. His best bet would be to start with the tail.
Shadow grips the sword tightly in his right hand while using his free hand to grip the fur beneath him, edging slowly down Avion's back to the tip of its tail. Running would be a bad idea, as the wind current was incredibly strong due to the amount of speed the Colossus is flying at.
Avion banks left, tilting his whole body to the side as it turns, forcing Shadow to hold on tight until it once again levelled out. With little time to waste, Shadow plunges the sword into the glowing glyph, forcing a painful cry out of the Colossus, as well as a geyser of black smoke.
"Now the hard part begins." He stated to himself as he looks down at the front of the beast.
Avion attempts to get higher to shake the hedgehog off. However, it ends up crashing headfirst into some kind of invisible field, preventing it from leaving the area it was bound to.
Shadow wondered why these Colossai were always bound to a specific area. It would seem his hunch was right. Some kind of powerful magic is preventing the Colossai from actually wandering around the Forbidden Lands. Some Colossai were in a state of slumber, only awakening to the presence of the ancient sword. But some Colossai, like Valus and Avion, are just wandering around their respective enclosures. Whether it was just to pass the time or not, it didn't matter. They're all trapped. So, Shadow would never have to worry about a Colossus trying to escape him if backed into a corner.
Avion continued to fly over the lake, attempting to shake off his smaller opponent. Shadow, however, manages to make his way back up his body and was ready to climb over to its right wingtip.
Avion banks left once again, tilting its body to the side, expecting Shadow to let go and slip off. But it had no such luck there. Shadow channels the strength in his arms to push himself upwards and grabs a hold of the fur on the wingtip.
Upon stabbing the next symbol, Avion starts to perform a barrel roll, Shadow clings to the sword as the bird turns upside down. The sword starts to slip out of the wound due to Shadow's weight.
Panicked, Shadow grabs a hold of the fur just as the sword slips out. The black smoke spewing out of the wound manages to blind him temporally, but he still maintains a hard grip on the bird's wing.
Avion once again levels itself out and glides forwards on the wind current. Shadow quickly plants his feet back down and hurries over to the left wingtip.
Realising this, Avion starts to ferociously flap his wings hard and fast to shake him off. This time, Shadow wasn't able to hold on tight enough and manages to stumble backwards, almost falling off the edge of the left wing.
Instead of walking along the wing, Shadow chooses instead to shimmy along the edge. As the wings levelled out once again, Shadow backflips onto the tip and holds onto the fur. With the sword equipped once again, Shadow finally finishes off the flying Colossus with the third and final stab.
Avion lets out a dying caw that echoes throughout the area, even drawing the attention of the flock of birds soaring above them. His eyes go dark as his body begins to plummet down to the lake below.
Shadow leaps off of the bird Colossus, folding his arms and keeping his legs straight as he hits the water. Avion crashes headfirst into the lake, creating a huge wave that washes over Shadow. The Colossus's body slowly begins to sink deeper and deeper into the depths until it was completely submerged and out of sight.
Swimming may not have been one of Shadow's strong suits, but he had an idea of how it's done, unlike a certain blue faker he knew. He makes a break for the nearest platform he can see to his left, hoping to get out of the water before the black substance reaches him again.
Because of how deep and dark the lake was, it was difficult for him to see where Avion's body landed as well as where the black smoke will emerge from.
Just when Shadow was about to reach the platform and climb out, the black essence connects with his body and once again enters him through his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. Shadow coughed several times and began to lose all the strength in his entire body.
His body then begins to slowly submerge under the water as he closes his eyes and loses consciousness. He fears that he may not make it back this time around.
"No! I can't die here! Maria needs me!... I have to… save her."
Shadow's now unconscious body begins its descent to the bottom of the lake. His final thoughts were if whatever it was that kept bringing him back to the shrine would hurry up and do it again before he drowns.
Back in the city of the Colossus Clan. The four heroes, Knuckles, Tails, Blaze, and Silver were all locked in a dark, dry dungeon. The only source of light they had was from a small barred-up window. Their hands were all covered with metal clamps, preventing them from using their powers to escape. Even Tails' dual tails were cuffed to the wall to prevent him from flying away. Their cell was pretty much empty, with only a few hay bales acting as their beds for the duration of their stay there.
Tails was sitting on one of the hay bales with his head resting in his left palm with an expression of boredom on his face. Blaze was meditating in the corner. Silver was pacing the floor. And Knuckles was frustrated over the whole situation. He keeps attempting to rip the chains they are all bound by off of the wall and escape. But he was unsuccessful. Either the chains were ridiculously strong, or he feared that he was getting weaker over the years.
Unable to concentrate on hearing Knuckles grunting nonstop, Blaze decided to jump in and stop him.
"Knuckles, it's no use. You've been at this for two hours now. These chains are never going to give. Save your strength."
Despite his frustration, Knuckles decided not to start an argument with the princess of the Sol Dimension as he did not have the energy to do so at the moment.
"I just can't believe this!" He spoke up. "We came all this way to warn these Echidna of the danger Shadow is putting us all in, and what was their solution? They're going to kill him! Granted, Shadow may not be my favourite person in the world, but that doesn't mean he deserves to die for attempting to save a loved one. That's probably the most noble thing I've ever seen him do, even if it could lead to trouble." Knuckles then turns over to Silver who was now starting to get on his nerves. "WILL YOU STOP PACING?! You're making me even more anxious!"
Silver instantly stops what he was doing and sits down on the hay opposite Tails. "Sorry." Silver mutters under his breath.
"I understand how your feeling, Knuckles." Blaze interrupted. "But don't take out your frustration on Silver. We're all in this together, remember?"
Knuckles takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down before apologising to his friends. Before silence was about to fill the room again, Tails addresses the others in the room.
"Don't worry, guys. Someone will come for us. I know it." He reassures them.
"How can you be so sure?" Silver asked. "We haven't told anyone where we were going. Even though they probably know we're gone, they won't be able to find us."
"Oh yes, they will." Tails says with a smile. He then pulls back the sleeve of his left glove and reveals a small Apple watch-looking device.
"You had a communications device this whole time?!" Knuckles asked.
"It's not exactly a communications device. That would never have gone unnoticed, not even by these native Echidna warriors." Tails explains. "This is a tracking beacon. I've programmed it to send out a signal to my lab if the Tornado hasn't been airborne or manned by me within the next five hours. It's a safety precaution in case something was to happen to me. The signal has been broadcasted a couple of minutes ago, so it should be intercepted by now."
"Really?" Silver asks. "And who exactly do you have watching over your lab while you're away? Sonic? Omega?"
"Not exactly. They were all busy with other stuff. So, I chose someone else to look after the place."
"Who?" Blaze asked simply.
"…Cream's Mom, Vanilla." Tails replied hesitantly, afraid of the reaction he would get.
"WHAT?!" Knuckles and Silver say in shocked unison.
Yep. That was exactly the reaction he was expecting.
To Be Continued