"You won't stand while I kneel! I will push them all aside! I've come to clear the way! It sounds like you're trembling now! It's time to muddy up the waters, find the remedy!"
-Under the Flood, Remedy
The closer Amy drew to Eggman's last fortress, the darker the clouds became. She'd caught up with the sadness and sorrow of yesteryear, and perhaps, in a way, it had caught up with her.
"Ivo's at the center. We'll be there soon. Something tells me Rouge is already there."
"Hmph," Shadow scoffed, "That woman couldn't resist if she tried. The compulsion of thieves is remarkable in its patheticness."
"People don't just become that way. Has it ever occurred to you maybe things aren't so glamorous? You don't know what kind of life she's lived or the pain she's experienced. If you stopped using your trauma as an excuse to belittle others, maybe you'd see beyond your self-centered narrative and think of someone else for a change."
"What do you think I do every day? I'm helping you out of the goodness of my heart. Don't push your luck."
"You can help people, but that's not enough to truly know them. Sometimes we don't even know ourselves. I appreciate the effort, but I'm not putting up with your shit. This dismissive attitude has got to go."
"Very well. We'll do things your way for now."
"Thank you. Now get in. We're going under."
Shadow jumped next to Sonic, cramming next to his rival as the plane began to shift. The core mechanisms reassorted themselves, encompassing the trio amidst their fall. Approaching torpedic momentum, they crashed into the waves, falling into the darkness of Earth's nautical fathoms. Amy engaged the lights. The tornado was one of few vehicles that could reach such depths. Sonic gulped, calling on his failing bravado to cope with the uncertainty. He chuckled, knowing full well the others wouldn't buy his act. All he could hope to achieve was comedic relief - not only for his sake, but Amy's as well.
"It's dark out, huh...? Guess the fish didn't feel like coming out to play."
"It's okay," Amy assured, "I'm scared too. There's nothing wrong with being afraid."
"Me!? Afraid!? Who you kiddin'!?"
"This isn't like before. The stakes are too high to ignore."
"Yeah...I guess you're right...Man...I can't believe this is happening...I mean...Why Tails...?"
"We'll be okay if we stick together," Shadow comforted, "Just concentrate on the mission. So long as we keep our heads in the game, our chances of survival increase significantly."
"Guess you can be a chill guy when you wanna be, huh...?"
Shadow smiled, shutting his eyes. The air began to stir. Something awakened that day - an unbreakable bond of trust, hope, and love, though it would still take time to manifest its true form. Unbeknownst to the world at large, the darkest chapter had yet to be turned...