*If you're new to the Realm Lord story I recommend catching up before reading this chapter!

Chapter 107

Valley of Shadow

Shadow remained silent. A compounding avalanche of dread slammed down upon him. The sudden revelation of a fear long expected was all the more potent for its delay. All the pieces started to fit together in his mind. Shadow did not even want to dwell on it, it was as if his subconscious was forcing him to see how this final piece solved the entire puzzle. Shadow lowered his head. He did not want to look at the grim image anymore. "How?"

"In the history you have known, Sonic defeated Robotnik on Little Planet. His victory involved beating Robotnik in the present as well as using the sign posts to travel back in time to destroy the machines the doctor had planted. However, in a parallel time, Sonic failed. In his haste to save Amy Rose, Sonic neglected to travel back in time and remove the machine Robotnik planted on the Stardust Speedway."

Gothro started to pace down a line in front of the statue. "That machine lay dormant for fifteen years before turning on and transporting Robotnik to Little Planet which was not on earth anymore. Without Sonic to stop him, Robontik conquered the planet and stole the Time Stones. He used them to travel into the future where Sonic was already dead. He conquered the earth and started to spread his empire across the galaxy."

"However, his mortal body was failing him and he desired a permanent solution to death. You have already seen how his obsession over the problem has infected other timelines. This Doctor Robotnik did not seek temporary guards against death such as the Chaos Serum, nor did he desire to infuse his mind with a computer as even a computer can one day decay.

"Robotnik sought to make himself something that equaled his own ambitions. He wanted true ontological immortality, not merely a medicine to death. So he returned to Little Planet, to the origin of his empire and he discovered the history of the Lore Masters. He used the Time Stones to travel to the past and while there, he learned that the Twins planned on making themselves gods. However, Robotnik also discovered that the Twins and I had made a treaty, that we planned on destroying the Time Stones, which would mean he would not be able to steal them in the future. Robotnik convinced the Twins that I was lying and that I was jealous of their power. When they committed their sin all four of us were banished into limbo."

Shadow rubbed his temple. "Wait…how is that possible. Wouldn't you have destroyed the Time Stones already?"

"It is difficult to understand the looping of time. If we had destroyed the Time Stones then there would be no Realm Lord, and without him I would not receive my vision that led me to destroy them in the first place. My death and betrayal are so deeply ingrained in paradox that it is almost an inevitability."

Gothro sighed. He leaned heavily upon his staff. His eyes flickered, and for an instant, Shadow saw the gray eyes of a creature long burdened by grief. "Whether or not it could be prevented didn't matter. I was dead and we were cast into limbo. The Time Stones still existed, but they were themselves now enveloped within paradox. While they were, I could not die, this kept me from being obliterated by limbo. Instead, I awoke here. I have maintained my sense of self, but I cannot escape this place."

He held aloft his staff and the sapphire glowed until it casted a projection onto the far wall. Shadowed outlines of Robotnik and Sonic raced through a labyrinth of glimmering crystals. The scene warped and now Shadow saw the infamous confrontation between Sonic and Metal Sonic. Again, the image changed, this time it showed two Echidnas alone in an endless expanse. They screamed as something started to pull them apart, their bodies split into liquid bubbles that dissipated into gas. "From here, I have paid witness to everything. I watched as limbo destroyed the Twins while Robotnik somehow maintained his sanity."

The projection now showed Robotnik writhing on the ground. Ghostly apparitions tore themselves out of his tortured body and tried to fuse into the surrounding ether. Eggman grasped at the wispy shapes, attempting to hold them together as the mist slipped through his fingers. 'His desire to chain the universe held him solid as time itself tried to rip him apart. Eventually, he felt the echoes of his other variants. Throughout the multiverse there were other Robotinks. These variants attached the Realm Lord to a timeline, helping him maintain his sense of self."

Gothro lowered his staff and the projections ceased. He reached under his cloak and drew out a blue crystal set upon a golden chain. He held it up, and as the crystal turned, suddenly there were multiple crystals shimmering in the faint light of the torch. "The variants served as a kind of hook, giving the Realm Lord connection to different worlds. Like this necklace, the Realm Lord became the chain that united them together, whereas before there did not seem to be anything that connected the various timelines."

Gorthro moved the necklace and the various crystals spun around the chain. "The hooks within the timelines gave the Realm Lord form and prevented him from being destroyed by limbo. Perhaps, he experienced an eternity in this state, in a constant war to maintain his identity. However, at some point the Realm Lord discovered that he could do more than simply exist. He had some influence over his variants."

Gorthro plucked the golden chain and the movement caused some of the crystals to start to spin. "Whenever the Realm Lord exercised this ability a timeline changed. It was subtle at first, but soon the Realm Lord learned how even the faintest change could completely divert a timeline."

The golden chain started to vibrate and the spinning crystals started to change their hue, shifting from blue to red. "The more a timeline changed as a result of the Realm Lords influence, the stronger he became. Eventually, there would be a point of singularity, a moment when the timeline had been so drastically alerted by the Realm Lord that his existence could no longer be denied. When he that is not, must be, a kind of reverse paradox ensues."

Shadow watched with a twisting in his gut as one of the spinning red crystals started to burn red. Cracks fissured at the center of the crystal. Smoke hissed out of the cracks as the crystal burned internally. "Once this point was reached, the Realm Lord could manifest himself in that world."

It seemed as if the crystal was on the edge of bursting, but it suddenly cooled down. The smoke withdrew and the heat receded. "However, the Realm Lord was not acting alone," Gothro continued. "I discovered his intentions and, though I was bound to this place, I bent my will to stop him. While he attempted to change, I poured out my will to fix. However, I was too weak and too constrained to my prison."

"Did he know what you were doing?" Shadow wondered.

Gothro shrugged. "Perhaps, or perhaps not. My resistance has been so feeble, that it is possible he is not aware of it. As our battle continued, I began to realize that I could not stop him. At the height of my despair, I became aware of the third will. This one was far less destructive than the Realm Lord's and far more powerful than my own. I withdrew from the conflict and contented myself to observe. Slowly, timeline after timeline began to straighten itself out, to cast off the influence of the Realm Lord. A hero had emerged, one that stopped Robotnik in every universe, Sonic the Hedgehog."

The red crystal stopped spinning and turned blue again. Gothro smiled. "Sonic's very existence acted as a shield, preventing the Realm Lord from changing the course of events and manifesting himself."

"So that's why he decided to create me." Shadow said, the finality of his purpose falling down on him like a stone weight.

Gothro nodded. "Indeed, to defeat this menace, the Realm Lord decided to create his Shadows. Through different means and ways, a Shadow was created in every timeline and then the Shadows would kill Sonic. With Sonic dead, the Robotnik variant would alter the timeline until the Realm Lord's existence was inevitable."

"Inevitable? What does that mean?"

"Limbo is that state in which one's existence is a paradox, it cannot be. Inevitability is the opposite, it is when the effect of one's existence is so clear that it actually manifests existence. In a sense, if the effect exists, then so must the cause."

"So once he was inevitable, the Realm Lord could escape limbo?"

"Yes, and no. The Realm Lord can materialize within one timeline but would still be in limbo in another. It is why the dance must play out again and again in every timeline. That is his weakness and it is what gives us a chance."

"How does that help us?"

"The Robotnik who became the Realm Lord and the Robotnik you know are the opposite sides of the same coin. Your universe and the Realm Lord's are polar opposites, timelines created from the same nexus branch." Gothro moved the necklace and all the crystals vanished except for two. He moved the chain so the final two crystals were on the opposite sides of the chain.

"What does it matter if our timelines are mirrored?"

"That connection is the only reason you still exist. The Realm Lord's power is weaker here than in any other timeline. It is why he was not able to fully control your creation under Gerald. Yours is the last universe, Shadow. All other branches of time have already been consumed. You witnessed the end of one yourself."

Shadow resisted the urge to dwell on what he had seen as he left Elysium. "If we are the last ones left, what hope do we have? How do we stop him?"

"You have already made great strides. By not killing Sonic, you have ensured that he is alive for the final confrontation. As you have seen, the Realm Lord ensures that his variant or at least a member of his family takes over the world. The Realm Lord must be stopped at every gateway he has attempted to make a foothold in your timeline."

"So I should kill Eggman?"

Gothro did not answer. He withdrew the necklace and folded his arms as if in a silent prayer. "Eggman must be defeated, but that is only one of the gateways. As I told you, your timeline was the most closed off to the Realm Lord, his invasion has been subtle and planned with the forethought of endless ages."

Gothor beckoned Shadow forward and he led him back over to the statue of the Twins. He pointed to the symbol of the phoenix carved into the throne. "The greatest threat comes from the planet Arvana. Like the Twins before him, the Realm Lord is attempting to harness the power of the Flames of Disaster. He has used his variant to rebuild Iblis and with it, your Robotnik can become a god in his own right. Arvana must be saved."

"So that's where Eggman went…" Shadow said, understanding at last why the doctor had left the earth. "And Sonic…he chased after him."

Gothro nodded. "Sonic is there, but he does not know Eggman's intentions. You must go to him, warn him about what is happening."

Shadow stepped back. "What does it matter? Every other universe has already been consumed…it…"

"Don't despair. To defeat the Realm Lord you must erase all signs of his existence. I believe that if he is cast back into Limbo then it will be for good, and it will be as if he never existed. Perhaps those timelines will be remade, this time, unstained by the Realm Lord's evil. His power is great, but it is not yet absolute. Your defiance has already given us all a chance."

Shadow turned aside. His legs felt suddenly shaky and unstable. A foreboding menace slithered up his spine and settled into his heart. His conscious mind resisted the question he knew he must ask, and rebelled against the answer that he knew would come.

"I am sympathetic to your plight, Shadow the Hedgehog," Gothro said gently. "You are called upon to make a great sacrifice."

"So its true?" Shadow did not turn back. He did not want Gothro to see the rage that was burning inside his eyes.

"If the Realm Lord is unmade then he would not have existed, and he would not have made you. It is very possible that to defeat the Realm Lord, would be to destroy yourself."

"So I'd die then?"

Gothro circled around so he could face Shadow. His face was lined, and heavy with sympathy. "It may not be so simple. For you to cause the Realm Lord's defeat, would mean to make your own existence a paradox. You…could not exist, for if you did, then the Realm Lord would have a foothold to which to manifest himself again. I am afraid that it is not just your life, but your very existence that might be the key that locks the Realm Lord away."

Shadow did not answer. For maybe the first time, Shadow felt sympathy for himself. It was an odd sensation and Shadow resisted it. Gothro came forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve pity. You have lived a hard life, but I must ask you to face this evil. Though the world may forget you, and never know your name, all will owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. I wish I could do more to help you."

Suddenly, Shadow felt the ground beneath him tremble. Gothro sighed and suddenly his voice was full of weariness. "Is it already time?"

"What's happening?"

"I have waited here for eons, locked in a war of slow defeat. It was a cruel destiny to have immortality, to have access to almost all knowledge, but without a shred of power. There were times that I feared that I would share the fate of the twins, that my identity would dissolve due to madness. However, in the depth of my despair, I sensed that third will, the will of love that has so transposed itself throughout all of time that its power cannot be denied. It kept me grounded, gave me hope. I understood at last that my punishment was just. I had to sit outside the flow of time and watch, and wait for my chance to redeem myself."

The ground shook again, this time far more violently. Shadow heard the crumbling of stone and knew that, beyond the pantheon, the structures of the Stardust Sanctum were collapsing. "Renewed with hope I have waited here, expecting Sonic to finally come. It was my last vainful wish, that I would get to see Sonic, that I would be able to help him in the end." Gothro smiled wistfully and shook his head. "Fate is always a teacher. I, who had seen all, must go to the end with faith as my only solace. It is a lesson I should have learned so long ago."

The ground shook again, causing the roof of the pantheon to tremble. Chunks of stone collapsed and the statue of Robotnik teetered off its pedestal. It fell with a crash, spilling rock in every direction. "What are you talking about?" Shadow insisted. "What's happening?"

"He is here." Tears spilled out of Gothro's timeless eyes. "I knew it must be this way. If someone within time was going to visit me here, then it would expose me to him. I cannot hide anymore."

Shadow flinched as he heard a distant roar. Some great beast was moving steadily towards them. He seized Gothro by the collar of his robe. "Come on, I'll get us out of here."

Gothro pulled back. "No, this is my fate. You must go alone. I have evaded the Realm Lord for time uncounted. Yet it was always certain that I would not escape him forever." Gothro lowered his scepter and pried the sapphire gem off the top. He handed it over to Shadow. "I give you what little power I have left. Use it to escape. Go to Arvana, warn Sonic about the danger to come and ensure that Robotnik is not able to harness the Flames of Disaster."

The sapphire burned with an inner flame, and Shadow sensed a power beneath it similar to that of the Chaos Emeralds. "I can take you with me."

Gothro shook his head. "I am bound to this place. It was the last realm beyond his control. Now the Realm Lord has come, and I must face him. Go Shadow the Hedgehog, go and may the goodwill of all creatures go with you."

Without another word, Gothro turned and headed out of the pantheon. He stood at the exit, upon a high terrace overlooking the Sanctum. The buildings were collapsing as the ground split apart and pulled everything down into the darkness. A wall of shadow was creeping steadily forward. Within the darkness, Shadow could see a cloud of dense shape.

"Run…"

Shadow did not look back. He turned and sprinted in the other direction. Within the pantheon he found a long spiraling staircase. Shadow raced up the stairs. The roaring of the monster grew in pitch, and the entire world felt as if it were shaking. Shadow's teeth rattled in his skull, but he continued to ascend.

At the top of the stairs, Shadow reached a glass gallery. Beyond a long tunnel of blue metal he saw the sun streaking through an open door. Shadow paused and looked back. The glass walls gave him a view of the Stardust Sanctum far below. Darkness obliterated almost all light, save for a tiny island which identified Gothro, standing tall with his torch raised. Before him, was a vague shape of some monstrous entity which was cloaked in darkness.

Shadow saw the final moment from far away. Gothro, in a last act of defiance, raised up his torch. The shadow drew back for a moment, before lunging forward in a sudden strike. The torch died as Gothro was consumed. Shadow felt the ground tremble. The glass beneath him started to crack. He turned and raced down the tunnel and out the open door.

Shadow followed a cobblestone path through a rocky gorge. The road winded up the side of an even deeper canyon just beyond the wall of rock. As Shadow ascended, he saw the faint glimmer of a sign post in the distance.

"GRAAARRRRRRRH!" Shadow stumbled as a tremor rocked the planet. He turned back and saw the entire fortresses within the stone spyres start to collapse. Shadow doubled his pace until he reached the top of the road. He stopped at the edge of the canyon's mouth.

Though the sign post had looked closer from his earlier vantage point, he now saw that it waited for him across a long valley through the heart of the canyon. He squeezed the blue gem Gothro had given him and prepared to run.

At that moment, the hairs on Shadow's back stood on end, as a cold rush swept down his spine. A black cloud materialized over the canyon. Streaks of purple lightning flashed out from within it. The bolts struck the rocks, breaking them asunder and issuing puffs of black smoke. The sun died as more clouds formed. Shadow drew back as he saw shapes forming out of the black smoke. First there were dozens of them, but then hundreds, and thousands and soon there was an entire valley of Shadows.

Some were slightly different shades of black and red, others were larger or smaller, and some were not even hedgehogs, but they were all Shadow, and he knew it. Their eyes burned red with menace as they stared up at Shadow.

Slowly, the hoard of Shadows started to creep forward. They climbed over each other as they rose up the steep incline. Shadow turned back, but it was no use. The path he had taken and the entire gorge was already filled with more Shadows. He felt the strength in his legs start to fail. He wobbled slightly and took hold of a rock to steady himself.

Shadow watched in mounting horror as the army drew nearer. He could not fight them all, he could not even make an attempt at counting him. Their numbers were so great they turned the entire valley into a sea of oil and blood. "ALL HAIL SHADOW!" Their voices cried out in unison. "ALL HAIL SHADOW."

As they drew nearer, the Shadows in the front ranks held out their hands in invitation. Shadow knew what they wanted without them having to say it. They were offering him a way out. All he had to do was submit, submit to the Realm Lord, and he would be as they were.

"ALL HAIL SHADOW!"

They were almost upon him. A wave of Shadows were at his feet. He could see their eyes burning with hatred, and rage, but there was no life behind them. They were empty vessels, servants of the Realm Lord. The closest Shadow raised up its hand. Shadow looked at its fingers and the greatest rush of temptation Shadow had ever known took over him. It could be over, all of it, all of his pain, all of his struggle. What was the point in resisting?

BOOM! A pulse of blue energy exploded within Shadow. The blue gem he had been squeezing crushed into a fine powder. Blue flames enveloped Shadow in a cocoon of awesome power. His fur had changed, shifting from black to a pulsing white blue. A veil of heat and energy fell over his eyes. "CHAOS BLADE!" The sword crystalized inside his hand. He swept it forward and a dozen Shadows exploded into puffs of black smoke.

The Shadows drew back in fear. The light issuing from Shadow was so great, that they veiled their eyes. Instead of chanting, the dopplegangers began to hiss and gnash their teeth. Shadow raised his sword high into the sky.

In a streak of blue and white, Shadow dived into the valley. Cutting and slashing, Shadow broke through the army like water rushing through a ravine. Shadows screamed and tried to overwhelm him with their numbers. They jumped on his back, grabbed onto his arms and legs and tried to pin him down to the ground. However, none of them could stand to get too close for too long, the blue flames incinerated any that dared touch him.

Shadow surged through the valley and passed through to the other side. He swept past the sign post and felt the ground beneath him slip away. Shadow ran down the road of starlight, and towards the white star ahead of him.

AN: I hope the reveal of the Realm Lord was worth the wait! This entire project started when I was thinking of a what if scenario where the Eggman from the bad ending of Sonic CD was the villain. Since I've never actually gotten the good ending in Sonic CD, I always thought he was the Robotnik I never defeated, so the Realm Lord is kind of my punishment as a player for sucking at Sonic Cd.