''Shadow's Reunion''
Written by: ProjectCyberium

(Note: This is a reworking of a previously retconned fanfiction. It improves story details, names, descriptions and the overall flow of the story. This is a loose continuation of ''Breaking the Curse'', but it acts as its own independent story, without necessarily being a sequel.)
My name is Shadow. After departing with Rouge and Omega a year ago, I've retreated back in the outskirts of Central City, the forests that overlook me, tall, daunting, they comfort me in the thick branches covering me in its shade. You can see the sunlight barely glimmer, a subtle glow that tries to pass through the foliage. I am comforted in the darkness.
I visit them from time to time. Rouge might be one the few who understands my decisions, although her morals are already questionable as is her desire for petty jewelry. Especially Sonic and his… unique company.
GUN has asked me back, but I refused. They can waste their money on someone new to use for all I care.

I stay here because it is where I best know myself. Because I know my only purpose on the outside is to be a weapon. If I go back, then what? I listen. I fight. I kill. I am subservient to the world's purposes. I am a tool for money and militaristic operations. They have branded me with their sins, their wet-work. It doesn't matter if they can be redeemed. To wield a weapon, I carry the legacy of pain with me. I answer to nobody.

Yet, without them I have no mission. My friends, far away.
Why do you work for them, Rouge? We could have been on our own. All of us. Omega. One team. No army. We answer to nobody but ourselves. I can never work for them. So, I couldn't work with you.

It's winter, the air is bitter and cold, often making a campfire to heat myself. In my peaceful contemplation, I don a brown cloak covering my body. Despite how simple this is, I for one appreciate the peace.

While observing the flickies that gathered around the trees above me, nestling in a branch, I discovered something that caught my eye; a trail? The markings had indicated a large creature was being dragged off into the distance. I could see the tips of the green grass singed black. Something steep was moving in an erratic direction and left a mark.
I reached for my neck and took my Emerald amulet. I wear a bright green Chaos Emerald on my neck at all times. I kept it so nobody would have all the emeralds, and if they wanted mine, they would have to go through me. And nobody wants to do that. I placed the emerald on the walking stick, wrapping it around the end of the branch with a small thread, the emerald illuminated, casting a glow that allowed me to light the way as I walked down the path.

What happened here?

Hmph, it's probably nothing. I'd be wasting my time.
Or, I can follow the trail, for whatever lies at the end, may just find me anyways.

I followed the trail, I could see footprints left imprinted in the dirt, they were beast like, two large claws with small feet, digging in the dirt, running on 4 legs. A wild animal?

I came to a halt when I stepped in a warm ooze liquid, its texture was thick like mucus, and a distinctive purple color.

I've seen this before. And the fact I was left undamaged by it, means I've come across it before.

Suddenly, a loud burst of energy was fired in the distance. I turned back, defensively, my hood falling back, I instinctively had my spear drawn like a weapon, and then corrected myself, lowering it. Above me... was a dark green creature, mixed with black, dark blue and crimson red shades in its rough, scaly reptile like skin. Its eyes were a bright yellow, they looked like lenses, they were oval sized and covered half of its small face. Its body was slimmer than I expected, with scars and burnt marks on its body, enveloped in battle wounds that made its skin weathered and old. It stared down at me, lowering its weapon in surprise. Its voice clicked, deep and I could hear it struggle to speak, it was not the strongest of its kind. I couldn't understand what it said, but suddenly, the emerald illuminated, as I heard its words speak to me telepathically. It spoke, stunned, ''Brother...?''

It can't be. I thought they were all extinct. He was a war torn Black Arms Trooper, an older veteran, armed, fatigued and weathered. It looked very sad, weary and desperate. Half of his skin was burnt off, charred. He leaped down from the branch. I inched back, not wanting him to be at a distance. I used my stick to mark a line in the ground that separated us.

He opened his arms and spoke with his insect-like voice, the words passed through the emerald, and I heard the whisper in my head translate, ''You denied us, but here you are, stranded and homeless. I must show you, our new home...''

''Home?! I...I don't understand. The destruction of the Black comet wiped you all out!'' I said, stunned, I had thought he was the last survivor, of an extinct race.

''Yes, they were killed off, many perished after the destruction of the Black Comet, outnumbered by the humans. However, we have salvaged...what's left. Come, we have much to see.'', he said, with a stern tone, he was not aggressive nor hostile, but stressed the importance of wanting to go with him. Curious myself, I decided to oblige, following behind him.

He ran towards the trail behind me and began digging a small hole until he reached a tiny pond of the familiar pink and red mucus. He reached his hand towards it, and was instantly transported down the slime, disappearing before me. I knew how this worked, so I cautiously approached it. I could entertain him or leave. Maybe it was best not to be involved. But how many were there? A few dozen? Thousands?

It was my responsibility and birthright to see what he meant. I touched the familiar goo, but I couldn't roll down.

''What?'', I said surprised.

''Ah, brother, we altered the organic material of transportation system, in case you returned to attack us again. We did not trust you. I ask you do not hurt us.'', the soldier said.

''I will transport you myself, but first, we must link minds, so the material recognizes you as me. We use this to communicate in packs, but for this case, it should disguise you. Hold on.''

The soldier came closer to me, I was cautious, not having been touched by anyone in ages, as he placed his hand on my forehead and my vision turned black.

I awoke through the eyes of someone else, I looked around me, the atmosphere was surrounded by red clouds above me. I looked around, I was in a colony of Black arms soldiers, panicked and running, I instinctively ran with them. My arms were that of a black arms soldier, scaly and reptile like. I was filled with a rush of anxiety and fear, the ground below me shook and trembled as rubble came crashing down. Around me, Black wings soared above me, diving down to a hole in the structure. A towering Black Oak was encircled by anxious Black Arms soldiers. He was using his brute force to crack a hole in the wall, trying to escape. From what, I wondered? I paused in my tracks, gasping for air, fatigued, as I looked through a small hole in the ship, organically fused with the infrastructure, I saw a plasma cannon in the depths of Space, pulsating a bright green laser, striking right towards me. I looked around at my fellow black arms soldiers, who screamed in frustration, raw anger and grief. Some threw themselves, laying on the ground, clutching onto their head without any reaction, just stunned in disbelief and numbness, as if their life force had been sucked out, and their body a husk of the mind that left their heads. The room was engulfed in their cries and anguish, as the beam drew closer, flashing before my eyes...

Suddenly, I came to, with my own hands and body this time with the soldier trying to aid me, walking towards an empty field, my vision was blurred and hard to tell where I was, or what this vision meant, as surreal as it seemed, I didn't experience it, it was the vision of someone else.

A familiar voice spoke to me, his arm around my back, speaking gently to me, ''Brother! You have awoken! We are here. You passed out during the transportation stream, so I had to carry you and move you slowly as you awoke. I am a Black Warrior, you can also call me the Soldier. We're here. I...I ask you keep quiet, the premises are not kind to outsiders, let alone you.''
''You have no name?'', I asked.
''Our past is gone. We have no legacy, no heirs. We are simply one with our family.'', he said.

Dazed and still out of touch with reality, I attempted to seek answers from him, ''I saw something, I was aboard a vessel, I was ..under attack.

''You have never linked with us before, because you never officially joined our ranks, Black Doom, our Lord, had himself linked to you to connect to your mind, and allow you to see and experience your memories, but he hadn't introduced you to our mind link. It ...It would have been a simple process, if done slowly.''. His voice lowered, with a hint of resentment and regret, but still, the soldier was strangely welcoming to me, it seemed like he would never excuse what I did to his kind, but in his old age, perhaps it was his realization that his life was coming to a close that he needed to let go of the battle, fought many years ago, and just live.
''Are there others?'', I asked.
''Yes, and no.'' He replied.
''Shortly after the crash, survivors were unable to communicate with our master, Black Doom acting as a beacon. Our first instinct was to travel home. Attempts were made to rebuild the comet, while tribes and factions warred against each other over reign on the throne. While …the humans wiped us out. Some captured us, others destroyed us in an instant. We were underpowered, unable to reproduce. Some live on, far from here, captured for ..amusement, they are kept in cages for small human get togethers which point and use the creatures for entertainment and parlor tricks.'', Black warrior replied.
''I see.''.

''Welcome home, Brother.'' The soldier said to me, letting go of my back and leaving me to explore on my own.

It was late in the afternoon, the skies tinted a faint orange as I witnessed before me a lonely, barren field, with incinerated crops and grass. The field was vast, wide, it appeared that it was once used for farming or residential areas, but the remains were completely seared into the ground, with ash. Smoke still rose from the ashes, and I could see debris scattered across the field. It was decayed, dry and towered above me, like a dead tree, its dried dark green, blood seeped down the surface of it, staining the blackened surface. inspecting it a close glance, it appeared to be of skeleton remains and was decomposing, it had been left several years alone, with purple debris scattered alongside it, which appeared black, dirt and rain had been rusting it for many seasons, there was no structure or reason to this, I was confused. Until we reached the end. I saw a yard, of guns and weapons arranged in an organized order. With it, some foreign text transcribed on stone tablets. ''Unknown soldier, Black Oak.'' The familiar pistol I used in my fight against the black arms laid on the grave, the alien weapons they used. It was a small blaster, I picked it up, it was tarnished, dark brown, rusted. Suddenly, rain began to fall, soaking the dirt, I put the weapon down. There were perhaps, hundreds or thousands of these graves before me. My chest sank deep, that feeling of subtle anxiety, tainted with shame and remorse sank into my stomach. The graveyard of the war. Casualties of the Black Comet crash and anybody that could be salvaged, anyone at all, they were gathered here in mass. I could smell their corpses underneath the dirt, I recognized it as similar to my own. Some tablets read, ''Deceased Black Comet refugee.'' or ''Died in the conquest against the Humans.'' I furrowed my brows in a surreal sense of disgust, I wasn't sure if it was because of the sight or myself. Or both.

I looked above me, at the center of the graveyard, before me was a large hollow shell, with intricate holes and weathered down cracks along the surface. It appeared to be a cave at first glance, but I looked at top of the structure, I saw 3 large, sunken in holes, where the smoke escaped from. In the center of the area, was a large pit of purple acid, brewing with hot smoke that rose from the liquid material. It was a cave entrance fashioned in the image of Black Doom, his face carved into the bedrock, memorializing his legacy.

The soldier stood by my side as we walked along the graveyard, he didn't say much, and didn't interrupt or comment. He understood what I saw and left it to my own observations alone, respecting my judgments, to which he had no idea. He had no idea if I was disgusted, regretful or proud. But he brought me here to understand the consequences of my actions. To which, despite how wrathful and aggressive his army was, was an act of sentience for what I considered a mostly primal race of aliens.

He gestured me inside the skull, a bit uneasy, I followed as we met an elderly Black alien, no different than the soldier in size or stature, adorned in a dark red, crimson hood, with a stripes of gold around his arms, signifying some importance. He looked down at us, refusing to make eye contact.

He spoke to me, in a worn, raspy voice, this one was in the later stages of his life. He was a priest or alchemist of some sort.

''Former heir to the Black Arms. Son of Doom, Shadow. I take it you enjoyed the view?'', he said somewhat sarcastically, but with contempt. His distaste of me was more apparent and clear. Perhaps repressed hatred. He continued, ''My name is Black Healer. I am the elder, the second member of this clan, and an alchemist.''

He looked at me, eye to eye. His eyes were not as bright or yellow as the soldier, they were starting to blur, as if covered by thick white cataracts. The wrinkles below his eyes ran deep into his skin, leathery and dry.

''I won't waste your time. I had my brother search for you, to help us with an experiment we've been brewing inside our Father's remains. It is a sacred place for us. We feel more...connected here.'', Black Healer said.

''What experiment? What are you planning?'' I said, inquiring.

''Make no mistake Shadow. We don't want revenge or pity. We want...to leave. To travel to new worlds. But we are without a leader. I alone can't make the travel to a new home. I am far too old, small, and frail. I only have some remains of the Black Comet to work with, and my personal belief in our survival.'', he said to me, he was more of a realist, realizing the death of his species needed to be preserved. He continued.

''After the subsequent destruction of the Black Comet years ago, we gathered the remaining bodies and weapons of our comrades, organizing them into a memorial. Our first goal was to repopulate using a host... a living organism. We were unlucky. We had been officially classified as an extinct species, leaving me and the soldier, the sole survivors. An invasion or attack to seize any organisms was not an option. We need a living host to merge with our death leeches, whom we use the transportation fluid to conceive, and then the host can be mutated into a black arms soldier, a new healthy organism.'', he explained.

''Does that not violate the rights of the individual? Are you not defying nature and taking someone by will?''

''We never implied they were resistant. Some were willing participants, those whom lived out their years with regret, wanting to reborn. In other instances, perhaps they did not have a conscience, perhaps they were without a mind, or perhaps they were created from plant life, using the remains of an organic host to create new life. We lived, died, reborn. We merely created a new cycle with our biology.'', Black Healer said, explaining the concept of their growth.

It seems that the source of life for these creatures was ambiguous, but created from the host of a parasitic death leech. I recalled back when Doom escorted me in the Death Ruins that the Red balls or orbs, that infested the plant life were the mutated remains left on this world. They must have been from either former plants or former soldiers, but the reason I didn't see any red orbs was because they died in the crash, or their orbs had extinguished. They seemed to have reproduced asexually, forming life through a parasitic bond, either by consent or by force, this was not clear, I just had to take his word for it.

''With this ...we wanted to try a new experiment. We wanted to bring Doom back. We had some of his DNA and remains here, and we would brew them into a special substance...'' He gestured below me, the green liquid must have been extracted blood or organic material, containing Doom's organic materials. ''We use this cauldron to brew the organic materials into a soup like material for ingestion for organisms.''

''Isn't this a bit unorthodox...creating new life from an already dead individual? Doom is gone. Nothing can bring him back. He failed.'', I said, skeptical.

''You may think that, Shadow. We only want a clone of Doom to help lead our efforts into Space. We want to use the remains of the comet to create a new ship, so we can leave, using the remains of our leader...'' He paused, his voice lowering to a sudden feeling of disappointment.

''We tried many times to inject the organic material into willing...and sometimes unwilling organic participants. Their biological structure failed to merge with death leech. In some instances, they had made it past the incubation period, forming into an egg, but the creation was a mutant. A biological monster with no sanity, fused with old DNA and Doom's DNA. The subject did not last more than a few days. Time after time, we failed.. So we ask you, humbly...'' He paused, he looked back at me with his weary eyes, desperately pleading to me, ''We ask for a sample of your DNA, to help use that living blood to create a new Doom, a clone. You are Doom's descendant, he would likely be a hybrid like yourself, but would be a suitable suitor. I know this request may seem unusual. But, we have no reason to wage a war. We are defeated, endangered, lost. We will raise this one, and simply leave. We will never return, a force like you is unstoppable. You would kill us, Doom's successor, and repeat our loss. I know you may not trust us, but I ask you this once.'', he said, he seemed genuine although, I was unsure of his request.

''Brother, this...this is not a good idea. Please, reconsider. We have shown him the error of his ways. Let him go...'' Soldier said calmly, objecting to his idea.

''Wait...for his reply, brother.'' Black Healer said, insisting his idea would convince me.

Could the Black arms redeem themselves? Would another Doom be safe, another alien to lead the Black arms? It was risky. It was dangerous. I could be powerful enough to stop them. But it came from my blood. My blood was different from Doom's. Although he could harness Chaos energy, it was my biological structure that proved to be powerful and the damage the Black arms did to Earth cost millions of dollars...and left the planet in a long recovery. I couldn't do it.

''While I do believe you can redeem yourselves...the idea is too risky. I cannot comply with your demands.'' I said, with stern conviction, the decision was final, I would not take it back.

Black Healer rose up, nodding. ''I understand, Shadow. I expected this.''

He raised his arm, signaling a command, all of a sudden, I was paralyzed, I could not move. Doom had used a similar ability on me years ago. I left my guard down!

Soldier protested, shocked, ''Stop! He is our brother. We should respect his choice!'', he said in my defense.

''Brother? He is no brother! He is a murderer. We were a strong army. A proud kind. I am doing us a service to our kind. Make no mistake, Earth was a failure, we will seize new worlds and we will do it with Doom's heir...'', he said, triumphantly.

Opening his hand, a bright yellow orb ascended from his palm, the orb floated towards me and absorbed my energy, holding chaos energy which was infused into the cauldron.

''We are not warmongers anymore. We want to only live afar, away from Earth.'', Soldier said.

''And live far, we will. But this plan is not up to you, it is to our new leader. Arise...Doom!''

''As for you brother, I will make you observe his birth as well.'' He reached out his arm and stunned him, he protested and growled, his inner aggression exposed, his instincts wanted to hurt him, but he was paralyzed like me. We observed.

He brewed the liquids together, the soup began to glow a bright green, light emanating from the substance. He looked behind him, to a red pond of liquid before him. From the familiar red mucus used for transportation, a death leech spawned from behind him. He fed the liquid to the leech. It pulsated with a flash of colors before forming into a ball. The ball rolled around and became an egg, vibrating as life began to flow unnaturally into the creature. He was energized, his body language was ecstatic yet cautious, he held his breath. The creature began to growl and hatched from the egg. I looked in disbelief and shock, had they done it? Was this hell spawn going to destroy other worlds? Was it my responsibility to care for other life? Most likely not, but the idea of it stunned and perplexed me. A claw broke from the surface of the shell as a lime green sap poured and oozed out of the shell...and the creature whimpered in pain, as it tried to escape and clutched onto the surface of the shell, trembling.

''No...please don't!'' Healer said, in desperation, he ran towards the egg and tried grabbing the creature's arm, the substance burnt his hand as it melted before his eyes, they widened in shock and pain, growing and roaring as he lost a limb. The creature squealed in its suffering and the egg fell to the ground, the green sap pouring onto the ground, his body falling out. A skeleton, unnaturally and morbidly fused with the appearance of a black alien and some of my hedgehog traits laid lifelessly on the ground, he took a few more gasps for air as the creature's eyes melted, the acidic substance melting his body as he dissolved before his very eyes.
My head began to ache as I felt the creature speak its dying memories into my head, flooding visions of my time with Black Doom through me. The creature spoke in its soft voice, it could not form any words, simply curious sounds, in loneliness and isolation, echoing a sense of pity. I wondered, despite carrying its genes, would it have wanted to be e leader?

The healer looked in shock as he went on his knees, observing the remains. He paused and finally, he shrieked in raw pain and anguish, his voice growling in indistinguishable cries. He was hysterical, crying and yelling with a fearsome, deep roar, that echoed throughout the hollow room, he shrieked and bawled in rage and sorrow. With his hand gone, the soldier and I had been freed. Soldier looked at me and then at his brother, who had nothing left. ''I tried to warn him...'', Soldier was at a loss for words, merely pitying his comrade. I simply left the hollow lair as Soldier looked over his brother, in silence.
''We will try again.'' Healer said. He simply got up, exhausted and drained, and resumed back to his sleeping chamber.
Soldier and I looked at him with confusion and sympathized with apparent denial.
''If you two try anything. I will stop you.'', I said, sending a clear message.
Thus, I left them in their sorrow.

It was better this way.

If doesn't matter what happened here today, but what caused it. The desire for revenge. The hollow, empty feeling of wanting to continue with nothing left.

Do I leave death wherever I go? I felt a hollow sense of dread as I passed the graves once more.
I am their legacy. I stand as a testament to their failure, and a symbol of human victory.
However, that is not my purpose. It is neither the humans. It is mine. They will never take me. Dead or alive.

Special thanks to Speendlex for providing some lore details/general analysis on the Black Arms and the Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) game.