If you have read my other Sonadow story set after Sonic Prime, Shatter Me, then you probably remember that I wrote an epilogue that was something of a preview for the next project - a Sonic X Shadow Generations story.

Well, here it is!

But, instead of an action-packed adventure as depicted in that epilogue, the story idea had gone through a couple of changes. At first, I wanted it to be about Shadow's fight against Black Doom. Then, I figured I could write a story that focuses on the aftermath of the game and Sonic's birthday party, but there were also other fanfics covering that.

In the end, I came up with a story that takes place after Sonic Frontiers, focusing solely on Shadow and Sonic, with Shadow still dealing with his memories of the events from Shadow Generations and trying to understand where to go from there, while Sonic wants to go on another adventure with Shadow.

I hope you'll enjoy it, and if you want to read more Sonadow stories, check Sonic Cyber Revolution, Vandalize My Heart & Shatter Me.

Entry 0

In The Far Distance

''When I gazed up, I saw a hectagon-shaped sky. Your eyes, as cold as 100 degrees below zero, failed to notice me, so I gripped my freezing heart tightly in my hands, which were already glittering with sweat, in this town constructed with sweet and bitter concrete. Into the far distance, towards the faraway sky, our voice will be able to fly away. It'll rise higher and reach anywhere, no matter how far.''

– Haruka Kanata (In The Far Distance) by UNLIMITS (Bleach)

xXxXxXx

''Haha… I have learned from our last encounter. There will be no mistakes this time. Struggle all you want. YOU WILL BE MINE!''

''No…''

Shadow stared aghast at the creature before him, clothed in dark brown and golden robes as he laughed at the dark hedgehog's misery and dismay. His red eyes were glowing menacingly as he gazed upon Shadow, who was in complete disbelief, dread and horror filling his heart as he once again met his so-called father, Black Doom.

''You cannot deny me, Shadow. You are finally complete. Come. Face me. I shall claim you – mind, body and soul – and become the perfect being.''

''That's not possible!'' Shadow shook his head, clenching his fist as he glared at Black Doom. ''You're dead! I have destroyed with my own hands not only once but twice!''

Suddenly, he felt a searing sensation in his back, falling on his knees the sensation turned into a familiar feeling of having his back torn open, with a pair of fleshy black and red wings sprouting. Shadow was breathing heavily from the pain he felt, realizing that, somehow, his Doom Powers have returned, even though he couldn't understand how that was even possible. They had vanished upon Black Doom's defeat in the White Space, but if they hard returned, had Black Doom really…

Shadow closed his eyes, not wanting to finish that thought. He slowly got up, gritting his teeth as a look of anguish formed on his expression and gazed at Black Doom, the alien warlord returning his glare with a look of triumph.

''Even if you're back, I will defeat you over and over again! I will never let you control me!'' Shadow responded in a firm, yet resolute tone. Black Doom merely laughed at his response, the nonchalance he had shown getting under Shadow's skin.

''Your resilience is admirable as it is foolish. Why resist what you were meant to be?'' Black Doom asked. ''The blood of the Black Arms flows through your veins! You will never escape who you're meant to be!''

Shadow charged at Black Doom, attempting to land a punch, only for the dark alien's face to crack like glass, shattering into tiny pieces as reality around Shadow turned black. He used his wings to steady himself, realizing that he was within a black void. He didn't understand what was going on, adrenaline coursing through his body as he started flying desperately in order to find an exit. He was familiar with Black Doom's mind games and he wasn't going to let the leader of the Black Arms take over his mind, body and soul. He would always find a way to fight back, to survive even the most grave of situations.

He was flying as fast as he could, but this void seemed to be endless, with there being absolutely nothing within it. No light, no warmth, no life…

''Agh!''

Shadow cried out in surprise when he suddenly felt something grabbing his leg. He looked down, realizing that it was a black vine, with a red and purple mass forming below him, dragging him down. He kicked his legs, using Doom Spear to destroy the vines that attempted to drown him into the mass, but the more he fought, the more vines emerged, building an inescapable cage around him. He was trapped, unable to Chaos Control nor use his Doom Powers to escape.

''No... NO!''

Shadow reached for the gap between the vines, trying to break through the cage, but there was nothing he could do. His ruby eyes were glowing in a dark crimson, his body engulfed into the black mass. All he knew next was the nothingness that swallowed him.

xXx

Shadow suddenly opened his eyes, shooting up into a sitting position and placing his hand on his pounding heart. He was breathing heavily, shivering due to just how cold he felt, as if he just resurfaced after being thrown into icy water. He realized that he was shaking, and he forced himself to look around, to take in his surroundings before he calmed down. His memories suddenly came back flooding when he took note of the fact that he was currently sitting in a cave and that it was night, the bright moon – or what remained of it after Eggman blasted half of it with the Eclipse Cannon – illuminating the grassy field in front of the cave. Shadow closed his eyes once again, inhaling deeply and then exhaling. He opened his eyes once more, feeling a little calmer, but still on edge.

He recalled how he had been travelling on his own, only to get caught in a sudden rainstorm, and found this cave to wait it out. He realized that he fell asleep during the rainstorm, only to get plagued by nightmares. He reached for the back of his quills, taking out the Chaos Emerald he was carrying and staring at it. It was glowing in a bright green colour, not the yellow one he believed he had a moment earlier.

It has been a while since the fiasco with the Time Eater and Black Doom. Shadow's eyes widened in surprise as a droplet fell on the Chaos Emerald. He wiped his cheek and eye, realizing that his glove was wet. He didn't even realize that he was crying, his body being overwhelmed by the nightmare he had and responding due to the stress it had been put under. He rarely cried, recalling only two instances when he had been put under both physical and emotional trauma that caused such a response. As memories of those events started to flood in once again, Shadow did his best to ignore them. He was not in the mental state to process them.

Instead, he stood up and walked out of the cave, taking in the fresh air and the scent of damp grass. His quills bristled and his fur stood up as he felt the chilly air, but he knew that his body would adjust to it. He just needed time.

Shadow folded is arms across his chest, stopping at that particular thought. He needed time, but time was all he had now. A lot had happened since Sonic's birthday, with Shadow's most notable experiences being Earth getting taken over by Dr. Eggman and Infinite, followed by the battles against Master Overlord and the Metal Virus, as well as the events at Eggperial City. There were other events he learned about, but hadn't participated in them for one reason or another, and now, things were unusually quiet. Too quiet.

Shadow had been informed about the events at the Starfall Islands, assuming that the reason why Dr. Eggman hadn't shown himself yet with some new type of weapon was because he was still recovering from what happened. There was also no new eldritch abominations getting summoned or trying to invade Earth, any mad scientists, or even mad people in general, who tried to destroy their world, nor any magical gems that would shatter reality. The world was, at the moment, quiet and peaceful.

Shadow knew that he should've been at ease because, for once, nothing bad was happening. He knew that this was what he had been fighting for so relentlessly for the past months, and yet, he felt that he couldn't feel the same sense of peace the rest of the world felt. After all, his purpose was to fight, to protect and to heal, even if he could only do two of these things, he still clung to them with his dear life. In times of peace, he felt like he was of little use.

That is why he had been travelling on his own. He was searching for something, anything that would be a sign of trouble. He did come across some situations, mostly stronger people bullying weaker ones, and while he could scare them away with his mere presence, it wasn't anything that required the power of the Ultimate Lifeform.

Unfortunately for him, this situation, with nothing to distract him, left him alone with his own thoughts, and those thoughts were the kind that made Shadow wish his mind was still plagued with amnesia. He shook his head. No, those experiences are what made me. I am… all of me. Still, if they were just… less invasive. Less intrusive.

Shadow was used to having nightmares, to always think of the worst case scenario, as they left him alert and prepared for any kind of danger. But now, he wondered what it would feel like not having to think about any of this. Unfortunately, there was no one he could talk to either. His fellow members of Team Dark were also gone on their own adventures. Rouge had told him that she would be accompanying Knuckles on a treasure hunt, with the echidna taking her along because he wasn't trusting her to keep her hands away from the Master Emerald. Rouge didn't seem to be too bothered by it, sounding quite excited to spend time with Knuckles. As for Omega, Shadow hadn't seen him in a while, but he assumed that he was searching for more Eggman robots or raiding an Egg Base and destroying anything connected to the Doctor. Shadow had considered joining him, but it would take him a while to locate the violent robot, even with the Chaos Emerald.

In the end, there was nothing he could really do. He couldn't get rid off the nightmares, even if he tried to stay awake for several nights, as even the Ultimate Lifeform needed to sleep from time to time. He couldn't get past the bitterness he still felt, the feeling that something awful might happen and he would be powerless to stop it. It would always be there… It was always there, quiet and lurking, a voice in his mind that would keep him in a constant state of paranoia.

He had no idea for how much longer he could do this. How much longer could he live with all those thoughts. But, he didn't believe that there was a way for him to escape this state of mind. He would be stuck with them for as long as he lived, and considering how he was ageless, practically immortal unless he was somehow killed, it those thoughts would remain with him forever.

They say that time heals all wounds… I don't believe them.

Shadow stared at the moon, trying to clear his mind, but nothing helped. He rubbed his forehead, sighing and taking a look around for a distraction, but couldn't really find anything. The only thing he could think of was to start training to get rid off the pent up sense of aggression. He searched for a good target for practice, only to suddenly sense a presence behind.

Shadow swiftly turned on his heel with a kick from above, only to get blocked by the last person he expected to meet in this place.

''It's been a while since we've seen each other, Shadow.'' Sonic grinned, holding one arm above his forehead to keep Shadow's leg from hitting his face. Shadow stepped back, stunned to see him. He furrowed a brow.

''What are you doing here, Hedgehog?'' he asked, immediately feeling a sense of irritation. While he and Sonic were on good terms – as good as being competitive rivals who'd constantly butt heads over their ideals can be – he still couldn't help but get annoyed by his presence.

''I saw you brooding, so I thought I could walk over and say 'Hi', but then you just had to attack me…'' Sonic said, his tone laced with snark. Shadow didn't expect anything less from him, rolling his eyes in response.

''I meant, how did you find me?'' he asked. While he believed in coincidences, he sincerely doubted that Sonic would be able to find him in a remote place like this.

''Oh, that!'' Sonic gave him a sheepish look. ''I was actually in the area when I heard some people mention seeing a hedgehog who was as fast as me, so I asked them where they saw you and just ran around until I saw you standing here.''

''So, you've been searching for me,'' Shadow concluded, giving Sonic a displeased expression. The last thing he needed was to also deal with Sonic's nonsense. Sonic, on the other hand, gave him an anxious look, which Shadow didn't quite understand.

''Okay, for the record, I wasn't searching for you or anything like that until I heard that you were also in the area…'' Sonic started, trying to sound irritated and failing, before quickly switching the topic. ''But, more importantly, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be on some kind of mission…''

''There is no mission,'' Shadow answered in a blunt tone, only to realize a moment later that he may have made a mistake. He could've told Sonic that what he was doing was none of his business, but instead, he told him the truth.

''Oh.'' Sonic stared at him for a moment, adding, ''I guess you have nothing to do either.''

''Hmph.'' Shadow decided not to answer, folding his arms and turning away from Sonic. Instead of leaving, the cobalt hedgehog walked up to him, his arms crossed behind his head.

''Yeah, I understand that feeling. Egghead's not doing anything evil, and Tails and the others have left to go on their own adventures, so things got a little boring at home,'' Sonic said, staring at the broken moon.

''Is this why you decided to bother me?'' Shadow asked, with Sonic giving him a cheeky grin.

''What if I did? What are you going to do about it?'' he asked. Shadow merely narrowed his eyes, giving Sonic an irked look, then turned on his heel and started walking away. He did stop when Sonic suddenly added, ''H-Hey, wait, you don't have to leave…''

''Why not?'' Shadow turned his head to the cobalt hedgehog, who gave him a nervous look.

''Well, I had thought that we could talk or something…'' Sonic started, with Shadow raising an eyebrow. ''Or we could, I dunno, just watch the moon, if you want. I'll be silent.''

Shadow just stared back in silence, wondering why Sonic was so insistent on staying with him. The only thing that came to mind was that Sonic was bored out of his mind and considering how boredom was equal to torture in his case, he was trying to do anything to keep himself entertained. The consequence of that mindset was that Shadow ended up being part of that entertainment, which irritated the dark hedgehog even more.

Sonic took note of Shadow's annoyed expression, and tried to salvage the situation. ''Look, I know I'm not your preferred company, but if there's anything I can do…''

''Let's fight.''

Both Sonic and Shadow were stunned by Shadow's demand. Shadow wasn't really sure why he even said that, but given how tense he felt and how he wanted to train earlier, perhaps a sparring match would help him ease his nerves. He knew that it would certainly help Sonic with his boredom. Sonic, surprisingly, looked a little uncertain.

''Uh, are you sure? I mean, I'd be cool with a sparring match, but you don't have to go with that…'' Sonic stopped when he heard Shadow groan and take a battle stance.

''Hedgehog, I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to go through with it,'' Shadow responded. Sonic then grinned confidently, taking a battle stance.

''Alright, then! But don't start complaining when I kick your ass,'' Sonic replied.

''Tch, you'll wish you never agreed to this,'' Shadow said, a tiny smirk forming on his lips.

Then, both hedgehogs charged at each other.