‘Damnit, I missed!’ I curse to myself as I aim again. They come towards me with incredible speed, but I am ever faster. Bangbangbangbang! Six mechs fall, the many bullets having punctured their circuit boards. I aim while skating along the air backward. “You’re all going to Hell!” I shout as the bullets rocket through the air.
Having shot the last of them, I drop the portable machine gun, pivot a full one hundred-and-eighty degrees, and race on.
“Come on, you can make it!”
I race forward with a lot more effort. I jump up and dive towards the last remaining space. I barely make it through as the giant iron-plate doors clasp shut with a loud Ker-clam! behind me.
A few seconds after I fall, I glance at the doors, get up, and dust myself off.
“Shadow, that was amazing! Even I couldn’t have pulled that off!” Sonic exclaims, motioning to him and beyond the iron doors. I shrug in indifference. Who cares what he thought? I got the job done, not him.
Knuckles lay his knuckled glove on Sonic’s shoulder, “Come on, we got what we came here for. Let’s go.” He walks off, and Sonic follows behind. I lag in the back, looking at the acquired item in my hand, wondering, ‘Why would the Freedom Fighters want this? What good will it do them?’ I put the item back into its place, and keep walking. Sooner or later, I would get my answers.
The sun began to peak over the horizon as we approached the vicinity of Freedom Headquarters/Freedom HQ. During the entire trip, Sonic and Knuckles would not shut up.
“… and then I go, like, BAM!, and he goes like, ‘AHHHH!’
“And he was probably like, ‘Curse you, Hedgehog!’, right?”
“Yeah, that’s totally what he said!”
I tried my best to ignore their conversation, giving an occasional sigh, but then they mentioned the thought that had been nagging at me since we left the base, “Hey, Blue, what exactly is that thing we picked up for?”
“I don’t know myself, Knux… All Sally said was that it was of “dire importance”. I’m just hoping it was worth the trouble.”
More empty mystery… brilliant. I’d have to find out from the Princess herself.
We finally walk over the hill to the entrance of Freedom HQ. Sonic opens the door and heads inside. Knuckles and I head in after him, myself becoming more curious and tired at the same time.
I handed the item over to Princess Sally.
“Thank you, boys. I’ll explain everything after it’s installed…”
I yawn and rub my eyes explicitly. She looked over at me before she headed off, “And Shadow…” I abruptly compose my posture, and try to look alert, “though you are an immortal alien-hybrid who never ages, everyone still needs adequate sleep. I’m ordering you to temporarily retire from further missions. Get some sleep; who knows, maybe we’ll need you for a mission, an important one…” She smiles an encouraging smile.
“Gladly done, your Highness,” I respond, bowing to her. I head off toward one of the sleeping quarters. I think to myself, ‘I’ll find out what that thing is after I’m fully adequate… I will get to the bottom of this…’ I kick off my shoes, carefully remove my rings and cuffs, and settle heavily into the bed, my mind relieved to be coming towards a well-deserved rest.
Tails casually walked into the room. He nearly let out a sound, startled at my being there. He backs out cautiously and heads down the hall.
“Sally, why is Shadow in there?”
“He’s getting some sleep, Tails.”
“But in my room?!” Tails expels his arms out in an irritated and exaggerated way. Sally simply shakes her head, “He was probably too tired to think. Just let him sleep, Tails. Why don’t you go hang out with Sonic? I’m sure you two will have fun.”
“OK,” he says, going back down the hall. He stops at his room again. He stares at my sleeping form in disgust. In protest he silently sticks his tongue out at me. Suddenly, I turn over. He yelps slightly and scatters away, afraid that I’d wake up, and for my scaring his wits.
I have dreamt the same dream for years that I can recall: the “accident” aboard the A.R.K. I tossed and turned relentlessly, whimpering in my sleep like an anxious child. My pulse rose as I began to take faster and shallower breaths.
“There they are, after them! Don’t let them get away!”
“Shadow, get Maria and yourself to safety!”
Maria and I run in blind fright, panting down the hallway.
“Squad A, head after them! Professor Robotnik, you are under arrest!...”
The G.U.N. foot soldiers are still close behind. We run into the transport pod chamber. I climb inside one of them, and look out slightly to see if Maria was following behind. She presses the delayed-release button on the console as she heads for the pod I am in.
She gasps and whirls around. That’s when the pod cover closes with a Woosh! Maria rushes to the console, taking firm hold on the lever for the countdown sequence.
“Young lady, I need you to step away from that lever!” commands the officer. I start to pound on the glass, hoping to break through to rescue her.
“I’m not going to tell you again!”
She stands there unyieldingly ignoring the officer’s commands. Beads of sweat run down the side of her face. She pulls down.
“MARIA!!” I exclaim as she collapses to the floor. Time seems to slow; my heart beats rapidly and unsteadily. Tears start to well up in my eyes.
“Shadow…” Maria calls softly out to me, raising her head.
“Maria?...” I answer back, pressing up against the glass.
“Shadow, no matter what happens, promise me… that you’ll be friends with the people on that planet. Those people need you, Shadow… I know you’ll be very happy down there… I just wish… that I could come with you… I love you…”
“I promise… And… I love you, too… Maria…”
“Sayonara, Shadow… the Hedgehog…”
“Maria!” I look on disbelievingly.
“No, wait!” I yell as I hear a slow gush of air beneath me. The doors open, and I fall into the space beneath.
A distant voice echoes around me as I fall, “Two pods were deployed…”
“The Shadow creature will not survive, not with that impact…”
Sonic calmly walked by, and that’s when I began to scream; sharp, long, and loud. Sonic became so petrified that he dropped a glass he was holding, making it crash with a sudden Clash! on the floor. The glass breaking woke me up in a start, and I crash-landed on the floor, taking the sheets with me. I wrestled around blindly for a few moments. I then sat up, breathing hard and shakily, almost hyperventilating. I soon stopped and turned slowly to the door. Sonic seemed frozen there, staring at me in shocked incredulity. I directed my eyes to the broken glass on the floor. Then I looked back at Sonic. Forever I seemed to swing my head back and forth, back and forth, glass, Sonic, glass, Sonic…
It finally clicked in my head.
I looked all around me. I stood up carefully, my face flushed with adrenaline and embarrassment. He finally snapped out of it, and tried to help me get untangled from the sheets. The entire gang, it seemed, suddenly appeared in the doorway.
“Wha- what happened?!” Knuckles exclaimed, looking at the glass and Sonic.
“Just a… um… bad dream, that’s all. Shadow scared me, and I dropped my glass, and he… um… woke up after dropping on the floor…” Knuckles came over to help with the detangling of the sheets. All the while I just stood there with my flushed face.
They ultimately ripped me from the mess of sheets. “Shadow, do you remember what it was that you dreamed?...” Sonic asks me while looking timidly into my eyes, “‘You wanna talk about it?...”
“Sonic, quit pestering him.”
“What? I’m just tryin’ to help…”
I stand quietly for a long time. My cheeks flush harder as I gently push Sonic and Knuckles aside and head down the hall. Tears of hot embarrassment and anger flood my eyes. I thrust the door open to the outside, streams of water rushing down in little waterfalls from the roof. Everyone stares after me, concerned.
I head to the lab, not thinking twice. I force the door open, and let it slam shut behind me, rain and lightning illuminating the interior. The hot tears roll their course along my cheeks. I look up. My steps take me forward slowly as I see the item that had been bothering me earlier last night. Thunder roared and rumbled as I approached the pedestal it sat upon. I forgot my embarrassment; I forgot my dream; I forgot everything but the thing that sat before me. The item that I had acquired… was a power core; a power core to provide electric pulses to a wide range of electric artillery. I looked on and all around in amazement. Why had I not seen it before? The item had looked somewhat familiar, since my workings with G.U.N. Intelligence. I also seemed to recall it being somewhere else as well… It finally hit me: the A.R.K. The Professor had worked many inventions and gadgets, and most were powered by a similar article. The core had appeared subtly in my dream. Could the core and my dream be somehow linked? Could my dream be a warning of some kind of dread to come? Should I signal an alert? No, the others still think I’m delirious… What should I do?...
“Shadow, come in. Shadow…” I nearly jump out of my skin from the sudden call. I pick up my receiver, “This is Agent Shadow reporting…”
“Where are you? The Government is on the brink of sending a search quadrant…”
“I’m at Freedom Headquarters. Tell the General I was on a brief side-mission. It seemed important…”
“Alright, Shadow. I’ll inform the General. Just head back soon, OK?”
“Affirmative… Agent Rouge. This is Agent Shadow, signing off.” I hung up my receiver. I stood there, shaking slightly. The sun began to peek through the windows, illuminating many rainbows onto the floor. I looked up at the power core once more before turning to the door. My troubling thoughts would have to be put on hold for now… I had to get back to G.U.N.
“Shadow, you’re leaving already?” Sonic asked after I go off from the Princess’ quarters.
“Yes, I’m needed back at G.U.N.”
“’You gonna be alright then, Faker?”
He smiled a small, quick smirk. This was his way of “being friendly” toward me. I cringe slightly. “Stop calling me that…” I say in the most threatening way I could.
Sonic apparently didn’t get the hint, “Aw, I’m just joshin’ you, Shad. And listen, about the whole… incident back there…” I raise my hand to silence him.
“Think nothing of it. I was just in an array of emotions all at once; I’m fully coordinated as of yet.”
“Oh, good, good… Well, ‘be seeing ya, then…” He waves as he goes off. I walk out the door, but I feel like I forgot something…
“Shadow, wait up!” Tails comes running up to me. I wait patiently.
“You… forgot your… shoes, rings, and… cuffs…” he said sheepishly, panting between his words. I take them from his hands.
“Thank you, Tails,” I said to him, embarrassed yet again. I slipped each article on quickly. I small-saluted him, and went on my way, him waving me off before heading back inside.
I sign into the security system and head to the office. Rouge greets me at the entranceway, “Hey there, Shad…” She hugs me swiftly around my shoulders. I became rigid for a few seconds. She let me go, and I went up to the President’s desk.
“You summoned for me, Mr. President?”
“Yes. Agent Shadow, the Naval and Air Forces have brought to my attention that Dr. Robotnik has been under construction, and the fact that something of value to him was stolen…”
“The stolen valuable was a power core, used normally for electric power for large factories and companies.”
“Exactly. The question: where is it?”
“The Freedom Fighters have acquired the item, sir.”
“Well, at least it’s in better hands than that maniac… Anyhow, I want you to keep an eye on the Doctor, in case he plans something sinister against the city again. You’ll be accompanied by Agent Rouge, Agent Omega, and a squadrant of G.U.N. officials. This country appreciates your assistance, Agent Shadow…”
“Much obliged to do my part, sir, but one question: what kind of construction, exactly, is taking place?”
“According to the Air Force’s description, it looks like a giant pistol. Nuclear activity has been recorded; we are to believe that a nuclear bomb of some sort is to go off between tomorrow and next Friday, depending on construction rates.”
“Understood, Mr. President, we shall monitor his courses carefully.”
The President and I shook hands, and I headed out with Rouge by my side. Whatever was going on, it seemed to fit my notion perfectly.
The head of the squadrant knocked on Freedom HQ’s wooden door. Sonic answered it.
“Sonic, we are here under orders of the President. Nuclear activity has been reported at Dr. Robotnik’s base. Agent Shadow told of your having a power core from his possession. May we be permitted to analyze this article?”
“No.” The squadrant leader looked at him in utter surprise, and sputtered a few times. Sonic looked at everyone, including me, with a serious expression.
His face then started to spread into a laughing smile, “Oh, you guys, I’m just kidding. Get in here, do your investigating!” The leader let out a sigh of frustration and relief at the same time. Sonic, typically, always the one to joke…
He led us to the laboratory, the one I was in during my “episode”. Rotor, Tails, Sally, Bunnie, and Antoine were there already, making adjustments to the artillery.
“A little to the right, Antoine…”
The leader cleared his throat in a formal “Ahem”.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you…” Sally apologized to us all, climbing down off of a very elevated ladder, “How can we be of service?”
“Princess Acorn, we are here under the President’s orders. We just need to analyze the power core you have possessed.”
“You may proceed, Commander…”
The squadrant team goes off to the core, and Sally comes up to Rouge, Omega, and I.
“Are you doing alright, Shadow?”
“No more than usual, your Highness…”
She stands there awkwardly. Her face then turns back to the artillery the team was working on. “Hey, maybe you guys could give a few hands? The wiring and connection to the power core itself are giving us problems…”
“Sure sweetie, we’ve nothing else to do, right boys?” She eyes us both intensely. I nod quickly in agreement, and Omega salutes with an “Affirmative.”
‘Blast these stupid wires!’ I curse to myself as I suck my finger from the shock, ‘Almost singed my finger off…’ “Hey, Rouge!” I shout from up high, “Grab me some of those wire connectors, the plastic ones in the storage!”
“I’ll be back!” she answers, going hurriedly out the door. She comes back a few seconds later.
“That was fast…” I say down to her, reaching into her hands.
“Oh, they were very easy to find…”
“Alright, that’s it, let’s head out. The investigation is clear, Princess Acorn!” the Commander said to his troops and Sally.
The squadrant team heads outside. The Commander notes to me, “Agent Shadow, I’ll alert the President that you’re in another side-mission. Good luck, and report back soon!”
He goes outside as well, and I no longer hear their clamoring.
I made the last connection between the power core and electric artillery with the wire connector. Snapping the case shut, I turn to get down off of the platform. I twist around to climb the ladder, and spot Rouge near the power core. She had taken it into her hands, and was trying to hide it behind her as she headed out.
“HEY!” I yell across to her. I position myself to leap. The others look at me in surprise before looking at Rouge. “She’s got the power core!” Tails yelled while pointing at her. Sonic takes notice from the far side of the warehouse, and rushes to block the door. Bunnie rushes up beside him.
“Rouge, hand it over,” I say to her after leaping to the floor. I extend my hand. She looks to me, then back at Sonic and Bunnie. She sprints to the East, toward the windows that covered the low side. As I run to intervene in her path, I notice a small glint on her wing, much like metal. It became clear. “Omega, guns at the ready! Now!” I command to him. “Sonic, get ready with the Homing Attack!” Sonic looks at me like I’m crazy, “Shadow, are you-“
“Don’t argue with me, just do it!” Sonic, still kind of confused, reluctantly obeys.
“Sonic, get to the North! Omega, get to the South!” They position themselves uneasily. “Sonic, now!” He leaps into the air, rolls up, and plunges forward, crashing into Rouge and sending her toward Omega. “Fire, Omega!” He raises his guns, and starts blasting away at her flying body. She disintegrated as the bullets punctured her in many places all at once. The power core slid across the floor as she fell in pieces to the ground.
Sparks flew around the heap of scrap metal. Everyone stared on at the sight. The door opened, and we all threw our heads around.
“Sorry I took so long… these things were hard to find in that mess. AH!” She froze as Omega aimed his guns again.
“Easy, Omega. That’s Rouge…” I perceive to him, lowering his arm. Rouge drops the many wire connectors, and hurries over to us, “What’s this?!”
“Imposter. ‘Looked like you.”
“Yep, it’s got that fat egg-bastard written all over it,” Sonic said in certainty, crossing his arms across his chest. Sally goes to retrieve the power core.
“It’s-it’s completely destroyed!” she cried, showing the decapitated and scorched mass. I give a frustrated sigh.
“The other stuff is still OK though, right?” Tails asks, raising up hopes in all of us. Rotor and Sally go over to check. “Everything else is still in check… we just need another power source that’ll give electric pulses,” Rotor affirmed. They headed back. Suddenly, my receiver starts to crackle to life, “Agent Shadow, pick up immediately!” I picked up my receiver once more since Rouge’s call, “Agent Shadow…”
The President’s voice fills the intercom, “We’ve received a red alert: Robotnik has finished production ahead of time. The nuclear bomb goes off TODAY!!”
“Today?! A NUCLEAR BOMB?!?!” everyone else gasps. I push the speaker button, “Tell the General and Commander to fend him off without me. I’ll do what I can here…”
“Understood, Agent Shadow… Good luck soldier, and God help us all…” He hangs up, and I stare at the receiver for a long time before putting it away again.
Everybody started to panic. Except Sonic, that is. “Calm down, people. I’ll run ahead to see what exactly the deal is. Me ‘n Tails will take out what we can, and you guys find something quick to power those electric guns. Come on, Tails!” He and Tails rushed out the door in a gush of wind.
After they had gone, Sally looked to Rotor, “Rotor, how fast can you make a power core similar to Eggman’s?”
“It may take a while, Princess. I’m sorry…”
“We may not have a while, Rotor…” Sally said, nearly in hysterics. She paced in a rapid fashion for a few moments. Then she saw me.
“Please, we need your help.”
My hands ball up instantly into fists on my hips, “Why should I help?”
“Because you’re the only one who can!”
Wow… for once, Sonic isn’t here to be the “big hero” as he always was. This time, it’s my turn. I guess it is up to me…
I remove my rings, cuffs, and shoes like I’d done before, carefully. They chained me into place, after making some calculations and adjustments.
“Your Super Form can generate much electric power; maybe enough to power the electric artillery long enough to possibly take down Robotnik’s nuclear bomb! We can trust Sonic and Tails to do some considerable damage, but this calls for desperate measures…” She clicks the last chain-cuff on me. I smile and nod to her in my parade of confidence. She smiles back nervously and motions for the start-up. Rotor kicks on the switch to the guns. Bunnie places a Chaos Emerald in my hand, compliment of Knuckles, who stood by after hearing of the alert. He had to protect Angel Island, and I was to help power the artillery to protect Mobius. I bent my head down, gearing up for the power I was about to unleash. My eyes began to radiate in a more brilliant red, and my fur turned from a silky jet black to a pale lemon gold. I had become Super Shadow. I then reared my head back as I released all the Chaos Power I had in me.
As I stood there in my thunderous energy, the weapons of electric power began to pulse to life. The bulbs became bright with dynamism. I dropped the Chaos Emerald to the floor. The chains began to click in high frequencies as my body mass rose into the air.
Sonic and Tails were beating away at the weapon of mass destruction as it was being hauled by many armored tanks. The government officials fired at the mechs. The mechs fired at the two heroes. “Sonic, it’s no good! This thing just won’t bust!”
“Just keep trying, little buddy! Don’t quit on me now!” He ricocheted off of the metallic surface again and again. Laser shots narrowly missed each time they attacked the machine. “Sonic! Maybe we should try slowin’ them down! I’ll go for the head tank!”
Tails flew ahead to the first tank, landing on it with a loud Clang! He worked away at the top covering with his laser pen. “Yes!” He climbed inside, only to find a bunch of buttons and switches flashing in different colorful patterns. He looks to and fro in a panic. “Um, OK, let’s try this…” Tails reaches for the colored keyboard.
The tank unexpectedly hits a tree, and starts to roll to one side. This causes Tails to slide, making his foot push up a switch on the far wall. “Uh-oh!...” As the tank begins to crush the tree underneath its treads, it starts to roll backwards. Sonic, the officials, and the mechs take notice.
They all stare as the tank rolled underneath the carrying platform of the nuclear pistol. The platform starts to go backward and forward, the other tanks struggling to take the cargo forward, and the one tank taking it backward.
“Way to go, Tails! I think that’ll do it, for a little while! Let’s blow this pop stand!” Sonic races to the tank to collect Tails. Tails climbs up through the way he came. Sonic gathers him up into his arms, and rushes off, leaving the tanks and mechs to battle for direction.
The electric guns pulse in a bright light for many seconds at a time. “We need more power!” Rotor yells above the roar of electricity.
“Shadow, give it all you’ve got! Don’t hold back, Sugah!!” Bunnie pleads to me. I manage to nod to her, and raise my Chaos Power to my maximum intensity. An excruciating burning flowed throughout my body. I cringed in pain, trying to hold back my screams of utter agony.
Dr. Robotnik raged over the sight he beheld on his computer screen. “Those Freedom Fighters… They’re going to pay for this, for all of this!!!” He pushes a button. The tank beneath the platform stopped moving entirely, then changed back on its original course. The platform leaped forward into motion. “There… let’s see how they like that!”
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I shrilled out the loudest, most painful scream I had ever done. Antoine, Bunnie, Rotor, and Sally covered their ears in desperation. That’s when Sonic and Tails rushed into the warehouse. Tails covered his ears as well, looking at me in panicked fear. Sonic put him down, and rushed to me. “HANG ON, SHADOW! HANG ON!” he hollered above my shrills of pain. He picked up the Chaos Emerald I had dropped. He stood back a ways from me, and lowered his head like I had. His navy blue fur changed to the legendary gold, and his eyes changed from a dark emerald green to a milky chocolate-auburn brown, for he had become Super Sonic. He let go of the Emerald. He rose as well into the air, and hovered to me.
“SHADOW, LISTEN TO ME!” he yelled over the electricity. I stopped screaming, and looked him in the face, cringing still, tears of pain rolling nonstop, “WE’RE GOING TO POWER THIS THING TOGETHER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!” I nodded hurriedly at him. He clutched me at the shoulders, staring straight into my eyes. He put his right hand on the back of my head. He produced an encouraging and heroic grin. He directed us to bow our heads together. We close our eyes in unison, and he released his Chaos Power through the chains as well as mine.
Little by little, the maiming weapon ground over the horizon toward Freedom HQ. “AH HA-HA-HA-HA! That Hedgehog thought he could foolishly deteriorate my machine, but all he did was merely delaying his ultimate DOOM! Sonic and the Freedom Fighters die TODAY!!!” Dr. Robotnik’s cackling reverberated throughout his lair. He watched eagerly on his computer screen.
Tails swiftly flew over to the open lab door. His eyes widened in newly formed panic. “The weapon… it’s coming fast! It’s going for the mainframe!” he screamed at us all, pointing to the open space. Sonic called over his shoulder, “Tails, when I say “Go!” you’re gonna push that button there, OK?!”
“You got it, Sonic!” He situated himself near the button. Sonic looked to me. I managed to crack a minuscule smile. He nodded at me. He positioned himself to hang partially onto me, yet be able to scan the horizon. ‘Steady, steady…’ The face of the weapon appeared in his view. “NOW, TAILS!!!” The button was smashed down. The electric artillery booted up. A giant bulb of light formed on the end of each cannon.
The weapon crept closer and closer. Dr. Robotnik chuckled in his evil glee while rubbing his hands together. He pressed a switch to activate the machine. Its radiation started to build up for the fire-off.
Right at that moment, the bulbs of light shot out through many open sunroofs in a great beam of energy, zooming and darting like a speeding bullet. They joined into one, and focused on their target. Sonic smiled, and shouted, “Take that, you egg-bastard!” The Doctor detected this beam but a bit too late, “Oh shi-” BOOOOOOOOM!!!!! The weapon sizzled from the heat, its point melted to an unusable state. “FFFFFFFFSSSSSSKKKKKK! NOOOOOOOO! My plan was perfect, flawless, genius… How, how, how?...” He picked up a microphone, “You may have won this battle, Sonic… but the war is still yet to be lost! AH HA-HA-HA-HA!!!” The tanks that carried the now out-of-commission weapon sped away backwards, leaving the dismantled load behind.
Cheers swept the entire warehouse. Hugs went all around. Whoops of victory come from the guys, and tears of relief come from Sally and Bunnie. Sweat pours down Sonic’s and my faces. We float down together. Everyone else turn to us. He unlocks the chain-cuffs from my wrists and ankles, and I slump into his arms. His glow radiates onto me as he cradles me close. Everyone comes over. I gaze up at them unsteadily. Then, everything starts to get hazy and their voices start to fade, then it all becomes completely black.
I open my eyes. Everything is completely white and luscious of vast architecture. I walk forward hesitantly. I gaze all around me in amazement, wondering where I had stumbled in marvel. Then I spot someone, her blonde hair blowing gently in a warm breeze, and her wings showing might, yet were inviting.
“It’s been a long time, my dear friend…” she says to me, her back turned. I stop in surprise. She continued, “What you did down there was brave and righteous… You gave your all to help those in your need…” She turned around fluidly. “Hello, Shadow…”
“…Maria…?” I tiptoe closer, and stumble onto my knees. When I look into her face, my heart softens, and it is saying to me, ‘It’s her… Maria…’ She tempts me into her arms. I start to cry quietly into her chest. She soothes me gently, stroking my silky coarse fur between her fingers. She kisses my head. “It’s been a long time…” she whispered again. I sit there for a long while, letting her rock me back and forth like a child. I smile a happy smile as I nuzzle against her.
Then, slowly, she holds me out at her arm’s length. She gazes into my eyes. “Shadow… you must go back…” My heart freezes instantly. I look at her in appall. My tears come back, this time in sorrow. “But… after all this time… I finally-”
“Shhhh…” she quiets me, touching my face, “You belong on Earth, with your friends… We can both rest easily now, knowing the other is in good hands… I know you’re going to do great things, Shadow, so show them to me… We’ll meet again when the time is right…” I look down in mourn, nodding gently. She gathers me into an embrace, “Goodbye, Shadow the Hedgehog…” She starts to fade away from me. I drift into a black nothingness.
I open my eyes again. Everything appears fuzzy and dim, then is brought into focus. I turn my head slightly. Sonic is sitting on the edge of the bed. He looks at me with a small smile. “The Government said that they safely contained the nuclear radiation… We got Eggman, Shadow… You did great… We did great… But you passed out after using all of that Chaos Energy… You were extremely hot to the touch, too; no wonder you were screaming…” To my surprise, I found myself uttering the words I thought I’d never say, “Thank you, Sonic… Thank you for everything…”
“Awww, well…” He blushed in embarrassment. He got up slowly, and headed to the door. “I’ll leave ya alone now…” He winked at me. I smiled back at him, and he headed off with a soft chuckle. I turned over onto my side. My smile became bigger as tears crossed over the bridge of my nose. I knew that everything was going to be alright…
The next day, I headed into the office of the President once again. Rouge greeted me yet again, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, “Good to see you, Shadow…” This time, I didn’t go rigid. She looked me in the face, “Something’s changed about you… I just can’t quite put my finger on it…” She looked at me, puzzling over her thoughts. I just met her look with my usual reprehending glaze in my eye. But something had changed about me… I no longer felt… empty, sad without a purpose; I was free. I glanced up at the ceiling, smiling to myself. ‘I’m going to do great things, and I will show you, Maria…’
“Agent Shadow, the President will see you now…” I nodded to the guard in response. Still looking up, I wandered slowly to the door, smiling before I turned around again, ready to show Maria, and the world, what I was capable of…
This is a really old fanfic I wrote a while back, around high school XD I hope you like this anyway...
