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Fanfiction» Fanfics» Return of a Shadow
Tail point of view:
Eggman and I walked in silence most of the way, I didn't really need to ask him what I should expect because I already knew. I click the auto pilot and remembered the time I fought Eggman over a year ago. It wasn't easy and I was worried. "Eggman?" I said. "Yes?" "Do we stand a chance against your grandfather?" I was slightly ashamed at myself because I sounded like such a scared child, I mean I'm 8 years old, I shouldn't be scared! "I really don't know Tails, I really don't know." Eggman sounded distant so I said nothing. When we got to the door, it opened automatically. That Sonic, always getting there first.
***
Cyrus's point of view:
As I ran ahead my coat tails flapped behind me and my gear made clinking sounds that echoed through the hallway. My instincts told me that Shadow was in more danger then I originally suspected. I had always looked up to my great grandfather. He was misguided then, but not dangerous. Now he was back from the dead and now I was going to fight him, most likely for the sake to the entire planet. I envied Sonic, he was used to this, I stayed calm when the colony began to plunged to earth that day so long ago, but now that I was going to save the world in the foot steps of my uncle and Sonic, I was starting to doubt my bravery. NO! I can't start doubting myself, not now. The doors are open, the time is now. Hold on guys, I'm coming!
***
Normal narration:
The doors opened in the main chamber. Sonic and Amy entered followed by Knuckles and Rouge, Eggman and Tails, but Cyrus was no where to be seen. Sonic looked around, the place hadn't changed a bit. The see-through floor, the widows over looking the Earth and the console where they had seen Prof. Gerald for the first time. But something had change, Sonic looked closely and noticed, in a shadowy corner of the room, a strange capsule, similar to the one that Shadow had described when Maria sent him to Earth.
"Hey guys, do you remember that?" Sonic pointed to the corner. "No, It was never there before." Knuckles said. A sparkle from behind the capsule caught the eye of the group as a horse, old voice came from behind it. "So, the ungrateful people survived thanks to you and your friends." The voice directed it's self at Sonic. "Who are you, show yourself!" Sonic shouted in his well practiced 'hero' voice. "You don't recognize me, I'm your creator, Professor Gerald." The Prof. said materializing from the shadows. Professor Gerald Robotnic, the resemblance between him and his grandson was striking. "You think I'm Shadow, well your..." "Wait Son... I mean Shadow." Tails interrupted "Play along, we can figure something out before the real Shadow arrives." Just as Tails said that the real Shadow burst through the door. "MARIA!" He shouted. "Never mind." Tails said.
"So an imposter." Prof. Gerald said. He pushed a button on the console and a laser torrent cannon dropped from the ceiling and aimed it's self at the heroes. The was no time to dodge, the laser charged. Suddenly Cyrus dropped down from the ceiling. "Geranimo!" He shouted as he landed in front of the group. The laser fired, above the zap of the laser was a gasp from the heroes, Cyrus turned in time to throw up his guard. The laser collided with an invisible shield, even Prof. Gerald was surprised when Cyrus let his guard down. Cyrus held up his hand, attached to his wrist was a round, whirling machine the size of an MP3 player. "Mini shield generator, always come prepared." Cyrus said.
"Did you prepare for this?" Prof. Gerald ask with a sneer. He hit a button on the console and ten more lasers dropped from the ceiling on all sides of the heroes. "How many of those did you bring nephew?" Eggman ask. "Not enough." Cyrus responded. "Maria!" Shadow noticed the capsule and the girl contained inside. "I have to save her!" He shouted. "Shadow, NO!" Sonic shouted after him but it was too late, the lasers focused on him and fired. "Chaos Control!" Shadow shouted. Several explosions happened all at once. The force destroying them was unseen until he reappeared beside the capsule that held his sleeping beauty.
"Maria?" Shadow said, sounding like a child. "Shadow." Prof. Gerald said, seemingly pleased. "What have you done!" Shadow was now angry. "First you try to destroy the world now you hold her captive, your a sick twisted bas... Ahhhh!" A volt of electricity surge through Shadow's body and he fell to the metal floor nearly unconscious. "I will not tolerate such a disrespectful creation." Prof. Gerald said. "How did Shadow do that." Sonic asked in awe. "The Chaos Emeralds, they where close enough to harness the energy emitted by them." Tails said. "Well now Shadows out so it's up to us." Knuckles said. "You fools, you will parish." Prof. Gerald said.
He hit another button on the console, the floor opened in the center circle of the room. Five robots erupted from the hole to land in front of the heroes. The robots where all shaped in the forms of Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Shadow. "Say hello to my metallix series A-100." The professor said. The heroes all looked at Eggman, he only shook his head slightly in horror. "Grandfather, why? Why are you doing this?" Eggman pleaded. "Because you ungrateful people took everything from me."
"Now I will take back what I have lost and make sure you can't meddle with my plans again." "Now where have I heard that line before." Sonic said with a smirk. "Lets GO!" Sonic shouted beginning the brawl of flesh vs. machine. Sonic took on his counter part Chromo Sonic A-101, it was a quick fight when Sonic got tired of playing. Chrome Sonic took a Sonic spin to the head and was down and out. Tails also had no trouble since he had a slight advantage over his robotic double, Rapid Tails A-102, the real Tails had a laser gun. Three direct hits and all that was left was scrape metal. Tails then noticed the capsule with the frozen Maria within and the unconscious Shadow with his hand still on the glass.
Knuckles and Rouge double teamed his robotic double, the red glowing eyes made a lock on Rouge when suddenly her bad leg gave out. Rouge fell to the ground as Brass Knuckles A-103 used his rocket blast punch on the down female bat. Knuckles on the other hand had different plans. He jump in the way of the flying fist and deflected it's path from Rouge back at the brazen robot. Rouge smiled in true gratitude at her savior, Knuckles couldn't help but smile back as he helped her to her feet.
Amy was up against her own mechanical counter part, Rosebud A-104 with it's mega-ton hammer arm. Amy used her hammer, spinning wildly, not really hitting anything within her revolutions. Suddenly, Amy fell, too dizzy to stand. Sonic rushed over and eased her to the ground. Sonic then looked at the robotic copy and as fire burned in his eyes. He rush it and in one motion dismantled the thing as Amy was fighting a losing battle to keep her lunch down.
Finally there was only one robot left to face, Shining Shadow A-105, but none of the heroes stepped forward to oppose it. "Ha HA, can't bring yourselves to take on this one, can you?" Prof. Gerald said. The metallix then launched itself at Sonic who was to surprised to react. The robot came less then three inches from Sonic when it was blow back by a beam of green energy. The group turned towards it's source, Shadow held a Chaos Emerald in one hand as he was propped up on Tails shoulder. He then shouted "Look out!!!" The group turned in time to see Shining Shadow up and charging again, only now he had deployed a wall of sharp hovering metal shards. It's trajectory along with the rest of it's metal body was, out of the blue, tackled by a figure made entirely of fire.
As the battery fluid and remains of the A-105 burned slowly the figure walked toward Sonic. It bent down and offered what made out to be a hand. "Go on it won't hurt." A calm gentle voice came from the being. Sonic looked at the being and then a the 'hand' offered to him. Sonic took the hand expecting to feel pain sere his arm along with the flames, instead the being picked him up off the floor. The fire being then lifted it's right arm and seemed to press on its wrist, the flames immediately died to revile Cyrus covered in a clear film that sucked back into his shield watch. " Full Body Fire Suit, Model 2. Do you think I'd let you have all the fun?" Cyrus said with a smirk. "NO, If I can't get what I want then I will destroy you all." Prof. Gerald shouted. "Sore loser." Shadow muttered. Prof. Gerald pushed a button on the console, a wave of energy pulsed over the room, flooded the hallway and traveled through the entire colony. Then the colony shook as an explosion rattled through it. Cyrus looked at Prof. Gerald with increasing anger.
"What is your name?" Prof. Gerald ask pointing at Cyrus and sneering. "I am Cyrus Robotnic." Cyrus said with a look of anger. "Ha, so we are related, I guessed as much, study hard you might be just like me." He mocked "I seriously doubt it." Cyrus said in a calm rage. "Well if you survive, I will continue my study's and when done I will take my revenge on the world, but you and your friends will die, Come my Maria." Prof. Gerald said and pushed a button on the console to open a portal much like the one activated when the Mystic Melody was played. "What?!" Shadow was on his own two feet in nano-seconds leaving Tails to fall on his nose from the sudden imbalance of weight.
"Shadow, my creation, you had your chance to be with her forever and you failed, now suffer." He said sneering. "NO, you will never take Maria away from me again!!!" Shadow screamed and launched himself at the professor, connecting his fist to the professor's lower jaw. Prof. Gerald staggered backward through the portal without his cherished granddaughter, his voice echoed back through the closing portal as he shouted and cursed. The portal closed leaving the group in confusion. "What just happened?" Amy ask, panicked. "The whole colony is shaking." Tails said. "This brings back fond memories." Knuckles said as he fell on his nose with Rouge on top of him. "Let's grab Maria and get out of here." Shadow said. "I'm on it." Cyrus said. "Uncle give me a hand." Cyrus motioned to Eggman.
"Cryogenic stasis lock: deactivated, Revival sequence initiating." Said the computer. A clock showed up on the small screen connected to capsule holding the precious cargo. Rouge had limped to the console and was bringing up holo-screens showing the colony. "We don't have much time, that wave of energy hit a dynamite storage room, the ship is one big time bomb!" Rouge shouted to the group. "How long tell Maria wakes up?" Shadow ask. "Not long, all we have to do is..." Eggman was cut short by a beeping and a holo-screen came to view.
"Oh no." Eggman said "What is it." Everyone asked "Uncle?" Eggman began typing away at the keys. "What's going on!" Shadow said putting his hand on the glass. "We're losing her." Eggman said. "NO!" Shadow banged on the glass. Maria lay there, peacefully, but then her eyes trembled and slowly opened. Shadow saw Maria try to take a breath but her hands came to her throat as though she where choking. "Dr. she can't breath." Shadow shouted. "Argh, it won't respond." Cyrus slammed the console, the glass cracked. "Oops." Cyrus said drawing back. " That's the idea Cyrus, we need to brake it open." Sonic said putting Amy down and doing a flying kick at the glass. Sonic managed to crack it a little more. "Knuckles your turn." Sonic said. "Forget Knuckles, I wanna crack at it!" Amy said standing on weak legs. "Heeeeyah!!!" Whipping out her hammer, she gave a mighty leap and struck the glass, shattering it instantly. Amy landed gracefully, turned to the group and gave a curtsy and a giggle.
Everyone's jaw dropped, with Sonics falling the farthest. "Maria." Shadow turned to see Maria's delicate hand gripping the side of the capsule. Shadow jumped up and in the capsule, and lifted Maria's head. "Here Shadow, let me help." Cyrus said. Helping the half conscious Maria out of the capsule. "Maria, Maria please open your eyes, come on don't die on me, please." Shadow pleaded. Maria coughed and slowly open her eyes, but they focused on nothing. "Shadow?" She said, barely a whimper. "Where are you Shadow, it so dark, I can't see you." Shadow looked at Cyrus, and then at Eggman standing behind him. Both had painful looks upon their faces.
"Maria." Cyrus said, his face set in stone. "Their was an accident, your blind but we can help you, Shadow is here too." "Shadow, he's here? Where?" Her voice was like and angel singing to Shadow. "I'm here Maria," He said directing her delicate hand to his fury cheek. "Oh Shadow, I don't care that I can't see, I'm just glad we're together." She said a little louder. This brought a tear to Shadows' amber eyes. The moment was broken when another explosion rattled the ground beneath the group. "This whole place is going to explode in two minutes!" Rouge said. "Sonic, grab the Chaos Emeralds, it's time to go super!" Shadow shouted. Sonic got a gleam in his eye. "Cyrus?" Shadow said. "Yeah?" Cyrus responded, standing with his cousin in his arms. "I'm intrusting Maria's safety with you. Can you handle it?" "Count on it." He said with a smile.
***
Sonic and Shadow stood in the middle of the room, the Chaos Emeralds in a circle around the two hedgehogs. "Think your up to it, Faker?" Shadow ask with a playful smile. Sonic smiled at his nickname, "Born that way." He said. Shadow though for moment, 'I have a lot now, I'm not going to lose it, not again.' Shadow closed his eyes with the thought in his head. Next to him Sonic was also was thinking. 'I'm have many friends, some used to be rivals but in the end we all came out on top. I wouldn't want to lose any of them, and I'm not going to lose Shadow, not again.' With this thought in his head Sonic closed his eyes.
***
Light, the Chaos Emeralds began to glow in their brilliant colors. Sonic and Shadow began to absorb the power of the emeralds. Their bodies began to shake as the raw ancient energy surged through them. Cyrus stood in awe, staring at the light the hedgehogs emitted, not caring about the possibility that he could become blind. Maria, even though she was blind she could sense the power being given off by Shadow. She smiled and thought about what Shadow might look like. "We don't have much time, we got to get out of here!" Tails shouted. "Which way?" Shadow asked, his voice had the ring of power woven in to it making him sound strong and heroic. Rouge typed at the console, "All the ways to the shuttle are blocked except one." Rouge pointed to the far left door. "But even that one has debris in it." " Okay then, Shadow and I will clear the way." Sonic stated his voice also heroically amplified.
***
Shadows Point of view: Sonic and I made our way through the hallway that lead to the ship. It felt like that time a year ago when he and I fought side by side against Biolizard. Sonic was doing his best, I had to admit for a Faker he has power. As Sonic and I blasted rubble out of the way I stole a glance back at Cyrus and Maria. I could tell that Maria was confused and wanting to see what was going on. Cyrus held her closely and I knew that he could hold his own. What amazed me was the fact that Cyrus' body was covered in fire as was Maria but neither was getting burned, Maria looked like a goddess there, cradled in fire. Maria was going to be fine, Cyrus was not going to let anything happen to her.
***
Normal Narration: Shadow and Sonic where plowing through debris and the rest of the group was barely able to keep up. Rogue, who was being carried by Knuckle due to her bad leg shouted to the others. "We'll soon hit zero gravity, from their we can glide to the shuttle!" Cyrus deactivated the fire shield. The group stopped at the point where the gravity was no longer active. Sonic and Shadow where already halfway to the shuttle. "What are we waiting for?" Knuckles shout. He ran and leapt the thresh hold, the zero g's allow him to glide without losing momentum or altitude. Rouge clung to him her eyes shut tight, she hated the feeling of zero gravity, it always made he stomach churn. Eggman was next, he leapt the gap followed by Tails who had abandon his robot walker, 'The sacrifices I make' Tails thought. Amy on the other hand was have thoughts about this. "I'm not sure I can." She said. "Oh for the love of chili dogs!" Sonic said and flew at Amy and scoped her up and flew back.
"What's going on?" Maria asked. "We're going to Earth." Sonic shouted over his shoulder. "We are?!" Maria could barely contain her excitement. "Is Shadow coming?" "Yes," Cyrus said, "He's coming." Cyrus made the leap, as he drifted to the shuttle door he saw the look on Shadows' face, the look of joy that came from the soul. Shadow's joy quickly turn to fear. "Cyrus look out!" Shadow shouted. "Huh?" Cyrus was shocked to see Chrome Sonic A-101, standing at the gravity line, heavily damaged and missing half it's robotic head. It lifted it's gun and lock on to Cyrus. "Not this time, not ever!" Shadow screamed. The gun pointed at Cyrus who was unable to doge it's lock, he closed his eyes and waited for the blow, it never came. Daring a glance Cyrus saw Shadow standing over the robot with the severed half head in his hand. When both Shadow and Cyrus where in the door locked behind them. "We're out of here." Eggman said. The shuttle pulled from the dock as another explosion went through the colony.
"Shadow, are we safe?" Maria asked. Shadow guided her hand to his silver cheek. "Yes Maria, we're safe." "Oh shit." Was all that Knuckles could say before a large metal beam cut directly into the ship.
***
Air. I can breath. "What's going on?" Rouge was able to say. She force her eyes to focus on two glowing figures in front of her. "Do you think we would let you guy die, come on, you know us better then that." Sonics' voice came from one figure. Knuckles, still unconscious, was clinging to Rouge protectively. Eggman was conscious and held the unconscious Tails and Amy in both arms. Cyrus was up and clung to Maria who was still out cold. "Cyrus," Said the second glowing figure, "Is Maria ok?" "Yes, she's fine. What happened?" "Ugh, the shuttle was cut in half." Knuckles said as he woke up. "Knuckles you should rest." Rouge said, caressing his cut forehead. "No I'm fine, really." He said giving her a wry smile. "I stayed conscious long enough to see it. Sonic and Shadow used their Chaos Control to create a shield around us." "It was Shadow's idea more than mine." Sonic admitted. "Well faker," Shadow said smiling, "Ready for one last jump?" "Anytime you are." Sonic said. "CHAOS CONTROL!" They shouted, a bright flash followed and the shield, the creatures big and small, and the love they have for each other return to the planet to forever live in peace.
***
Epilog
Station Square: "Hey Sonic, let's go to Twinkle Park." Amy chirped as she released Sonics hand. "Shadow, sound fun to you?" Shadow turned to Maria, she simple nodded. "Yay!" Amy cheered as she twirled around in mid air. "Mr. Sonic?" Maria said. "Maria, you don't have to call me that." Sonic said to her. "Sorry, whatever happened to Cyrus?" She questioned. "I don't know, he disappeared after he fixed your eye sight." Maria blinked and looked to the sky, seeing the clouds of earth for the first time. "Shadow?" she said wistfully. "Hmmm?" "Thank you." She said dropping to her knees to give him a love filled hug. "All's well that ends well." Sonic said before Amy tackled him from behind. "My ribs!" Sonic shouted, and they all laughed.
***
Angel Island at night: The fire cast the shadow of Knuckles on to the pillar of the structure long sense destroyed. He watched his shadow dance and smiled. Another shadow joined his on the pillar, Knuckles smiled turned to a grin as slow dance music began playing on a boom box. "You ready?" A sultry voice said to him. "You know that I swore I'd never do this." He said standing up. He turned to the bat and grinned, Rouge held two glasses of campaign, he came closer. "Consider it a challenge." She said batting her eyes. "Shall we make a toast?" He said mockingly as he took the glass from her. Rouge thought for a moment. "A toast," she said holing up her glass," to Shadow the Ultimate Life Form and Maria, may they live life to the fullest, together." "Here here." Knuckles taped the glass on hers. Knuckles slipped his hand on Rouges' waist and proceeded to dance with her as the music played softly.
***
Somewhere in the desert: "Thank goodness for over cast." Said the young man. "Hang in the Cyrus, the pieces to Ark aren't to far away from your location." Said Tails. "Alright." Cyrus chuckled. "Hang in there nephew." Eggman said. "I'll contact you when I get there. Cyrus out." He said turning the hand held video link off. Cyrus stood up from his place and slung his pack over his shoulder. He looked back at the sky line to the east, in the direction of Station Square, and smiled as the dry wind stirred his coat and long black hair. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog." He said turning and walking towards the west.
The End
A new adventure awaits... But for now... Rest easy hero's.
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