Chapter Text
Sonic stood in the cavern, his eyes wide with shock. Nine… he had… betrayed him. Within moments, Shadow would berate Sonic for his mistakes. Lecturing him on why Nine couldn’t be trusted, and that he was a fool to do so.
Sonic knew it wasn’t the real Tails. None of them were real. And it was all his fault. Everything in the last few… weeks? Months? He’d lost count by now. But nevertheless, it was all his fault. He was too caught up in himself to listen to his friends.
“I told you he couldn’t be trusted,” Shadow said from behind. “But I didn’t listen,” Sonic responds quietly, his head bowed. “Not to them… not to you.” He stared at his shaking hands. “You- just realized that?” Shadow’s face flared up with anger, “You’ve never listened, Sonic!” Shadow stomps towards him, “They’re not real. They’ve never been your real friends.”
Sonic listened as Shadow got closer. “He’s not real, Sonic! None of them are! I told you not to trust Nine, but did you listen? No!” Shadow yelled. “You destroyed our home!” Sonic’s hands clenched into fists. “You think I don’t know that?” He asked. “I ruined everyone’s lives. And even in other realities, I still managed to ruin everything! Putting them in danger for my own benefit!”
Picking up a small stone, Sonic hurls it across the cavern.”I’m such a screw-up!” He cried, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. “It’s all my fault! Everything is my fault! I ruined their lives, and I ruined Nine’s life!”
—————
Sonic began to break down, his sobs filling the cavern. “It’s all my fault!” Sonic repeated over and over. The blue hedgehog’s words weren’t unfamiliar to him. Once upon a time, those had been his words. “It’s all my fault! Everything is my fault! I failed her!”
He stepped closer to Sonic, who was on his knees, hunched over, his tears hitting the ground. He knelt down. I’m the Ultimate Life Form. This is ridiculous. I was built to fight and protect. But the more he looked at Sonic, the more his heart ached.
There was once a time when he would offer comfort. But after the events on the ARK, that part of him had died with Maria. Shadow reached out, putting a hand on Sonic’s shoulder. The other hedgehog tensed at the contact, serving as a silent reminder of all of their fights.
Heaving a sigh, Shadow rolled his eyes and reluctantly pulled Sonic into a hug. “You stupid Hedgehog.” He said. “Of course, you messed everything up. You shattered reality and destroyed our home.” He told Sonic. “But you’re learning from your mistakes. You’ve changed over the last three months.”
Sonic inhaled sharply, startled by his affection and kindness. “Don’t take everything so hard,” Shadow told him. “Not everything is your fault.” As he said this, Sonic seemed to cling to him tighter, burying his face in his shoulder. “Just… try to take it easy for a few minutes.” He said. “Give yourself some time.”
—————
They remained like this for several minutes. Only separating when the cavern began to shake. Shadow reaches his hand out, helping Sonic get up. “This whole place is collapsing. We need to get out of here.” Sonic looks behind him, Nine’s tools are scattered around the area. “Sonic. We have to go. ” Shadow scolded, grabbing his hand and pulling him away.
Outside the cavern, the world was falling apart. Sonic and Shadow dash out of the cave, the ground practically crumbling beneath them. They run down the mountain, but the decay is too fast. They leap off the side and towards the ground. “AHHH!” Sonic waves his hands in the air frantically as he nears the grass. “Agh!” Shadow scoffs at him, as Sonic faceplants into the ground.
“Do you ever not act like a fool?” Shadow asks. Sonic jumps to his feet and pats himself off. Huffing, he frowns. “Not everyone can be as perfect as you, Shadow !” He huffed. “Well I am the Ultimate Life Form,” Shadow said, looking at his hands. “I guess such tomfoolery can be expected from a simpleton like you.” He huffs, resting his fist on his hip. Their moment is interrupted when the ground shakes violently once more.
“Let's just get out of here before this world is destroyed completely,” Shadow tells him. He looks around at their crumbling world. Just a few feet away from him, his ghost-friends still remain.
“As long as I’m around, you’ll always have a wingman!” Tails smiles cheerfully, his ghost-like appearance seeming as alive as ever.
“The forest is the most beautiful place on Earth.” Amy reaches out to the birds, never looking anywhere else.
“I don’t need the details, just tell me who to smash.” Knuckles repeatedly lifts a heavy rock, but he never gets tired.
——————
“They aren’t real, Sonic.” Shadow looks over at him, an annoyed expression on his face. “We’ve been over this.” Sonic lets out a sigh, shaking his head. “I have to save them. I have to try.” Seeing Sonic so despondent, it wasn’t like the same hedgehog he’d known before. Hesitantly, he reaches for him, his expression softening a little.
Sonic faces him and pulls his hand away, hardening his expression. “I can’t leave them here,” Sonic says, a grim look on his face. Shadow tenses, his fists at his sides. “There’s nothing you can do for them now. What matters is getting yourself out of here.” He says firmly. Sonic takes one last look at his ghost friends. “Let's go.”
They begin to run again, hopping onto the floating chunks of earth, reaching for a tear in the sky. With another burst of speed, the two manage to escape the crumbling world and wind up in the Void once more.
Even as he ran, Sonic seemed quiet and less energetic. His breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of a rock hurtling towards Sonic. “Watch out!” Shadow yells, leaping up, and throwing his arms around Sonic, moving him away from the rock.
Sonic chuckled a little. “Thanks, buddy,” Sonic says, punching his arm in a friendly manner. “Don’t get used to it.” Shadow growls in response, ignoring the way his cheeks burned. They stood in silence for a moment, gathering their thoughts. “We need to find that fox,” Shadow says. “Do you know where he could have taken the Prism?”
Sonic sits and thinks for a moment, recollecting what Nine has said before.
“The Grim could be our new perfect world!”
Sonic covers his mouth, a look of realization spreading across his face. “He wanted to use them to transform the Grim.” Shadow nods, his suspicions confirmed. “Then that’s where I’ll go.” Sonic looks at Shadow then, his face now full of mild alarm. “By yourself? Aren’t we supposed to be a team?”
Shadow crosses his arms. “I’m the Ultimate Life Form, I can handle myself, Sonic. You just need to stay put.” He shakes his head. “I don’t like the idea of that traitor anywhere near you.” Sonic’s expression changes then, a small grin forming on his face. “Aw, are you worried about me, Shads?” Sonic teases. Shadow simply looks away. “I have a feeling you’ll mess this up. I can’t risk that.”
Sonic pointed at a purple gateway, just a few feet from them. “That’s where the Grim is.” Sonic looked at him. “I can go with you. I know Nine better than anyone.” Shadow sighs, his eyes narrowing. “No, you don’t. You don’t know Nine. He’s not real.” Sonic crosses his arms. “He is real, Shadow. And he needs my help.”
Shadow points a finger at Sonic. “We need to take back the shards. That’s all that matters right now.” The two looked at each other. “I’m coming with you.” Sonic insisted. “There’s no convincing you otherwise, is there?” Shadow asks. “Nope,” Sonic replies, sounding more like his old self. Shadow points a finger at Sonic. “Fine. But follow my lead. And don’t go running off.” Sonic grins, and salutes. “Whatever you say, Shads.”
Shadow’s cheeks seemed to burn at the nickname. “Don’t call me that.” Shadow huffs. Sonic simply laughs. “Sure thing, Shads.”