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Chapter Text

It was one of those typical Friday nights where all you want to do is watch a movie in the comfort of your home, accompanied by pizza and soda delivery.

Sonic was lying on the couch, using his partner's legs as a headrest, while his own legs hung off the edge for added comfort. Shadow, on the other hand, was watching TV with utter boredom, resting his head on his hand.

"How ridiculous," the older one muttered with an annoyed grunt. "That's not how super speed works. How are you supposed to travel to the past just by running?"

"You sound like Tails," the hero interrupted with amusement, used to these complaints whenever they watched a movie together. "You guys are boring. At least I wanted to see if it was possible."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "By traveling at the speed of light, at most you'd go to the future, not the past..." he explained, squinting at the scene unfolding in the movie. "Great, now the protagonist has created a paradox by trying to change the past."

Sonic laughed, raising his arm to grab a slice of pizza from the center of the table without moving much.

"Well, he's trying to save his mother. If you had the option to travel to the past, wouldn't you do the same to save someone you love?"

"...."

Although his attention was more on the movie and the delicious taste of the pizza, the silence was not a response the emerald-eyed one expected.

He shifted a bit to try to get a better look at his partner, but in the darkness of the room, it was hard to tell what expression was reflected on his face. He was about to make another comment when the sound of the doorbell cut through the atmosphere, causing both hedgehogs to look at each other with curiosity.

"Are you expecting someone?" Shadow asked, frowning at the other's head shake.

Sonic adjusted himself a bit to get up, reaching for the TV remote to pause the movie and go see who was at the door.

"Hey, blue, can I ask you a favor?"

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"I don't want my island in pieces when I get back, Sonic!" Knuckles threatened, shaking the hero violently by the shoulders.

"You take care of your date, and I'll take care of your island, Knucks!" the other replied, a playful smile on his face.

The guardian let go of him abruptly and approached the altar, where Shadow, arms crossed, watched the scene.

"Shadow, I trust you," Knuckles said, adopting a somewhat embarrassed posture. "I'm sorry to have to ask you this."

The agent frowned; honestly, the whole situation was a hassle. The last thing he expected on a Friday night was for Rouge to show up asking them to watch the Master Emerald while she went out with Knuckles. The worst part was that she actually asked Sonic, but since Knuckles didn't trust the trouble magnet, they asked Shadow to accompany him.

The agent's first response was going to be a resounding "no"; he wasn't anyone's babysitter, not even his impulsive boyfriend's. However, and unfortunately, he knew how much Rouge was going through with Knuckles due to the events with Neo Metal Sonic: the echidna wouldn't leave the island, and the girl wanted to see the annual Soleanna show.

Of all the favors he owed Rouge, he couldn't refuse.

"I'll take care of Sonic, you take care of your business," he replied seriously, nodding towards the bat waiting below.

Knuckles nodded in gratitude and left, leaving an excited Sonic by his side in a second.

"I don't know why he acts like the island is going to fall apart overnight," Sonic commented with amusement, earning a murderous look from his partner that made him smile nervously.

"Still, I think it's great that Knucks is going out," he quickly continued, changing the subject. "The plan didn't sound bad either. What do you say? Interested in seeing a light show next week? I know a place in Holoska where there are northern lights every night."

Shadow seemed interested, raising an eyebrow with curiosity while softening his expression. "...I'll see if I'm available and let you know," he replied, making Sonic smile with genuine appreciation.

They continued talking for a while, sitting in front of the Master Emerald, although it was more Shadow listening to what Sonic was saying, until at one point they both fell silent. Shortly after, the older one felt a weight on his shoulder indicating that his partner had succumbed to the accumulated sleep of the week.

Taking advantage of the peace around him, he gazed at the night sky, instinctively searching for the ARK, deep in thought.

"If you had the option to travel to the past, wouldn't you do the same to save someone you love?"

He remembered Sonic's words, to which he had no answer, as he had never considered it.

Did he have many regrets from his past? Yes, too many. Even in the present, he continued to make mistakes that haunted him at the most unexpected moments.

A couple of years ago, he promised to leave everything behind and follow his heart... Travel to the past? Impossible, especially because of time paradoxes.

He closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly to rest it on his partner's. Sonic usually smelled like pine or earth, a rather calming scent that contrasted with the times he smelled like oil and rust, which was more exciting.

He continued inhaling that scent, letting himself be carried away by the calm it brought him. He felt his consciousness slipping away, not worrying about his surroundings, knowing that his sleep was light enough to wake him if something happened.

He adjusted a bit to be able to hold Sonic and pull him closer, so they could both sleep in positions that wouldn't take a toll on them the next day.

As usual, his mind wandered through various thoughts of the day: ...the Soleanna festival... that kingdom never appealed to him for some reason... Was the fire festival being celebrated again today? Time flies...

"If you had the option to travel to the past, wouldn't you do the same to save someone you love?"

That memory again, apparently Sonic managed to get under his quills without trying.

Travel to the past?... Change something?...

His thoughts were slowing down, just like his breathing, feeling his muscles relax in an obvious sign of sleep taking over.

A single name crossed his mind before his consciousness faded.

...Maria.

And without either hedgehog knowing, the Master Emerald suddenly began to emit a sudden glow that increased in intensity every second.

Everything went white.

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Shadow didn't dream, or at least, not as frequently as others might think.

When he was recovering his memories, the ARK was the most present in his dreams; other times it was his allies, giving them names and surnames to know who was on his side and who wasn't. The nightmares, on the other hand, only appeared after bittersweet battles; sometimes Maria, other times himself or his team... after the war with Infinite, Sonic was the most recurrent in them.

But generally, Shadow didn't dream.

That's why, when he felt a gentle hand on his chin, his thoughts went to Sonic, who surely had woken up first and was trying to do the same with him.

"Shadow?"

But that voice wasn't Sonic's.

He opened his eyes quickly, facing the person who called him. His astonishment wasn't enough to mask his recognition: blue eyes, blonde hair, and a gentle smile. There was no doubt... It was Maria.

When was the last time he dreamed of her? Why was he dreaming of her now? Was this a possible nightmare? Normally, when he had them, they were already running through the ARK; here, she seemed calm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," the girl apologized with a shy smile. "Grandfather came asking if I've seen you. I told him no, but I think you should go see him."

Shadow blinked incredulously. Still in shock, this Maria looked so... real? It was hard to explain, but with his memories showing him the image of his friend from the past, the one in front of him was the closest to the real Maria.

And he wasn't willing to let himself be tortured by it.

He pinched his arm, trying to wake up. He frowned when he noticed that the scene in front of him didn't disappear. He decided to focus on waking up, also in vain.

Maria seemed confused by his silence and posture. She raised her hand to reach her friend's arm in a gesture of reassurance, causing him to look at the action in complete astonishment.

He felt the touch, why did he feel the touch?

"Everything okay, Shadow?" the girl asked. The hedgehog didn't know what to say.

This Maria wasn't real, just like all his dreams or nightmares involving her. He hated that, especially because he couldn't tell her "leave me alone, you're not her," no matter how much he wanted to.

So he took a breath and nodded. "I'm going to see the doctor... You should go to your room."

The childish pout she gave him was like a dagger to the heart, a gesture so familiar in her...

"You're just as boring as grandfather," she complained, letting go of his arm to then smile at him. "When you're done, come see me in the main hall, I want to gaze at the Earth."

Before he had time to respond, the girl approached him to give him a quick hug and then left the place, leaving him alone.

He ignored the tightness in his chest and the burning sensation in his eyes, regaining his composure in seconds. Hopefully, he would wake up soon and his mind would stop torturing him.

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.

Leaving the main laboratory, he felt dizzy... There was no doubt he was reliving his memories from the week before the ARK incident, but everything felt so slow it made him feel sick.

He reached the place Maria had indicated, noticing how she was looking out the window with a sad smile on her face.

To Shadow's own surprise, his mind wandered to Sonic, wondering what it would have been like if the two had met. He was sure Maria would have listened to Sonic's stories for hours, enchanted and happy.

The tightness in his chest bothered him again, causing him to growl reflexively, catching the girl's attention with surprise.

He felt embarrassed by it.

"Shadow, hello," Maria greeted, looking him up and down with some uncertainty, though it didn't last long before she smiled gently. "Come, let's watch for a while."

He approached her in silence. Both looked at the Earth, one with hope and the other with nostalgia. He was so used to seeing the sky from below that seeing it from above again was... different.

"Shadow... What do you think Earth is like?"

Ah... that conversation.

It was strange to be able to intervene in these memories, knowing he could be honest and tell her everything he had experienced on Earth over the years...

"I don't know," he lied reluctantly, crossing his arms. "The professor has dedicated his entire life to the people living down there..."

He felt Maria's gaze on him.

"Has something happened? You seem sad."

... He closed his eyes, cursing his mind for making him go through this.

Maria's hand on his brought him back to that reality. The girl smiled gently, making the agent feel bad for treating her so distantly. "You will find your purpose, Shadow. Someday we will visit Earth, and you will find the answers you seek."

He felt breathless. Between the affection for his best friend, almost a sister, and the pain of knowing those words would never come true.

Because Maria would be killed before she could see Earth.

"Shadow, don't cry."

That surprised him; he hadn't realized he had tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he murmured in astonishment, wiping them away with his free hand, leaving the other held by his friend.

Maria shook her head. "Don't apologize, I know you're anxious to understand why you were created."

Shadow said nothing, looking back at Earth, keeping the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat:

"No. I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

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.

Although it felt good to spend a little more time with Maria, a part of him started to worry after the first day.

From previous experiences, he knew his memories were fleeting, scenes passing like a movie until reaching the important parts. However, this time something was happening: minutes turned into hours, and hours into days.

Reliving every second on the ARK was not normal.

"You seem troubled, boy, what's wrong?" Gerald pulled him out of his thoughts.

The doctor had noticed something was tormenting the hedgehog's mind, but said nothing, waiting for him to speak up as usual... which he didn't.

So he finally dared to ask openly, taking advantage of the fact that he was finishing the last experiments before concluding the S.H.A.D.O.W. project.

The ruby-eyed one looked at him. His eyes reflected fear... uncertainty, a feeling that intensified over time and that he didn't understand.

"Well?" Gerald asked, trying to sound as calm as possible to convey the same to the other.

Shadow seemed to have an internal struggle, between being honest or continuing to hide everything. However, if there was anyone he couldn't lie to, it was Gerald.

"I'm dreaming," he finally said, earning a curious expression from his creator. "I've lived through all this before, I... feel like I've been trapped in my memories for days and don't know how to wake up."

He wondered if the time he had spent here had also passed in the real world, if Sonic had woken up and found him in a coma, not knowing how to make him react.

"Mph... You say you've lived through all this before?" Gerald asked with interest, pulling him out of his thoughts again. "It's most likely that living the same routine on the ARK gives you that feeling, my boy."

The hedgehog shook his head. "...I was created as a weapon, wasn't I?" He looked down at the floor, thoughtful. "The government was afraid of the results and decided to cancel the project..."

Gerald was stunned by his words. "How do you know-?"

Shadow looked back at him, once again with anguish reflected in his rubies.

"Because I've already lived it."

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.

His gaze was fixed on the Earth, but his mind was elsewhere.

»"The only explanation I can think of is that you've traveled to the past, Shadow."«

Those were the words the doctor said to him after conducting several tests in an attempt to 'wake him up.'

Time travel? If the great genius Gerald hadn't proposed that idea, he would never have thought of that possibility.

»"How-?"«

»"The readings of your brain activity don't lie. Compared to the ones I did last week, you've had a 175% increase. Such rapid progress is impossible even for you, my boy."«

Why? Because he traveled to the past? What logic was there?

"Shadow! I'm glad to see you here." Maria approached his side, pulling him out of his thoughts, looking at her with contemplation.

So she was real. That explained why she seemed so real: he was reliving his moments with Maria.

And from his knowledge of the future, in a few days, they would be the last...

Unexpectedly, the girl hugged him out of nowhere, taking him by surprise.

"Stop looking at me like that, please," she whispered in his ear, with pain.

Shadow felt guilty. He wasn't acting like the friend Maria knew 50 years ago. The truth was, he doubted he could ever act like that hedgehog again.

He gently separated the girl by the shoulders to look at her closely.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking about something your grandfather told me... Do you want to walk around the ARK?" he proposed calmly, managing to make her smile widely.

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Dr. Gerald promised to help him find ways to return to the future, allowing him to spend time with Maria as long as he didn't mention anything about it.

It was strange to spend time with his friend again. Some things were just as he remembered, others not so much. The feelings they evoked in him were quite disorganized: affection, joy, guilt, sadness, nostalgia.

At night, he had trouble falling asleep. He slept between one or two hours, though he didn't feel tired thanks to his alert system that kept him active.

It was inevitable, after all, after a week trapped in the past, "that" day arrived.

The events happened just as he remembered, from Maria asking for his help to save everyone, to the moment he grabbed her wrist to get her out of there while they were being chased.

Since he knew he was in the past, he hadn't planned to interfere with the events, deciding to enjoy what he could with Gerald and Maria during that week.

So when they reached that familiar room, Shadow surprised himself by stopping at the door, not wanting to go any further.

Maria looked equally confused, trying to get them to the escape pods, but the hedgehog didn't move.

And oh, how foolish he felt when he understood what was happening...

He couldn't let Maria die in front of his eyes again. Not if he could prevent it.

He didn't think when, using his strength, he took the girl to the escape pod and reversed the roles of that day.

He didn't think when he heard her screams while the GUN agent aimed at his back.

He didn't think when he pulled the lever, being shot at that moment.

He didn't think, no. But when darkness took over his eyes, finally a memory that had tired him appeared in his head:

"If you had the option to travel to the past, wouldn't you do the same to save someone you love?"

Sonic...

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To be continued

Chapter Text

He was surprised to be able to open his eyes.

He looked to his side out of habit, thinking he would find Sonic there after a bad dream, but he found himself alone.

And not only that, but he was chained to some kind of concrete wall with yellow cuffs that drained his energy.

Where was he supposed to be?

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake."

Shadow looked in surprise at the scientist in front of him. Gerald seemed relieved to see him, but he looked tired.

"Professor..." he murmured, surprised to see the man, falling back into the situation he was in. "Am I still in the past?"

The older man nodded, expressing discomfort in his posture.

"Prison Island." The name sent a chill down the agent's spine. "Judging by your reaction, this isn't your first time here..."

A guess with a hidden question. Shadow knew it well; the scientist wanted to know if the GUN raid was something he knew would happen.

"I was imprisoned here for 50 years after GUN invaded the ARK," he replied bitterly, receiving a look of understanding from the older man.

Now it was Shadow's turn to get information.

"Maria?" he asked, wanting to know what happened to her after the ARK incident.

Gerald seemed to think about his response for a moment, but he was honest when he spoke.

"In the hospital. Now that we don't have the ARK, it's the only safe place for her in her condition," he replied with a sigh, starting to type on some kind of computer at his disposal. "She's been wanting to see you for weeks. Now that you're awake, I'll see if I can pull some strings, though it will be complicated."

Shadow blinked incredulously, unable to believe it. Maria was... alive. How was she doing now that she could see the trees around her? The blue sky? The noise of the cars?

The doctor mentioned she had been wanting to see him for weeks... How long had he been unconscious?

Gerald cleared his throat, bringing his attention back to him. The scientist seemed unsure of how to speak.

"Shadow... I want to apologize to you," he mentioned in a grave tone. "I'm starting to understand how you found out about everything, and I feel responsible for it. I'm sorry."

"That's not -" He didn't quite know how to take those apologies, but the other didn't let him speak.

"Humans are stupid beings," he interrupted, with a sideways smile, disgusted. "Fear and ambition are two of our qualities that clash the most. You were the result of both, in perfect harmony. That's why you are the ultimate life form."

Shadow felt his stomach twist, making him feel like vomiting.

Gerald smiled appreciatively. "I... Maria told me what you did for her... thank you."

Their moment was interrupted by the GUN soldiers guarding the place, taking the older man out of the room for the moment.

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.

.

Apparently, the government forced the professor to continue working on the S.H.A.D.O.W. project from their own facilities to better supervise him. Even so, the scientist continued researching on his own how to return him to the future.

It was difficult to communicate with so many ears listening, but the older man usually gave him information as irrelevant data while conducting routine studies.

»Since you were created thanks to the power of the Chaos Emeralds, a large part of you functions as Chaos energy."«

»"The power of Chaos energy... I still don't have enough studies, but I wonder if, under certain circumstances, it could allow time travel?"«

»"A deep desire... miraculous jewels... infinite energy. Maybe one of these days I can investigate them more thoroughly."«

Although they didn't have all the information, it seemed his relationship with Chaos energy was the closest to a possible answer.

As the days passed, the whole situation started to wear him down. Although Gerald tried to calm him down by talking about Maria, the day consisted of 24 hours, and in his moments of solitude, he couldn't help but think about Sonic.

He stopped the train of thoughts as quickly as the hedgehog appeared in his mind, because in that situation, it was inevitable to ask himself unanswered questions that tormented his head:

"Would something in the future have changed?"

"Should I enter a state of suspension like in my own timeline?"

"Would Eggman come to this lab looking for me?"

"...Would he and Sonic meet in 50 years?"

.

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.

He saw Maria two weeks later.

The girl looked... pale. With her usual gentle smile, but pale.

"Thanks to Chaos, you're okay," she said, extending her hand to touch her friend's chest, right where the bullet hit the other day. "You're a... How could you?... I mean really... Shadow... Thank you..."

Maria's attempt at a speech was interrupted when she started crying on the hedgehog's shoulder, taking him by surprise.

Due to the restraints on his wrists, he couldn't do anything to console her, remaining just a pillow for her tears.

"The trees... are beautiful," she sobbed happily. "The nights are gorgeous..."

That was enough to understand why she was thanking him.

Shadow closed his eyes with a smile on his lips. Maria continued to describe all the beautiful things about that planet, from the warm sun to the cool shade; from a big tree to a small flower; from the noise of cars to the singing of birds.

A few minutes passed like that. Maria finally calmed down, pulling away from him to look at him with a big smile on her lips. "When you get out of here, we're going to discover more things together, Shadow."

.

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.

Earth has a different time than space; days there would be years here, and in a race against time, death knocked on the door first.

Maria died a month later, due to her illness.

Shadow felt miserable with the news. He was created to cure her, and yet he couldn't. His blood was only suitable for him... His immortality? Only for him...

Gerald tried to take responsibility for everything, but Shadow didn't listen. For him, Maria's death was just another on his list of personal failures.

His thoughts became clouded, leaving him unsure of what else to think about.

.

.

.

"About how to get you back to your future, I think I have something."

Two weeks after Maria's loss, the hedgehog hadn't eaten, slept, or cooperated, so the GUN soldiers stayed outside the room while Gerald tried to reach him somehow.

Seeing the small recognition in the ruby eyes after his words gave him a glimmer of hope that he had finally succeeded.

More encouraged, he shared his recent discovery. "You see, according to my research, in Soleanna-"

But Shadow interrupted before he could continue.

"Maria was supposed to die at the hands of the GUN soldiers."

The older man blinked in surprise, not expecting it.

"Excuse me?"

"In my timeline, Maria died because of the GUN soldiers," the hedgehog repeated, looking at him for the first time in weeks. "That's why I saved her, because otherwise, she would have been killed in front of my eyes again."

Gerald was speechless. Both remained in complete silence for minutes until the scientist left the room, leaving him alone.

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The next day, Gerald returned with a book in his hands.

"Good morning, Shadow. I came to talk to you about how to get you back to your timeline."

This time he got no response.

The older man sighed, setting the book aside. For several long minutes, they were in total silence. Although he had many questions, he knew that if he wanted to get Shadow out of that state, it was better to get straight to the point.

"Do you have many friends in your time?"

He felt great relief when he noticed a reaction from the hedgehog, even if it was just a look with those dull rubies.

"Your comment yesterday surprised me," he continued, taking advantage of having his attention. "You aimed to cause harm, and you succeeded. However, after reflecting for a while, something caught my attention."

Seeing Shadow frown was the closest thing to having a conversation with him, so he had to feel proud of that.

"I thought: If Shadow knew Maria was going to die that day, why didn't he tell me? I'm sure we would have thought of a plan to prevent it..." He lowered his voice at the end of the sentence, pausing for a few seconds before continuing. "... after pondering the matter, my hypothesis was that you didn't plan to save her that day."

The hedgehog seemed surprised by that conclusion; Gerald was too when he reached it. But his great mind allowed him to see the whole picture, leading to another great discovery.

"I'm not going to say I wasn't disappointed to think that... but then I remembered; you come from the future... you didn't want to change your present," he softened his facial expression, letting a wide smile adorn his face. "But now I'm curious, what do you have waiting for you there to choose it over the loss?"

He knew he hit the mark when he saw Shadow's expression change from surprise to doubt, then to reflection, ending in understanding.

Then, the rubies regained a shine that felt like a breath of fresh air for the old man's heart.

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"What do you have waiting for you there to choose it over loss?"

Shadow blinked, once, twice, three times.

"What do you say? Interested in seeing a light show next week? I know a place in Holoska where there's a northern lights show every night."

Sonic.

He saw his entire life flash before his eyes: the Eclipse Cannon, the Black Doom, his incorporation into the GUN forces, his missions with Omega and Rouge, some moments with Sonic, his own solo experiences...

Chaos, what was he doing? He fell back into the mental pit he promised never to return to years ago. He was supposed to have learned to move forward, living where his heart led him. He couldn't forget his promise to his own Maria.

This wasn't his past.

He looked at the professor with remorse.

"Professor..." he called. "I..."

"Don't mention it, boy, let's focus on what's important," he quickly interrupted with a big smile while wiping his teary eyes. "Let me tell you everything I've researched about Solaris."

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The good thing about coming from the future was that Shadow already knew most of the Earth, so it wasn't necessary for Gerald to explain how to get to certain places, especially this one: Soleanna. The entire plan revolved around that kingdom.

"Now you just need to get out of here, but I'll take care of that. You just show me that you're the ultimate life form and don't let them catch you, got it?"

The hedgehog frowned as he watched the older man fiddle with buttons on the control panel.

"What about you?"

Gerald smiled, grateful for the concern. "I'll be fine, they need me here. Just focus on getting back to what you hold onto in your time."

With one last button press, Shadow was freed from his inhibitor chains. The alarms in the place started blaring, signaling the escape, but the agent kept looking at his creator for a few more seconds.

He didn't know if it was the last time he would see him.

"...Professor?" he called.

The man looked at him with interest but didn't seem worried; he trusted his creation.

"Yes, Shadow?"

Another silence.

"...His name is Sonic," he said, looking away to another wall. "He's a hedgehog."

He wanted to be honest with him about the matter. Gerald seemed confused for a few seconds, but realizing the embarrassment and discomfort the hedgehog was showing, the explanation came on its own.

"Oh..." the older man smiled mischievously as he understood. "Then tell Sonic, from me, to please take care of you."

Shadow clicked his tongue with a "if I'm the one who ends up taking care of him," passing by the doctor, ready to leave the place.

He was caught off guard by a sudden hug from Gerald.

"No matter which path you choose," he whispered in his ear. "I'm proud of you, remember that."

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Soleanna, the kingdom of Princess Elise III in his time, her grandfather's in the current one.

The last time he visited this place was a couple of years ago during the Festival of the Celestial Flame. He remembered running alongside Sonic through the various streets, with a feeling of unease that didn't disappear all night.

He didn't like the place, never knew why. Now that he was there again, the feeling of discomfort resurfaced within him.

"Make it quick," he murmured, jumping into the void from the rooftop of the building he was on.

»"In Soleanna, there is a flame that has been entrusted to the royal family for generations. It seems to be their sun god, Solaris, to whom they pay tribute every year to promote peace and tranquility in the nation."«

»"Curiously, Solaris is also considered the god of time. If you manage to access it, you might be able to return to your time."«

»"I'll give you a map of Soleanna to access the royal vault without drawing attention. The last thing we need is for you to have the entire guard on you when talking to Solaris."«

"»Be agile and stealthy, my boy. A small mistake and you might not be able to return."«

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It wasn't difficult to reach the indicated place. The royal guard of Soleanna wasn't much; it was surprising that in his timeline, no one had tried to steal from this supposed god... Something Eggman would definitely do.

He walked through the empty room, illuminated by the small light on the wall.

"So this is Solaris?" he murmured once he had the candle-like object in front of him, wondering if this would really be his key to returning home.

He extended his hands to take the flame holder when the entire room started to burn.

~"Shadow... the hedgehog... What a surprise."

A voice?

"You know me?" he asked, doubtful.

There was a brief silence that made him question if he had imagined the voice, but a moment later, it spoke again.

~"Of course... You don't remember... Sonic erased everything..."

Shadow frowned in confusion, what?

The god took his time to explain, possibly studying the situation. "~Oh... I see... You traveled to the past using the power of chaos... you intervened..." it sounded intrigued. "~... without Sonic's existence... I was never erased from history... Is this the power of chaos?"

The agent felt his blood boil with rage at the nonsensical talk, trying to ignore the revelation that apparently Sonic no longer existed.

"Cut the nonsense, I want to go back to my time," he growled, gripping the object tightly.

~"... That time doesn't exist... the future will be consumed by the flames of disaster... as it is written...."

That only made him angrier.

"Aren't you a god!? Put everything back as it was!" he shouted, though the flame seemed indifferent to his outburst.

~"... Impossible... history has been rewritten by chaos energy... The servers are the seven Chaos... Chaos is power... power enriched by the heart... The controller serves to unify the chaos..."

Shadow blinked, not understanding anything, much less the connection between all this.

~"... You can remember because of your connection to chaos energy..." Solaris explained, as if reading his thoughts. "... You are the controller... The Master Emerald gave you the energy needed to fulfill your wish..."

That seemed to surprise the hedgehog, whose mind tried to connect everything he had experienced so far to understand.

The Master Emerald brought him here? He had been guarding the jewel, yes, but he hadn't asked to return to the past...

He remembered the thoughts he had that same night about time travel.

Did the Master Emerald read his inner desires, bringing him to the only moment in his history that his heart still doubted?

He growled in frustration.

"What nonsense," he muttered with channeled anger. "You're saying I'm here thanks to the power of chaos, and you, as the god of time, can't do anything to fix it?"

A few sparks flew from the flame, as if his comment had offended it.

~"My power is still finite..." it responded. "I can take you to any time you want... but it must be in this timeline..."

Shadow closed his eyes, feeling a void inside. Was that all that was left? Going to a future consumed by the flames of disaster? Without the possibility of change...?

He opened his eyes instantly.

"Can you take me back to the past?" he asked with a spark of hope in his voice.

~"... To any time you desire... yes... I can even take you to the ideal moment to find a cure for your friend..."

That was an unexpected proposal, confirming Shadow's suspicions that Solaris had been analyzing him from the beginning of all this.

The Maria of this timeline... they were so close to finding a cure for her...

"... If you had the option to travel to the past, wouldn't you do the same to save someone you love?"

He started to breathe calmly, allowing his oppressed chest to become lighter with each breath he took, his heart starting to beat normally.

So this was the god of time Professor Gerald had told him about...

He breathed once more, regaining his composure. His ruby eyes reflected determination, accompanied by his firm stance.

He heard distant footsteps. The royal guard had finally been notified of the abnormal activity in the storage room, probably due to the fire he had ignored until now.

He focused on the flame in his hands.

"Then I want you to take me to the day GUN invaded the ARK."

~"... Oh, are you sure?" it questioned, but the glow it emitted began to intensify.

"You're a god who grants wishes, right? Then do as I ask," he retorted.

Solaris didn't speak again; instead, it turned the room filled with fire into a blinding white light.

~"We will meet again even if you don't remember... Shadow the hedgehog."

.

.

.

"Shadow? Did something happen?"

Shadow blinked in confusion, looking into Maria's frightened blue eyes beside him, holding her hand.

They were standing in front of the door leading to the shuttle room.

"Shadow?"

The hedgehog stared at Maria.

Blonde, blue eyes, fair skin.

A gentle girl who enjoyed helping.

A pacifist, a good person.

With the dream of seeing Earth and its people.

"I'm sorry," he said in a very low voice, which surprised her, leaving the fear aside to smile at him.

"Don't worry, it's normal to be scared," she said.

His best friend and sister.

That wasn't why Shadow was apologizing.

Maria gathered her courage and, being the one now leading the way, opened the door and pulled him inside.

Everything else was like reliving his nightmares, only this time it was in real-time: Maria locking him in the escape pod, taking the bullet, falling to the ground...

"Shadow... I want you to promise me that you'll always help people and be... their friend. I know you'll be very happy, Shadow. I just wish I could have accompanied you. The world looks so beautiful from space. But my grandfather says its inhabitants... have to face many problems. That's why you were created, to help those people... and be their friend."

...His promise.

.

.

.

"Shadow? Are you okay?"

The mentioned one opened his eyes immediately, on high alert.

He felt a body close to his, so he pushed it away with an instinctive blow before quickly getting up. He returned to reality upon hearing a groan of pain from beneath him.

"Ugh... Next time I'll throw a bucket of water to wake you up, buddy," the blue hedgehog reproached, rubbing his abdomen from the ground.

Shadow blinked several times, trying to process everything.

It was... Sonic.

He briefly looked around before focusing his attention back on the hero. They were on Angel Island, still night, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Did he dream all that? No, he was sure it was too real to be a dream.

"Seriously, Shadow... are you okay?" Sonic asked again, getting up to approach him cautiously.

The agent crossed his arms, looking away. As much as it calmed him to see Sonic, he was still shaken by everything he had recently experienced.

"Yes," he replied curtly, not in the mood to talk, but to his surprise, Sonic's face was inches away from his in seconds. "What?" he growled.

The emerald-eyed hedgehog seemed to hesitate, knowing his partner well enough to know when to press or not on certain topics.

"You... well, you're crying."

That observation astonished Shadow, who brought his hands to his eyes, feeling the moisture soaking his gloves as he pressed against the area.

Now he understood why Sonic looked at him with such concern.

He sighed.

"I'm... fine, I had a bad dream, that's all," he murmured, quickly drying his face.

Sonic nodded doubtfully. "I figured, I woke up when you tightened your grip and left me breathless... I tried to wake you, but you didn't respond."

The agent blinked, a bit dazed. Did he...?

So it was a dream?

He felt dizzy.

He looked at the starry sky to clear his mind. He noticed how Sonic relaxed a bit beside him, accompanying him in silence.

After a few seconds, Shadow felt confident enough to release some of his emotional burden.

"It felt very real this time," he murmured without adding more context, knowing Sonic would understand.

"...I wish you could see her without having to live a nightmare."

A few more minutes of silence passed before Shadow abandoned his crossed-arm posture, placing one hand on his waist and leaving the other free, though it didn't take long for Sonic to take it, intertwining their fingers and moving closer in a sort of embrace.

Having the hedgehog so close allowed him to smell that pine and earth scent... a reminder of where he stood.

"I'm never accepting to watch over this island again," he muttered, feeling Sonic's smile against his chest.

"Even if Rouge asks you?" Sonic replied, provoking a grunt of acknowledgment while the other laughed.

With a calmer atmosphere, the younger one gave him some personal space again, positioning himself beside him but not letting go of his hand.

"If you want, we can finish watching the movie tomorrow," he suddenly suggested, trying to help him think of other things.

Shadow snorted in response.

"I'll pass. I've had enough of time travel."

His tone made it clear he didn't want to hear more about the topic. Sonic looked at him with curiosity but preferred not to ask, letting silence reign between them again.

They stayed watching the sunrise together. Shadow noticed how beautiful Angel Island looked with that palette of colors, undoubtedly thinking of Maria and how much she would have loved to see it...

He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply to calm his mind.

He felt a squeeze on the hand that was joined with Sonic's, reminding him that he was by his side.

He opened his eyes again, enjoying the scenery... yes, Maria would have loved it, but if there was one thing he was sure of when he said goodbye to her years ago, it was that he would live all this for both of them.

He decided to look at Sonic beside him, who mimicked the action, looking at him with those emerald eyes full of curiosity.

Shadow nodded towards the highest mountain on the island, giving him a challenging smile that was quickly returned.

"Weren't we supposed to be watching the Master Emerald?" Sonic asked, letting go of his hand to stretch.

He just snorted. "I'll make sure you eat dirt quickly. The jewel isn't going anywhere."

He didn't want to be near it, to be honest.

The hero narrowed his eyes at him, not erasing the smile from his face.

"You're already kissing my shoes, Shadow."

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.

.

Feeling the air on his face as they ran through the forest was the best remedy to clear the agent's mind.

Their race was evenly matched, ending in a tie as they both reached the meeting point at the same time. No words were needed to know that the tiebreaker would be decided in a hand-to-hand combat.

Punching and dodging. The adrenaline increased in his bloodstream, giving him maximum concentration at that moment.

He grabbed the hero's airborne foot that was aimed at kicking him in the face and threw him to the ground.

"Is that all you've got?" He smiled, seeing the hedgehog get up with the same smile on his face.

Now that he had a moment of clarity, he had to admit that part of him was grateful to be able to see Maria and Gerald in his dreams as real as he remembered them.

"Oh, Shad, this is just the beginning."

But if it was a matter of choosing where in his story he wanted to be... he had made a decision long ago.

"You will find your purpose, Shadow. Someday we will visit Earth, and you will find the answers you seek."

"No matter which path you choose, I'm proud of you."

He managed to pin Sonic to the ground after an intense exchange of blows; letting himself be carried away by all the adrenaline, he brought his lips to the other's, stealing the words from his mouth.

The End