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When Sonic had finally come to after being knocked unconscious from the blast of the Eclipse Cannon, the first thing he had checked for was Shadow. Everyone else was accounted for, but that dark hedgehog was no where to be seen.
The bustle and crowd that soon gathered around him and his brothers made him slink off to properly process what had happened. None of them seemed to care about Shadow, he gave up everything for them, and no one was talking about him in a way that could be seen as respectful. His heart managed to quicken. How was he alone on this, did no one care as much as he did? He was a kid too…
Tails and Knuckles quickly found Sonic’s side again, the younger of the two sensing something off with Sonic immediately. “Sonic…” he started, his voice soft, gentle. “It’ll be okay.” He tried, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Sonic quickly turned to face him, furrowing his brow. “Okay?” He repeated. “How could things be okay? No one is even talking about him… all that he did.” He replied, his voice tense, an anger bubbling up.
“Not again hedgehog.” Knuckles warned, not wanting a repeat of the outburst they had experienced earlier after the wounding of Tom. “You do not take that tone with us.”
“Shadow died a hero.” Tails tried, biting his lip. “He saved all of us, him and Robotnik. I’m sure they’ll all realize that after emotions calm.”
Sonic furrowed his brow, staring up at the explosion visible above them. It was pretty to say the least. His jaw clenched, shaking his head. He wanted to yell at Shadow, yell and scream until he understood how much he had hurt him. He didn’t have to go off and die, he was sure there could have been another way.
“Shadow didn’t die a hero.” Sonic soon spoke. “He died violent, young, and desperate. Just like we all knew he would.” He grunted, kicking at the ground in frustration, a ploom of dust filling the air between them.
Tails was shocked, staring at his idol. He had never heard Sonic so bitter. Even when Tom was injured, when he wanted to kill Shadow, there was never this age to his words. Tails and Knuckles both gave each other a look, trying to figure out what to say to their grieving brother, though Sonic didn’t give them much time, speeding off to go be alone.
Sonic ran, ran far and hard, wanting to feel something other than the agonizing pain that he felt burrowing in his heart. He finally stopped along a cliff side, glaring up at the sky. “You happy Shadow!” He yelled. “You come in our lives for one day and then decide you had enough! Where’s your anger! Where’s your fight!” Sonic screamed at the sky, hot tears starting to fall.
He thought there was finally another hedgehog, a new friend. Someone who could keep up. “I thought you were supposed to be the Ultimate Lifeform!” He scoffed, mocking Shadow’s voice when mentioning his title. A choked sob left his throat, leaving Sonic to struggle to understand why he was feeling this way. When Longclaw died, he grieved, he mourned, but he was never angry at her. He was so angry at Shadow he wanted to kill him all over again from frustration.
Maybe that’s why they were so alike. Sonic had never felt so seen before, the others, he loved them dearly, but he and Shadow were one in the same. Maybe that’s why he’s so angry. Maybe Shadow would be angry if he had died instead.
“I really hate you! You and your stupid highlights, why red anyway.” He grumbled, sitting down on the cliff, letting his legs dangle over the angry ocean waters below. He clenched his fists in the grass below him, trembling from his anger and grief. “I hate you so much.”
Sonic stayed there for a long while, yelling and cursing Shadow out for as long as it took for him to finally tire out.
No one alive would know the story of the angry, revengeful Shadow the Hedgehog. No one but Sonic that is. He sighed heavily, staring at the explosion in the sky. “At least you’re a star now.” He whispered, his tone soft. “A violent ball of gas ready to implode on itself. Where your rage can fuel all the light you shine.” He mumbled, lifting a knee up and resting his head on it, hugging his leg after.
He sighed heavily, slowly moving to get up when he decided he needed to get back to his family. He knew Maddie and his brothers would be worried, feeling a sense of guilt for leaving them so quickly for selfish reasons.
He glanced back up at the explosion, biting his lip. “Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog.” He whispered, taking a moment to admire it one last time before heading back, realizing a star shining much brighter than the rest around the area of where the cannon had exploded.
He chuckled softly, racing back home. He apologized to his brothers, allowing all of them to hug him and let all their emotions out.
He closed his eyes, embracing them all as close as he could. He knew any sense of peace wouldn’t last long. It never did at the Wachowski household. Soon Tom would come back from the hospital, and Sonic would make sure to apologize to Wade, and some sense of normalcy could potentially be returned, even with the mistreated, manipulated, lost hedgehog was gone from their lives.
He took a deep breath, telling them he wanted to go to bed. Maybe Shadow would haunt his dreams just like Longclaw did, or maybe that star would lose its spark from how angry he was, burning out any energy he could have to try and grieve him every night.
He went to the attic, opening the window to the roof before moving to get out, wanting to admire the stars more. The sun was going to come up soon, and he’d have to say goodbye for now.
He watched as the bright star fell from the sky, a trail of fire following it. It landed ungraciously, with a loud boom, and the ground trembling underneath them. Sonic watched the smoke in the air, chuckling softly as he got to his feet. “You always knew how to make an entrance.”