Work Text:
"SHADOW!!!"
His name was being called out by the blue blur, presently gold colored, shining brightly like a far off star. A hand was being stretched out to him.
His eyesight was failing, all he could do was smile at himself. He saved it. Them. All of them. He whispered.
"Maria, this is what you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you."
It was like a comet. Burning brightly, crossing the sky. Faster and faster, until-
Collision.
Reports have come in that a sizable alleged object has crash landed on Sodor! The crater was found in an unleased clearing that's been unused for years. But miraculously, reporters first to the site have stated that the object has disappeared! There has been unconfirmed reports of footprints leaving the crater site, a trail of blood following it then both trails suddenly disappearing. However, these statements of conjecture have been completely debunked by investigators and will continue...
A startling *crash!* sound awoke the sleeping engine, eyes fluttering awake with a start. He gasped just slightly.
That was loud.
His sight focused forward, seeing the overgrown shrubbery still and static, the tree branches swaying ever so slightly in the breeze. The forest around him proud and silent.
Too silent. There should be birds chirping, squirrels chattering. But no. It was like everything went dead silent to the sound that had woken up the abandoned steam engine.
He glanced around; there was no noise, but no disturbance. A flash of fear passed by, on edge.
For a good while he was alert, wide awake. Eventually, his tense reactiveness relaxed and he blew out a breath. "I probably just overreacted."
He was used to that. Expecting something that would logically never come. Not since the last railway worker's visit. He couldn't remember when that was.
But then, a noise. A noise that could only be described as a warping sound. Then.. breathing?
The engine froze. He inhaled through his nose, almost scared to speak but eventually called out.
"...Hello?"
A red and black hedgehog stumbled, falling to the ground only managing to catch himself before he ate dirt. He coughed heavily, before sharply groaning at the stinging in his side. Rushing a hand to the pained area, he took a moment to try to catch his breath.
Everywhere hurt. Inside and out. He did not know how he didn't break a bone with all this pain still seeping in all his nerves. He squeezed his eyes shut, his breath slowing.
'Where am I? How did I get here? It hurts so much..'
In the silence, an almost echoey quiet voice suddenly spoke out.
"Hello?"
The hedgehog's ears twitched, and his head snapped up, staring forward. Slowly he stood, refusing to let the gloved hand on his right side move from the injury. He scanned his surroundings. He inhaled and exhaled audibly, not sure if he had heard anything at all.
But then again, the voice repeated. "Hello?.."
His irises filled with the unknown, squinting a little to the left of him, his lips parting a tad. The voice was coming from there. He staggered forward in that direction then, carefully trudging towards the voice. He tried to keep a quiet breath steady, pushing past the bushes, trying to be mindful of whatever was hurting him. He hadn't bothered to look down at it yet. And he hadn't registered the rusty overgrown railroad tracks following along beside him.
After a long minute, he brushed aside the overgrowth, and stepped into a little clear patch of forest. And what his eyes fell upon, stopped him dead in his tracks and knotted his breath.
There, in the flora of the forest, sat an old, broken engine. Rusty, vegetation overgrowing around his metal parts, locking him in place.
Their sights met, and shock filled their eyes. The hedgehog's eyes was one of shock, exasperation, and a thick tense feeling in the air, frozen in place, like a deer in headlights. However, his expression overall stayed neutral, waiting.
The dilapidated engine had the same surprise and unprecedented expression painted across his face, eyes wide with wonder and uncertainty.
Neither of them spoke, they were both a little scared to. What do you do in a situation like this? The engine was holding his breath, pondering if he should say anything. But the bipedal hedgehog didn't move, the two couldn't take their eyes off of each other.
Before the abandoned steam engine could speak, the black and red anthro parted his lips, taking a shaky inhale. Still holding his side, the hedgehog dared to speak, quiet and thoughtful.
"You're.. not supposed to be here, aren't you?"
The engine was even more surprised when he spoke, taking a long moment to process. He abruptly remembered talks from his homeland of islands all across the oceans housing interesting creatures. He glanced at himself, responding breathlessly and honestly. "Yes..."
His gaze came back up to the hedgehog, a little frightened smile curving his lips but kind in his tone. "...You're not supposed to be here either, aren't you?"
The ebony hedgehog looked confused, blinking once though absentminded agreement settling in his features. He felt he had fulfilled something. What he didn't know.
Looking back to the engine, he stood a little straighter, unsure of what to do or say next.
The rusted engine noticed the extraordinary lifeform's uneasiness and spoke again. "What's your name?"
The hedgehog glanced away, eyes to the ground, having a feeling that he actually shouldn't be alive at all. "It's not important now."
The engine frowned, finding solum common ground with that statement. "I could say the same..." He put on a smile again however, deciding to introduce himself as the hedgehog's sight came back to him. "My name's Hiro."
The hedgehog took a second to decide how to respond. But then, one thing came to him. His stance became more stable, and his hand was removed from his side, clenching his hands into fists beside himself. "Shadow... Shadow the Hedgehog."
Hiro relaxed a bit, also unsure of what to do now. But before he could say anything more, Shadow hissed in pain, pressing his hand back to the injury, knees bending and his posture becoming slouched again.
Hiro looked to the area Shadow was holding, and abruptly noticed blood running down his left hip (Shadow's right), seeping through his hand and running down his leg. Hiro gasped. "You're bleeding."
Shadow grimaced, finally taking a glance down to the injury, moving his hand. It was a messy gash, covered in blood and dirt, scraped and sensitive. His glove was caked with blood, reddish color making Shadow grimace even more. "Looks like it."
He wondered why he wasn't suffering from internal bleeding by now.
Now that Hiro was getting a good look at the hedgehog, he realized how bad Shadow looked.
Bruises, burnt marks, and cuts tattooed Shadow's body from head to toe, and Hiro was amazed Shadow was still standing. A sharp guilt ran through his smokebox, instantly worried by Shadow's gritty expression. "May I ask how you gained such worrisome bruises?"
Shadow grumbled low at the pain, registering how hard it was to stand. But then, his expression softened, eyes becoming lighter as his head lowered to his hands, lifting them to his sight. He was missing something from his wrists.
Inhibitors gone.
He spoke lowly, distraught over the realization. "I... Can't remember."
A sudden flash of a memory, blurred and distorted ran by a millisecond.
'SHADOW!" A male voice, a gloved hand reaching out.
"Shadow.." A feminine voice, quieter and fearful.
He remembers feeling heavy. Going fast but not of his volition. He spoke out loud, once again noting the missing inhibitor rings from his wrists. "I was.. falling.. fast.. for a long while."
He set his hands down, the pain from his wound subsiding for the moment. He glanced up to Hiro. "Somebody was calling out to me. Reaching out to me." Slowly he set his bloodied hand against his side again, glancing away just a bit. "I don't know. All I can remember right now, is who I am."
Hiro didn't know how to respond to that. He let out a breath. "Will you be okay?"
Shadow's expression flattened, starting to take a few steps forward towards the engine. "I can't answer that for sure."
Hiro almost hesitated his words, before glancing beside him. "Come sit down. I don't think you should be standing for this long."
Shadow didn't protest; the pain wavering over his body once more, he almost stumbled over to Hiro, finally sitting beside the engine, grunting harshly while leaning up against the worn down metal. Hiro could still see Shadow just enough, leaning up against him, almost being hidden by the vegetation growing all around Hiro.
"Do you think you'll need a doctor?" Hiro spoke again.
Shadow took his hand off the injury, exhaling heavily. The mention of a doctor brought a strange feeling to his response. "No. I don't need any- ..doctor. I'm the ultimate lifeform. These injuries should heal."
Ultimate Lifeform? Hiro decided to leave it be, seeing that Shadow had enough to be focused on. Shadow turned his head over and up, eyeing the abandoned steam engine. "...What about you? Why are you out here?"
Hiro sighed, memories that washed over him everyday gaining a new weight. "That is a long story. Would you like to hear it?"
Shadow was quiet for a moment, eventually shrugging his shoulders, turning his head away, leaning against Hiro. "Sure."
And so Hiro told his story - how he came from Japan, how he was hailed as Master Of The Railway both there and on Sodor, when he started to break down, how the parts from his homeland hadn't arrived, how he was still hoping for parts but sure that they would never come. That he thought he was forgotten.
Shadow listened closely, taking steady breaths and minding his hurt. He frowned, unsure of what to say. This engine was alone. Sad. Tired. But still, held out one little speck of seemingly unattainable hope.
He didn't respond to the story for a while, until he found the words, glancing to Hiro. "You won't be left here forever. There will come a day where you are given an opportunity to prove yourself again. I'm certain." He wasn't sure if they were the right words, but they felt right to say.
Hiro smiled. He found some comfort in the hedgehog's voice. "That's very kind of you to say Shadow."
Another silence went by, only filled by the sounds of woodland critters and a distant, long off puffing.
Shadow closed his eyes. "I'm going to rest. My head's killing me."
If Hiro was able to nod he would have; instead he smiled warmly, encouraging Shadow's word to recover.
"Please friend, get all the rest you need. I'll be here to keep you company. I hope you'll heal up and regain your memories swiftly."
Shadow found a strange comfort to Hiro's kindness. "I appreciate that, Hiro." He let a light slumber take him over a moment, less tense than before.
Hiro felt a tingle through his axles. It had been so long since he'd talk to anybody, and finally having a conversation with another person- well, something that could actually talk back to him- filled Hiro with a faint warmness that had been overtaken by the cold for so long. That and, he couldn't believe who he was talking to.
A Mobian. Said to have kept to themselves on small islands across the oceans, he couldn't believe they really did exist. Though strangely, Shadow felt different. Not like a usual Mobian. Which was weird for him to think since he'd never met one prior to this. Nevertheless, Hiro was greatful for the company. However long Shadow stayed there with him.
Hours go on.. Days could pass..
In truth, Shadow couldn't stay asleep for long. Only a couple hours at a time. Between his injuries, his foreshadowed knowledge/rational fear that if he fell any more into sleep, he could consequently slip into a coma, and keeping company for Hiro when the engine wasn't asleep, there was one other thing keeping him up. The woke him rudely.
Images, scenes. Flashing in his head. One scene.
Hiro was silently pondering as his friend was silently sleeping, Shadow's breaths shallow and frequent. Hiro could wait for him.
Shadow started mumbling in his sleep, incoherent at first. And Hiro couldn't help listen in, as everything else was humming quietly, it being around a sunset time. His noise felt so close, so personal. Shadow's breaths got heavier, more poingiant. Mumbles getting louder. Shuddering in his sleep. Okay, now Hiro was worried.
But then, as quickly and persistently as it started, Shadow fell silent. Hiro quickly glanced to him, fearing the worst. Then, he heard him whisper.
"Maria.."
Blinking in surprise, Hiro spoke aloud. "What?"
His voice coaxed Shadow out of his light sleep, slowly blinking tired eyes and glancing down to his scraped gash; his injuries overall were getting better, but blood was still trickling out his wound and down his side. His body ached as bruises and small cuts attempted to heal. He blinked the restlessness out of his eyes and glanced over to Hiro. "What is it?"
"You said Maria. Do you know who that is?" Hiro asked quizzically.
Shadow blinked. That name was familiar yet unknown. He stared down at the ground, confused. "I... I don't know.."
He went on, carefully, recalling the nightmare. "I had this dream.. a memory? Me and this girl, were running down a corridor, we turned, and there were soldiers. She turned to me, panicked. Then.. a bang and just.. white. I yelled her name."
Hiro was shocked. And a little mortified. He frowned, mind running with thoughts and questions Shadow himself couldn't answer. "Sounds... Painful."
"There's something else.." Shadow trailed off, uncertain in his own recall.
Hiro was patient, asking a question. "Related to this Maria?"
Shadow turned his head away, gazing at his wrists again. "No.."
A golden blur's cry, a scream. A gloved hand.. he pushed away.
Was it just a dream? A misremembered memory?
Hiro could see just how lost in thought Shadow was, Shadow's confusion turning to frustration.
He decided to let Shadow figure it out himself, gently speaking. "I'll let you think it out Shadow. I'm sorry you're going through all this."
Shadow suddenly felt a sense of dread, on the verge of a harrowing realization. Why he was falling. Maybe... "Meant to be.." Why he was feeling like he shouldn't be alive at all before?
"Huh?" Hiro overheard the whisper.
Shadow realized he'd heard. Snapping his head to meet Hiro's eyes. Shadow held his tongue, deciding to push the thought away, quickly glancing from Hiro's face. "N-nothing."
Hiro didn't push it, the two falling back into silence.
Later.. a time?
Being out here for so long, Hiro has forgotten time. Days blur into one another and everything feels the same. He lost count of the days. Shadow could say the same.
It couldn't have been for too long, because Shadow soon had to leave.
...
He hadn't moved much, only to look around and clean his blood stained gloves in puddles of water he discovered.
He was extremely drained. Hiro wasn't sure if Shadow was going to make it.
It was past midnight, the early morning hours creeping closer. The hooting of owls and buzzing of bugs made the night calm but alive.
Shadow was resting against the side of Hiro's smokebox, looking up to the stars.
Still bleeding just a bit from his injury. Still sore. His head somewhere between a headache and dizziness. Hiro was greatly concerned for the hedgehog, but with nothing he could do for the situation except be there.
Shadow was listening to the night with great intent, soaking it all in.
The owl stopped hooting.
Okay, not too out of the ordinary.
The bugs stopped buzzing. The wind seemed to slow.
Everything went quiet.
Too quiet.
Shadow's ears twitched and he sat up straight, quickly cringing at the pain in his side. Hiro was slightly sleepy, eyes closed but cracking an eye open to Shadow.
Shadow focused his senses. He could feel something coming.
Something coming..
"There must be danger." He whispered it under his breath.
He turned to his engine confidant. "Hiro."
Hiro opened his eyes, waking up. "Yes my friend?"
"I have to leave."
Hiro blinked awake, surprised. "Oh... I see."
Shadow slid off his footplate, softly landing on the ground. Standing as tall as he could, but obviously still pained, turning to face Hiro. "I don't want you to get into any trouble. I think I might be."
The engine was extremely worried for his friend, looking to Shadow's wound. "But, you're still weak. Any extra strain and you might - fall apart."
Shadow was quiet for a minute, before solidifying his decision. "I'll take that risk."
He turned, taking a few steps forward. He came to stand, turning his head to look at Hiro one last time. "Maybe we'll see each other again. Long down the road."
Hiro smiled sadly. He prayed that would be true. "I am pleased to hear that. Sayonara, Shadow."
Shadow nodded once, saying goodbye. "Farewell."
And in a flash, he seemingly disappeared on the spot! Which confirmed what Hiro thought. This wasn't just a Mobian. He heard of them having extraordinary abilities, but teleportation? No.
And once more, Hiro was left in solum, solitary silence.
He would be found soon.
Soon.
...
...
..
"SPECIMEN FOUND. SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG"
Status: UNCONSCIOUS, CRITICAL CONDITION
Physical: HEAVILY INJURED, BLED OUT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. HEAVY CONCUSSION FROM FALL & COLLISION
- NO BROKEN BONES
Inhibitors, detached. MISSING. Note: INHIBITOR RINGS PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED, STORED AT BASE
Verdict: SALVAGEABLE, NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTION & INHIBITORS BACK
"Excellent. Seems that "Ultimate Lifeform" title lives up to the hype.."
In a lab, in a base somewhere.. a mad doctor spoke to his first refined robot creation.
"Metal, prepare the stasis chambers. You'll never be able to match Sonic, but with some luck and time I might just have the next best thing in mind."
Metal did not speak. He was insulted. '..Next best thing?'
A final straw in a story for another day.
"In the meantime, we'll lock Shadow up in his own special little room. Now, it'll need a guard.. hmm..."
"I still remember that day. Some days I believe I imagined it all."
Hiro was gazing up to the stars. But not through the canopy of leafy tree branches and sharp vines wrapping his form.
No, he was in a shed. Firebox cooling down from a busy day of hauling goods from the mainland to Sodor.
He was found, he was restored, and he was happy.
And, he wasn't alone.
He had spoken to a blue tank engine beside him, the little engine who had found him. Who had saved him. His best friend.
Thomas was always excited to see and talk to Hiro when he came back from long mainland runs. And tonight, he had told the blue puffball about his encounter with the ultimate lifeform. A story he's told no one since those days.
"Do you believe that now?" Thomas asked to what he said before, looking to him in wonder.
Hiro replied truthfully. "No. I think he's still out there."
Thomas hummed thoughtfully, mulling over the story. Then he remembered a tale that passengers have been telling, looking over to Hiro. "Hey! Have you heard about the Blue Blur?"
Hiro blinked. "Blue blur? Maybe I have."
Thomas went on excitedly, spreading what he's heard. "Yeah! He's a hedgehog that can run at incredible speeds! People all around the world know him!"
"Really? Does this Mobian have a name?" Hiro was curious.
Thomas hummed with confirmation. "His name's Sonic the Hedgehog!" He abruptly realized what Hiro had called the creature, becoming confused. "Wait- how did you know he was specifically a Mobian in the first place?"
Hiro smiled fondly, remembering. "Tales and gossip from Japan before they became more outspoken. They're quite famous there you know."
"You don't say.." Thomas fell silent, pondering over all this, looking up to the stars as well.
After a minute Thomas chuckled, optimistic. "Heh, maybe this mystery hedgehog knows the blue blur!"
"Maybe." Hiro mumbled back.
"And you know what? He's probably out there looking for you when he can." Thomas grinned, glancing to Hiro briefly.
Hiro's smile turned small, hopeful yet the tiniest bit unsure. "I would like to think so. I hope he hasn't forgotten me."
The night pulled on, the two engines not quite sleepy yet but still tired.
And as they were, they heard a sharp rip through the air. Unnatural wind?
Thomas pointed it out glancing around. "Did you hear that Hiro?"
Hiro did, and a familiar feeling washed through him.
Far away, on top of a building in the yard, someone was standing on a roof. Looking up to the sky. Its silhouette, striking and defined.
Hiro gasped quietly. 'It can't be.'
As quickly as he was spotted, the figure disappeared, leaving the two engines puzzled by what they saw.
Then suddenly, they heard a soft clatter above their births, like shoes landing on concrete. Before Thomas could say something, that same figure landed down on their feet, kneeling in front of the sheds, faced away from the two. Thomas gasped, and Hiro's eyes opened a little more.
Slowly, the figure stood, assessing his surroundings and turning around.
His stone cold expression immediately softening a bit at the sight of the bigger engine, a faint glimmer of recognition in his eyes. Hiro was filled with awe, it melting into warmness. The hedgehog's memory came rushing back to him, what was lost becoming found. His steady posture stayed the same as he spoke to the strong steam engine.
"It's you, isn't it?"
Thomas breathlessly whispered a surprised but happy "What?!" looking to Hiro.
Hiro grinned wide, years of relief washing over him. "Hello old friend. I'm so happy to hear you remember me."
Shadow just nodded, before his wrist communicator beeped, bringing his attention to his wrist.
'Shadow, where are you?'
Lifting up his wrist he responded to the female voice. "I'm northwest of your position."
"Copy that."
Looking back up to the two engines, he made a small decision. "..Can I rest up here a bit? I'm waiting for an associate of mine to arrive."
Hiro was pleased to accept the request, making it a point to notice that the ultimate lifeform held no scars from their long yet short days together. Shadow was fully healed and completely healthy; Hiro assumed Shadow's been for a while now.
He almost spoke it fondly. "Of course you can friend."
Two people who shared such an intimate time reunited once again.