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Shadow pushed against the barrier harder and harder, his skates flaring as he channeled more chaos energy into them. He would break through and end the nonsense Sonic started and bring their world back.
Let. Me. In!
The light barrier flared, and a shockwave of energy he'd never felt before crashed down on him. His energy reserve had already been less than stellar after relying on his chaos energy to survive the prismatic wasteland he was trapped in and to fight against the barrier. The sudden supercharge of unknown power electrocuting his system was the last straw.
All at once, flaring light became darkness. And Shadow had the vague sense of weightlessness before he lost consciousness.
Sonic didn't understand. Shadow had the Nine's tech! Why couldn't he enter the Shatterspace?
The shockwave hit, and the blue blur closed his eyes for only a second against the kaleidoscope of light and color before he searched for Shadow. His heart pounded a thready beat in his ears.
Not again. Not again. Not again.
The low gravity of the Void and the wash of blue, black, and purple reminded him too much of space. It reminded him of the first time he and Shadow worked together to save the world and the terrible tragedy that happened after the fight was over.
Where, where, where? Sonic, you idiot! Find him! I can't lose him again!
There! A pinprick of black and red against the violet. Sonic ran and slid and leaped from crystal to crystal trying to reach him. And the closer he got to his falling friend, he realized Shadow was knocked out. Just like, just like—
Four years ago...
The world was saved, and just in time. The eclipse cannon wouldn't blow a hole through the earth, and Sonic would soon be able to release his super form and take a very well earned nap, maybe for a month. But first, he needed to find Shadow.
Excitement buzzed through him at the reminder that the hedgehog was on their side now. And he could move almost as fast as Sonic. He'd never had a challenge like that before, and he couldn't wait to get to know his new friend! They could race all the time after they recovered from this.
A smattering of stars against a black backdrop. The planet below. The Ark above. Where? A gold inhibitor ring drifted toward him, and he took it. Pulling it closer, he realized it was chipped in several places.
Shadow was falling! Sonic flew toward him as he watched the other's super form flicker and slowly melt away. Shadow's eyes were only half open, and a weird, almost satisfied smile graced his muzzle. Sonic hated it.
"This is what you wanted, right, Maria?"
"Shadow!"
Sonic's super form staggered. He didn't have enough power to save Shadow and make it back to the Ark. If he tried, they would both go down, and he couldn't—he couldn't leave his friends alone like that, especially his little brother.
Shadow's eyes barely caught his before he closed them, almost like he was drifting off to sleep and not falling to his death.
Sonic cried the entire way back to the Ark. He didn't know that could happen in super form, but it did.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I left you!
Present...
Tears blurred Sonic's vision as the memory overlapped with the present. Shadow was falling, completely unconscious this time as he fell to the black abyss below.
Sonic moved faster and faster until he was a vibrant blur against the muted Void.
"I'm not losing you again! You don't get to do this to me twice!" he screamed, thankful no one could hear him.
He skidded against the glassy surface of a crystal and launched himself down, curling into a spindash for extra momentum before uncurling with arms outstretched. He collided into Shadow and twisted at just the right angle to land on a crystal feet first with his friend safe.
Sonic jumped up, not willing himself to stop until they were in a safer part of the Void closer to the Shatterspace Gateways. He set Shadow down gently and stumbled a few steps away. He wasn't tired, so why did he feel so exhausted?
Gold overlapping with ebony. Shadow falling. Purple and blue mixed with stars and the blue-green of a planet. Sonic shook his head.
"Too many bad memories," he drawled. Then he looked over at his rival, alive and still the same grumpy emo-hog without amnesia. Sonic smiled.
"I got you, bro. I'm not gonna let you fall again."
————
Sonic was sacrificing his prism energy to restore their world. Shadow stood to the side of the contraption the treacherous, but apparently redeemed, fox had built. Sonic's emerald eyes caught his, and a wordless understanding passed between them.
That had happened a lot on this insane venture. They barely needed words for one to understand what the other wasn't saying. When did that happen? When did Shadow let down his guard long enough for that idiotic blue blur to read him so easily? When did he pick up Sonic's tells?
The machine whirred to life, and Sonic jolted. Hard. And Shadow couldn't look away as it drained him of all his energy and then some. Even though he knew it was necessary to repair everything, Shadow hated being forced to the sidelines again, hated being helpless as someone else sacrificed everything again.
By the time the smoke and cries ended, Sonic was literally a ghost of his normal self. His normally bright blue fur was a translucent gray.
For once, Sonic was still. Shadow hadn't realized how used he was to the other hedgehog's constant movement until it stopped.
His rival scanned over the dimensional copies of his friends until he saw Shadow. The smile he gave twisted the ebony hedgehog's heart.
Because he'd seen it before on a different face a long time ago. It tried to say, I'm okay, when the body very clearly said I'm dying.
Sonic propped himself on one of the contraption's mini barriers lining the circle. Shadow could tell he was trying to look casual and reassuring. But then the blue blur slumped to the floor, out cold.
Shadow's ears tilted forward, eyes too wide and breathing too tight.
His sister sacrificing her life to help him escape to earth. Her own life bleeding out of her as she pulled the lever.
That strange, understanding smile she wore as she looked at him while greeting death.
Blue slumping to the floor, lifeless.
Shadow blinked hard several times and dragged himself out of the memory. But the weight in his chest remained, and his hands fidgeted with his inhibitor rings until the sheer terror subsided.
I won't lose another friend. Not like this.
He couldn't even bother to contradict himself in calling Sonic a friend. Sure, the guy was a clingy idiot who trusted everyone far too easily, but he somehow wormed his way in. And as he watched said idiot's friends help move him on to the Roses' commandeered mechanical ship, Shadow realized he wouldn't take it back.
Death has a way of revealing one's priorities.
Sonic regained consciousness off and on, even managed to stand at one point. But he was fading fast without the prism energy to hold him together. But their restored home was in sight. Maybe they could make it.
Of course, the ship had to stall at that point. Sonic's ears folded down as he shivered. Shadow crossed his arms as Thorn offered to take Sonic on her giant bird, literally named Birdie. Their allies waved farewell as the pair took off, and Shadow cleared his throat.
The mechanical and pirate versions of Rose had the decency to look sheepish.
"I suppose you'll be needing a lift too, huh?"
Shadow rolled his eyes. "We need to fix the engine. Now."
He skated towards where he sensed the problem was. His time with Team Dark, and the fact he lived on a space station with members of the Robotnik family meant he was more technologically inclined than most gave him credit for. He found and resolved the issue within moments before returning to his spot on deck.
Just in time too, as Birdie gave a pained squawk.
"She's injured!" Black Rose gasped and ran up to the helm.
"They're not going to make it," Shadow realized.
"Hang on!"
The ship lurched forward, cutting through the Void at a steady clip. The moment they reached the pair, Birdie landed, and the two mobians slid off.
Sonic grunted as he landed roughly on his hands and knees. Shadow barely caught the hiss of a suppressed keen as his rival pulled himself up to his full height.
Black Rose pushed the ship forward. "Hang on, Sonic!"
They hit a cluster of crystals, and Sonic dropped to the floor. Thorn shook him, but he didn't respond, only flinched as he breathing became too shallow.
"Hurry! He's not going to make it!"
"I'm doing my best! But this bucket of bolts is barely holding together," Black Rose, pounding on the metal rail in front of her.
Shadow glared at the path ahead as Rusty manned one of the laser cannons to force a way open. He turned just in time to see Sonic barely lifted his head before dropping it.
If we don't pick up speed, he won't survive this. He doesn't have time to get the whole ship through.
The three variants, particularly the pirate one, raged and panicked as their transport lost speed. Shadow sighed, knowing what he had to do.
"Black Rose, you've taken us far enough. I'll take it from here."
The pirate nodded, and Thorn helped Sonic to his feet. Shadow took one of his rival's arms and draped it over his own neck before using his free arm to support the almost nonexistent weight and keep Sonic upright.
"Goodbye, Roses," Sonic mumbled.
They lined their feet together at the edge of the deck and jumped. Shadow propelled them forward, ricocheting from crystal to crystal. They landed on a flat space, and energy crackled. Sonic gave a pained yelp and teetered forward.
We don't have time for this, Shadow thought and scooped the other into his arms. Then he skated forward in a blur of orange light.
Sonic chuckled weakly. "Never knew you were a hugger."
Shadow huffed and risked looking down at him. "Do you want me to save you or not?"
But Sonic was unconscious. Shadow's eyes widened in shock for only a millisecond before he poured more speed into his stride, cutting across the Void like a shooting star.
Sonic's form wavered as they drew closer to their home, and Shadow struggled to both maintain speed and keep his grip from slipping. But it was like trying to hold a cobweb!
No! I won't lose you! Not here! Not now!
He'd been inches away from his best friend when she died, separated by industrial glass and shock. He would not have another friend die in his arms. Never.
Time seemed to slow as Shadow placed his foot on the top of a crystal then blasted forward so fast, rings of energy waved behind him as he broke the sound barrier.
Come on! Almost there!
"Hang on!"
He could barely feel Sonic anymore, even though the once azure hero was pulled close to his chest. Shadow gave a war cry as he propelled forward and through the gate without resistance.
The ultimate lifeform staggered at the sudden stop. An alive Green Hill was all around him. Flickies chirped, and in the distance, Big sat by a pond with a fishing rod in his hand. He was home. He should be happy.
But Shadow couldn't take his eyes away from his empty hands. His vision blurred as his hands shook without his permission.
"Sonic. . . . No, no, no! Sonic!"
His hand clenched into a fist and slammed into the rock in front of him. Shadow blinked as familiar, long lost energy and a brilliant green gem greeted him.
"The chaos emerald. But I lost it in the Void," he mumbled to himself, "It doesn't make sense, unless . . . we really did reset everything to before the Paradox Prism was shattered."
If that was the case, Sonic might be alive! Shadow glared up at the mountain, where everything began, and he gently held the chaos emerald in one hand.
"Chaos control!"
The cave was a mess, just like the last time he'd come across Sonic and his friends causing Eggman grief. Only this time, the blue hedgehog actually listened to his friends' warnings and focused on the fight rather than the prism, which seemed to throw everyone off, including the doctor.
Shadow would forever deny the immense relief that surged through him when a very whole, very much alive Sonic saw him and smiled, his own relief much more obvious.
The charcoal agent took that as his cue to teleport on top of the Paradox Prism.
"Shadow?" Eggman spluttered, "What are you doing here?"
He smirked. "I am the ultimate lifeform. I go wherever I want," he declared before chaos controlling the Paradox Prism somewhere very far away where no one would be able to find it for a very long time.
Once he made triple-sure it was secured, he teleported back to Green Hill. Evidence of Eggman's latest defeat lay smoldering at the foot of the mountain, and Shadow allowed a satisfied smirk.
Everything really was back to normal. Sonic was back with the friends he missed so much, and Shadow could go back to his own life, no longer trapped in the Void. But his thoughts kept drifting back to the one who'd chipped away at his walls like Maria had, but instead of the patient love of an older sister, Sonic had crashed through them like a chaotic little brother. A little brother who'd almost died in his arms.
Lifeless, fading, not fast enough.
Maybe he'd check on Sonic one more time. Just in case.
It didn't take him long to find the group as cheers and laughing led him to the beach. Sonic appeared to be listening to Tails and Amy both try to tell him something funny at the same time while Knuckles and Rouge carried their own conversation.
Shadow had barely teleported to his place just out of their view when Sonic collided into him in a hug.
"Shadow, we made it! Where'd you take the prism? Actually, it doesn't matter! You saved me! You did it! We so need to celebrate with a race! Or chili dogs! Or chili dogs then a race around Green Hill!" Sonic spoke a mile a minute, oblivious to the way Shadow froze or to how his friends were looking at them like he was crazy for daring to get in Shadow's personal space. "We're actually home. Thank you. Thank you, so much, Shadow."
Shadow wanted to throw the blue idiot off but at the same time he couldn't, because it was a reminder that Sonic was alive. And after everything that had happened, he knew in his heart of hearts that Sonic was a friend who needed just as much reassurance that this was all real and not a dream.
So, tentatively, he hugged back. The others gasped, and he was pretty sure he heard Rouge snapping a photo. Shadow felt more than saw Sonic laugh.
"Knew you were a hugger!"
"Shut up, before I break your leg!" he growled back.
To his surprise, Sonic only laughed harder before pulling out of the hug but not quite letting go of one of Shadow's hands.
"Come on, post-adventure chili dogs on me!"
Knuckles looked first at Sonic, then Shadow, then back to Sonic. "Uh, what just happened?”
The two shared a look, and Sonic grinned. "Man, Knux, have I got a story for you."