A/N: Well, I'm stuck with writer's block on my other fiction, so here I am, writing a fanfiction that I've had on the drawing boards since before Sonic Adventure came out. This is very different from my first draft, and I haven't touched the concept in years, so forgive me if it's a little… off, as I am still modifying it. I haven't had much time to do fics recently, what with burying my father, supporting my mother, and college. I wanted to do a darker story. This will contain Yaoi, don't like, don't read. No Mpreg, probably no pictured sex (but probably some offscreen), as I don't really think lemons fit in with my idea of this story. Well, I'll shut up and start the story. BTW, Sonadow Forever!!! Also, the title is taken from the song of the same name, by Nightwish, one of the best bands in the history of mankind. Look on youtube video, just listen to the non-live versions of the first singer… She kind of sucks live, but the new singer's better in live. Though, both are good.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, or any of the characters. cries But if I did, Sonic would be shopping at Hot Topic (which I also do not, in fact, own. cries again) and living with Shadow. Oh, and Cream would be shot in the face repeatedly with a RPG, then Cheese would have a bullet through his head.

Chapter One: Loss, Sorrow, Anger

It had been three years, now. The sonic gang was torn apart. Sonic was lost in that final battle, an inevitability that no one wanted to believe. Knuckles had used the master emerald to transport the shrine to a place no one knew, withdrawing himself from all. Tails immersed himself in his tinkering, but still kept in contact with Rouge, Cream, Amy, and, occasionally, the Chaotix. Amy spent most of her time shopping with Cream. Rouge focused on her G.U.N. assignments. Shadow had disappeared, and even Eggman had given up, his resources mostly depleted from the same battle that took Sonic. He had given up, for now, on world domination, establishing himself as a much more successful Mafia Dan, with a more comfortable life and human servants. And all but Shadow believed Sonic dead. Unfortunately for Sonic, Shadow was right.

As the black and red hedgehog entered the arctic base, he thought of the time Sonic had told him of the first fight against Metal Sonic. This area held such a resemblance, except that this was Earth, and not Mobius. He had used stolen schematics, searching for the past three years each of Eggman's hidden bases. He had only a few left, and his hope of finding clues of Sonic was running out. The blue faker couldn't have left this easily. He had left everyone, he had left Shadow. Though he would never admit it, the Ultimate Life Form had considered the hedgehog an equal, the only one on the same level of power.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he hefted his Sig Sauer and descended into the base. As hard as he tried to prevent it, his mind drifted back to that horrible battle, as it always did these days. The fire, the smoke, the blood, Sonic fighting his metal doppelganger, a descent through the air, still fighting in their own world, when suddenly, boom, and the mainframe they crashed into detonated, causing a chain reaction which leveled the entire mountain. They never had found Sonic's body, or Metal's, no matter how long they searched through the ruins. No, no matter how long HE searched through the ruins, the others leaving after a day and a half, urging him to give up and accept it; their greatest champion, Sonic the Hedgehog had died. He grew angry at them, particularly at Amy, who claimed to love Sonic, and Tails, his oldest comrade, both of whom were among the first to suggest leaving. Searching for another week among the wreckage, almost succumbing to despair, he stopped, but not to give up. No, Shadow the Hedgehog would never give up! Continuing his quest to find Sonic, he started combing the world, and here he was now. Absolution was ever-nearing, ever-beckoning. Encountering only a few decrepit security bots, which quickly fell to his gun, he searched the entire area.

Growing afraid, he believed he had lost one more possible lead to Sonic, when a frustrated volley of bullets at the walls revealed a fake wall, which Shadow crushed, not even bothering to brush the dust off himself, as he ran deeper down a pitch-dark tunnel. He realized this was leading to one of Eggman's teleporter rooms. There were only a couple, and one had been deactivated. The only other had been at the mountain base where Sonic had been lost. After what seemed like an eternity of running, he reached a door. As he stared at the black metal, the word 'Absolution' kept repeating itself in his head. He slowly touched the panel, the door slid open.

The first thing he saw was the pile of scrap that was once metal sonic. Eyes darting about the room, his heartbeat quickened to the point that it hurt. Finally, in a dark corner, his eyes connected with an emerald pair. "Hello, Shadow. Why are you here?" The voice was unmistakable, but it was still far different than he remembered. Gone was the optimistic, cheerful ring, replaced by a cold, resentful sound so reminiscent of Shadow, one that clearly said that its owner did not wish anyone to find him.

"Sonic! I found you! Are you okay?" Being answered by silence, the hedgehog began to cave into fear as he uncharacteristically whimpered, "Sonic, please come out, you're scaring me…"

A sound that may have been a sigh emanated from the shadows, "Shadow… okay… promise me, promise you won't scream?"

"Of course Sonic, how could you make ME scream?" Shadow replied, his arrogance beginning to return. However he barely stopped himself when the old hero stepped out. The same green eyes, the same blue… but with one arm that was obviously a transplant from the wrecked doppelganger. Shadows eyes widened as he looked down, and his heart felt a pang of sorrow. The arm wasn't all Sonic had been forced to transplant, both legs were now a shining, dark blue, that more hovered than walked. "S-S-Sonic… how? Why? What happened to… to… to you?" Shadow choked out the last words in a half-sob. He didn't need to ask why Sonic hid now, he had been so proud of his speed, his legs, but those where gone.

"Shadow, Metal and I teleported out of the explosion, but we didn't completely escape it. My legs and one of my arms were gone. Metals chest cavity had been cracked open. When we got here, I used all the strength I had left to rip apart the vulnerable circuits in his body. Darkness took me. I thought I was dead, until I woke up, I don't know how long later. A med-robot of Robotnik's had patched me up, only sensing that I was a living being. It transplanted these limbs onto me, and gave me several prosthetic organs I had needed to live. When I saw myself in the reflection of Metal's wreckage… I ripped that robot to shreds for making me like this, with Metal's claws… Shadow, I didn't want to survive, I want to be alone now. Why did you find me?"

It took Shadow a long moment to respond, as he was fighting, and failing, to keep his tears back. Giving up on his pride for once, he stared straight into Sonic's eyes, "I didn't want to give up on you. You were the only one who understood me, you saved me from falling to Black Doom's side. I swore I'd save you too! But… I'm not that strong. I failed to save you, Sonic! I'm sorry!"

For once, Sonic was taken aback. Shadow wanted to save him? He thought everyone would have given up on him, especially by now, and especially Shadow. Not knowing what else he could say, his tone softened, "Thank you, Shadow. That means a lot to me. Well, as I've lost my ability for mindless banter, I'll get to the point. What now, Shadow the Hedgehog?"

"I'm taking you back! I… the others would want you back!" Sonic sighed, expecting something like this. "Shadow, I've lost my legs. I couldn't just come back, and even if I did, I couldn't be the hero every one expects me to be. I'm tired of being a hero."

"Then don't be a hero! Start a new life, a quiet life, away from the others if you wish. Only, just let it be a life with… me?" Both pairs of eyes widened. Shadow didn't mean to say that last word, didn't want Sonic to know. Sonic read the implications there, but dismissed them, thinking Shadow didn't mean it like that.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, a chuckle was heard, "Alright, Urban or Countryside?"

A/N: Alright! First chapter done, this will be a dark romantic comedy! Dark in points, comedic in points, and with some fluff everywhere! I'm really getting into writing this, for some reason. If anyone reads this, I know the popularity of sonic fanfics is dropping, but please review to let me know if I've done a good job. Puppy eyes the screen, begging for reviews

Next Chapter: The City, Changes, and Chili-dogs!