I'm SO Sorry about how short it is. My rest are longer and normally I don't write so late….I just started this today and I just got the idea today not even 3 hours ago so cut me some slack ^^;. Anyway Enjoy.

A sinister laugh echoed off the wall and abruptly stopped, "If you insist on being so foolish, I'll just have to kill you."

"You don't have to do this!" Shadow yelled at the top of his voice letting his voice echo the words back to him, each time his voice came back to him unsure.

Sonic felt hopeless as he watched the argument progress, he had Shadow at his side and the Chaos Emeralds floated around the duo in a circle, painting colorful light on their faces. This was the end for Either Black Doom or the Hedgehogs. They all knew that.

"Shadow, I'm not your enemy! The humans are, don't you remember what they did to Maria? How she was left to bleed to death?" The Alien knew he was trying to make Shadow change his mind by pulling out his sharpest weapon: Bringing up what happened to Maria.

Shadows pupils got big and he could come up with no reply. The ebony hedgehog just looked at him with horror at the truth lurking in that sentence.

Sonic saw it right away and put his arm in front of Shadow so he wouldn't get any ideas of walking over to his biological father, "No, you did this Black Doom! You're the monster not the humans!" Sonic shouted desperately.

Shadow's eyes opened wide in a moment he felt his heart beat pick up the pace, the mere mention of the word 'Monster' came with a memory that he had no choice to remember or not. Shadow collapsed on his knees and scrunched his eyes shut pressing his white gloved hands against his temples. The memory played out like a movie.

The blue hedgehog was shocked but curled into a ball and slammed against the ground. In midair he uncurled and landed with a loud thud on his feet and put out his arms as he faced Black doom, 'I have to protect Shadow.'

The scene played out all too clearly to him.

Maria sat on the edge of the bed holding a thick book open in her lap reading to Shadow aloud. She voiced the mood of the story perfectly well and Shadow waited patiently for her to finish. As he looked down at his hands he fiddled with his thumbs nervously. He was all tucked in under thick quilts and had his head rested on a soft pillow. The story was about a child and a monster.

For the first time in his four months Shadow felt fear. He did not want to end up eaten like the child in the book so he trembled and fiddled around with his hands. He didn't want to be afraid, not in front of Maria. After a few minutes Maria stopped and gently closed the book before getting up to place the book on the book shelf with a colorful assortment of other books.

"Maria?" Shadows voice trembled but Maria calmly turned around and sat at the edge of the bed," What is it Shadow?" Her voice was kind and soft but strong at the same time.

"M-monsters can't hurt me, right?"

Maria's eyes shifted from one side to another and her voice dropped real low," I know a secret about monsters."

"What is it?"

"If you say this prayer right before bed they can't hurt you."

"Really?"

She nodded smiling brightly.

"Can I hear it?"

"Yes you may, it goes like this:

'Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.'"

Shadow repeated it with his eyes closed and his hands in a prayer formation. He felt better almost instantly. With the fear gone he began dozing off and Maria gave him a quick peck on the cheek and tip toed to the door. Smiling to herself she flipped off the light switch and closed the door.

Shadow hardly believed that he remembered something like that and stood up and pushed Sonic out of the way to fall to the ground he repeated the verse to himself even though everyone else could hear it," 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.'"

Sonic was even more shocked that Shadow of all people would know a prayer so when Shadow grabbed the Chaos Emeralds and turned into a golden color he had no time to react.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Were Shadow's last words before he set off Chaos Control. Within seconds a fiery explosion engulfed the whole building.

Sonic woke up hours later to find Amy petting his head and whispering words to help him wake up. The blue hedgehog gave a weak smile. He quickly winced after a sudden sharp pain shot through his entire body. His eyes shifted to his arms. Cuts and bruises adorn his arms and legs.

"Amy…Where's Shadow?"

Her eyes filled with tears," I don't know…Do you have any idea?"

His smile grew bigger and his eyes looked to the ceiling," In that case, He's in a better place."

The End.

A/N Yeah I know it's short and I know I won't continue it. I wrote this real late so that explains its length and why my style got worse. I hope you like anyway and before anyone asks yes I am Christian and I'm proud of it so any and all flames about that will be reported.