Don't own anything but the fic and anything original. You can also all thank Sealana from ffnet for getting me moving and getting em through the scene that was keeping the chapter from being worked on.
Song from the DS game the world ends with you
-Deja Vu
Prince of Shadows
By Firehedgehog
Chapter Ten- Testing.. One, two, three
"Okay, I can do this," Sonic said to himself, half an hour ago Sonia had given him this dimensions medallin. They had left him alone, deciding that before he even tried to activate he would just allow it to adjust to his energy just in case.
"This tiny thing, can it really send me home? He whispered, looking at the tiny guitar shaped object in his hands. He could feel a strange power in it, no like chaos emeralds or power rings, but something totally else.
It was warm, yet felt so out of reach.
His alternate had used it, and he hoped that it would allow him to use it.
He wanted to go home, this was mobius but not his mobius. He missed his hut, the forest, Sally, Rotor, heck even his Robotnik. Yet he also wanted to help the people of this dimension, and he wanted to get to know Sonia and Manic better. They were his alternates siblings, and in a weird way that made them his siblings.
He was an only child, and while uncle chuck was actually related to him in his dimension, he liked the feeling of siblings.
'Is that wrong, to think like that?' Sonic thought, putting his face into his hands in frustrations.
He was so confused.
OoOoO
"How… does… one tell where they belong?" Shadow asked, at that Knuckles was startled… now that he hadn't expected.
"That is... not a question I expected you to make Shadow," Knuckles replied, after a few minutes silence. His mind raced, he knew a little of what was happening between Shadow and his 'once' siblings. He didn't help the rebellion often, but he knew of the situation of the alternate universe Sonic and co.
To his surprise the normally unemotional Hedgehog seemed agitated, there was a strange look in his crimson shaded eyes.
"I need to know..." Shadow finally whispered, a deep longing and sadness in his voice. "Once I thought I belonged, then it was taken away... and Maria was gone... forever beyond my reach."
"Maria?" he asked, he had heard that name once before from the hedgehog, just after he first met 'Shadow'. All he knew was that something to do with that name had hurt the mobian in front of him.
"She is... was Gerald Kintobors granddaughter. They killed her, I don't even know who they were. She made me happy, she was family to me," Shadow whispered, his eyes were dim as he fell into memories.
"What happened?" Knuckles whispered sadly.
"She pushed me into the escape pod and closed the door before I could protest, then they came and killed her... she pressed escape button as she died," came a rather depressed voice.
Knuckles winced, realizing that Shadow had ben forced to see this 'Maria' sacrifice herself to save him, and probably had guilt abandonment feelings for the girl who had been family towards him since he first woke.
"Shadow... it wasn't your fault, she made her choice, just as Sonic made it his choice to sacrifice himself to save all those people. While you were saved and reborn as Shadow, one day we all enter the ever after. Even you will one day," Knuckles replied, knowing that this conversation had led very far away from the original question.
"Do you think I'll see her again?" Shadow whispered.
"You will Shadow, keep the memory of her alive in your heart," Knuckles replied, he knew he was treating Shadow like a child right now but in ways Shadow was... and he was in a very fragile state right now.
"Would she hate me?" Shadow suddenly asked, throwing him off track.
"Why would she hate you?" he asked confused.
"Because I keep wanting to love Sonia and Manic as much as I love her," Shadow asked, But quickly left before Knuckles could answer that final question.
"Shadow... I think she would be happy you could love others," he whispered, wishing he could tell Shadow that.
OoOoO
"Are you ready?" Sonia asked, Sonic looked up from his hands feeling a headache coming on. This situation was rather stressful, and he knew that if this didn't work for him or Shadow... they would be stuck here for Mobius knows long.
"As ready as I can be," he said getting to his feet, the female hedgehog gave him an encouraging smile.
"Don't worry Sonic, we'll get you home," Sonia said, then looked away and he sighed. He knew that every time they saw him they wished he was there Sonic, he hated it actually... but he knew they didn't mean to look at him that way.
She led him to a room deeper in the base, and seeing the metal walls he guessed the had brought him to more armoured area in case something went wrong.
'I can't think like this, I'm Sonic the hedgehog and where it counts I never loose,' Sonic thought, his usual confident smile appearing on his face.
She left the room to safety, he knew that this could be dangerous, the medallion could do anything or nothing. He just hoped it worked.
'I want to go home'
OoOoO
He was running, he hadn't stopped running since he had spoken to Knuckles.
Damn it, he hadn't meant to break down like that.
It hurt, he missed Maria so much.
She had been the first thing he had ever seen when he woke up. To him she had been a combination of sister and mother, confident and friend.
'Maria, why... why do that. Why die! I need you' he thought angrily, it was unfair that as Shadow he got a second chance at life and she had none.
Promise me...
Quickly he pushed away the memory of her last words.
Why, why didn't he die instead of her.
Angrily he went to Ark, the one place he could truly be alone.
OoOoO
"Lets Rock this place," Sonic whispered to himself, a grin came to himself, his eyes bright hiding his worry from anyone that could be watching.
'I want to go home, I want to be home... you better work!' Sonic thought, and began to gather his energy like he did for the power rings or Chaos emeralds.
Slowly the medallion in his hand began to glow, hsi eyes widened and his felt excitement gather.
It was working.
Then the world exploded, and all he knew was pain and darkness.
OoOoO
"Sonic!" Sonia shouted, images of her Sonic flashing in front of her eyes. Just moments ago an explosion had filled the room, and she had heard eh sound fo someone violently hitting a wall.
Quickly she ran across the room, where the unconscious Sonic lay. Quickly she searched him for injuries, and sighed in relief when she had found none. But still, they would have to make sure he didn't have a concussion from this experience.
"Damn..." Manis said, walking into the room, taking in the damaged room and unconscious Sonic. It was a miracle nothing worse had happened, the medallion had totally rejected him.
Wait where was the medallion?
A quick worried search ended when Sonics right hand relaxed, and said medallion fell to the ground sparking a bit. She winced seeing that his gloves would have to be replaced, and he had burns on the palms of his hands. Hopefully they were not bad burns.
"Lets get him to the medic," she told her brother, he nodded and picked up Sonic and carried him from the room.
As they walked away, Sonia bit her bottom lip. She had been so sure, why hadn't the medallion worked?
Would it react like this towards Shadow also, and if it did how would they get there dimensionally displaced friends home.
Yet, did she want them to leave. If they left, the closet thing they had to there Sonic would leave with them.
OoOoO
They said in space, sound could not travel. That was true, but still there was sound within the ark. The sound of creaking metal as the pressure of space pressed against Ark, he could also hear other sounds telling him that some things in the Ark needed replacements or fixing up.
The ebony hedgehog wandered the place that had once been his home, that had once held fond memories and warmth in the past. In his mind he could still hear the echoes of Marias joyful laughs, Geralds chuckles oh so long lectures on Scientific theory.
Shaking his head, Shadow pushed those memories away before he fell into a depression.
He blinked, realizing that while his mind had fallen into memories, he had wondered into the labs. Crimson shaded eyes stared at the familiar equipment, especially the tube where he was reborn as Shadow. It was a pity the process had cost most of his past memories, but like Maria had told him he could always make new precious memories.
Silently he walked across the lab, he smiled sadly as he placed his hand on the tube. It was cracked and broken now, probably from the same people who had killed Gerald and Maria. Shifting his feet, glass tinkered under his shoes.
"This is where it ended and also began, what a joke," Shadow muttered, angrily he kicked a metal item across the room where it crashed against a wall.
With another sigh he sat in a chair that was upright, staring out the large windows into inky space.
Leaning back he yawned, he was so sleepy... slowly his eyelids slid closed and his breathing evened off.
Soft see through fingers gently touched the side of the sleeping mobians face, a smile appeared on pink lips.
"Shadow..."
"..." the sleeping mobian said.
"Time to wake Shadow, your like a sleepy little brother," she said, a soft giggle filled the air.
Crimson eyes opened wide as there owner came quickly awake, a small cry came from his throat and his gloved hands reached up and paused before touching the others hands.
"Maria..." he breathed shocked, tears actually slipping down his face.
OoOoO
"Look at all the pretty stars," Sonic giggled.
"He's okay right?" Amy asked looking at the rather dizzy Sonic, well.. At least he was conscious now.
"He's fine, just hurt and knocked silly, he got off lightly in that department," Sonic responded, sighs of relief followed that announcement.
"Lets take a break, hopefully whenever Shadow appears it worlds this time. Otherwise its back to the drawing board," Cyrus said looking over some papers.
OoOoO
"Hello Shadow," She whispered, her hands lets go of his face and she backed away slightly. He got to his feet, his crimson eyes taking her in. She was definitely still dead, for she was see through and glowing, but her eyes were still merry and gleamed with untold mischief.
"How...?" Shadow asked shocked.
"You needed me," Maria smiled, now he noticed that there was a sadness to her, probably by the fact she was dead and other things.
"Oh God.. This isn't fair, you're here... but your still dead," Shadow whispered angrily.
"Its okay Shadow, death brought me peace from my illness. While not the way I'd thought I'd go, it was my time," she said, she reached forwards and touched his face. He felt a slight tingling feeling where she touched, unlike what ghost myths said she felt warm not cold.
"But it left me alone," he cried out angrily, he was too upset to hold up his usual normal unemotional facade.
"Shhuuu shuu," she hushed, gathering him in her arms... well kind of. For she had no substance, but the thought brought him comfort. He remembered many times she had done this after he had first woken up. She was like a big sister/mother combined in some ways. Maybe, that was why her death hurt so much.
"Why.. Why dd you leave me alone, he whispered, she and Gerald had meant everything to him.
"We never meat to die and leave you alone Shadow, but we never really left. We've been in your heart and watching over you all this time," Maria whispered, her hand pressed against his chest where his heart beat.
"I miss you so much, nothings the same anymore," Shadow whispered, wiping tears away from his crimson eyes, even more red then usual from his crying.
"I miss you too Shadow, but till its your time to move on you will have to learn to live. Now I have things to say to you," Maria whispered, her hands caressing his face like mothers do to there children in times of great stress.
"I don't want you to say them, that means you'll leave again," he begged, tears matting the fur on his face.
"I know Shadow, I don't want to leave. But its not within my power to stay long, and we'll always be in each others hearts," Maria promised.
"I know..." he said, and allowed her to continue.
"You have quite the journey ahead of you Shadow, sooner or later you family will find out the truth. They'll be a bit mad you didn't trust them, but they'll forgive you soon enough. But..." she said trailing off, crimson eyes narrowed when he realized that she didn't want to say something.
Something important.
"Maria... tell me," he firmly said.
"There will pain, fear and anger. There will be horror in your future, and how that ends will be up to fate. Free will as they say," she said eyes wide.
"Well then, I guess its time I pull myself together," Shadow said and got up, a small almost unnoticeable smile came to his face.
"Maria. I'm sorry it took me this long to say goodbye. But now I have a life to start living," he said and started walking away, then paused and looked back to the ghost of Maria. "I won't be telling then the truth yet, but I will be definitely be helping my alternate return home."
Then he finally left, maria smiled.
"Good luck Shadow the hedgehog"
OoOoO
The room was spotless once again, it was ready in hope they second person testing the medallion would arrive soon. Now if only Shadow kept normal hours like everyone else, or was at least easier to keep track of.
Amusingly Sonia realized it was like keeping track of Sonic years ago.
"With my luck he'll show up in three weeks," Sonia sighed, at least Sonic hadn't been a constant wanderer around the world... could have been all the water and he couldn't swim.
"Or I could be right behind you," a voice said dryly, Sonia actually gave a yelp and spun around to see a familiar dark form.
"Shadow, you scared the heck out of me," she almost yelled, worse he had a small smirk.
"Whoops," he said, she stared at his for his rather out of character moment. He must have been hanging around someone strange lately.
"You there!" she growled pointing where she wanted him, and called the others to make sure everything would go as it should and hopefully wouldn't end like it had with Sonic.
"As you wish," Shadow said amused, grumbling she passed the medallion to him. Sonia quickly explained what they wanted him to do in hope of activating it, all tehy could do was hope.
OoOoO
Shadow took a deep breath, the part of hi touching the medallion seemed to tingle as if the medallion was waiting for release.
'I'm sorry, it took so long to reclaim you' Shadow thought, not realizing till now that it was if he had missing part of his heart.
"I'm ready," he announced and Sonia and the others backed away.
OoOoO
A cloaked figure paused in there journey, and a small smile came to there mouth.
"Almost three again, my children I hope your bonds will grow strong again. The future need you," a female voice whispered, and then the once queen continued on.
OoOoO
Familiar light filled the room, Sonia wondered if it was actually working or a failure again.
"It worked," she said in shocked, for in Shadows arms was a familiar instrument.
"Play something, we need to know how much you can do with it," Manic told the dark hedgehog.
A smirk quirked at the edge of Shadows mouth and he adjusted the guitar, then he opend his mouth and played and sang.
Where did we meet before just like this
I know your smile
Your voice just like that
You talk to me and I smile right back
I don't believe in fantasy
Same dress that now reminds me
Something I can't forget
Same song same tone in your voice
Tell me this isn't a dream
Take me forward, stars are still asleep
You and me, we live forevermore
I would follow you my destiny
Won't you get my favourite photograph
I'm getting played by you
Deja vu
Where did we meet before just like this
I know your smile
Your voice just like that
You talk to me and I smile right back
I don't believe in fantasy
Same dress that now reminds me
Something I can't forget
Same song same tone in your voice
Tell me this isn't a dream
Take me forward, stars are still asleep
You and me, we live forevermore
I would follow you my destiny
Won't you get my favourite photograph
I'm getting played by you
Deja vu
Sonia felt tears come to her eyes, why she didn't know why. But it worked, the medallion was allowing Shadow to play it as if he was Sonic. Now the only task was how good using the weapon part he was.
"So, do I pass," Shadow asked, Sonia couldn't reply but found herself laughing happily.
TBC