A/N: As soon as I finish this fic and the YGO one, the sequel to both of them will be all in one. Oh, if ya want to see my artworks go to www.meichan-24. Here's a link to "For True Story" (with piccies!) on DeviantArt http/ by the way, the song Shadow sings in there is called "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan.

For those who visit me at DeviantArt, this fic shall be posted there with its title cover by later on today or tomorrow.

For True Story

Part 7

"I Tried My Best – False Hooded Victim"

'MARIA' ai subeki hito ga ite
toki ni tsuyoi kodoku o kanji
da kedo ai subeki ano hito ni
kekkyoku nani mo ka mo mitasareru;

"Maria" There is someone I should love.
At times I feel very lonely.
But my needs are all filled
by the person I should love;

Once Amy/Shadow was sober and Angel had explained everything that she could possibly put into their simple minds and they went off searching for Shadow's fallen body. "Where'd you say it was, Ma-Angel?" Tails quickly put his gloved hand over his mouth, he almost let said her real name in front of Shadow/Amy! "It should be somewhere in the heart of the Mystic Ruins." Angel whispered softly. At the current moment Shadow was in control and within his mind Amy was screaming her lungs out at him. How could he get himself drunk like that! With her body none-the-less!

It just wasn't right, him treating her body like that, oh how she wished she could strangle him! Even though Shadow wasn't listening, he could still hear her ranting. Shadow sung to himself softly, not even caring if anyone was listening, even Amy. Halfway through her rant, Shadow changed songs; it was an old song from his time, a sad but morosely pleasant one.

Heaven bend to take my hand

And lead me through the fire

Be the long awaited answer

To a long and painful fight

Truth be told I tried my best

But somewhere long the way

I got caught up in all there was to offer

But the cost was so much more than I could bear…

Though I've tried I've fallen

I have sunk so low

I messed up better I should know

So don't come round here and

Tell me I told you so…

Amy was surprised to hear such words coming from this cocky, know-it-all hedgehog. How he sung it made her shiver slightly, it sounded like a death march. Angel could barely hear it, but she could tell what he was singing; Shadow wasn't easy to read, he was like a book made of stone with semi-burnt pages. Angel wished she could tell him who she really was but if she did, she'd have to go back to heaven. She would die.

We all begin out with good intent

When love is raw and young

We believe that we can change ourselves

The past can be undone

But we carry on out back the burdens time always reveals

In the lonely light of morning

In the wound that would not heal

It's the bitter taste of losing everything

I've held so dear…

Though I've tried I've fallen

I have sunk so low

I messed up

Better I should know

So don't come round here and

Tell me I told you so

Amy felt crushed by the weight of the despair coming the lyrics, was Shadow really this miserable? Was this how he felt all of the time? Then how could he be so calm?

Heaven bend to take my hand

I've nowhere left to turn

I'm lost to these I thought were friends

To everyone I know

Oh they turn their heads embarrassed

Pretend that they don't see

That its one wrong step one slip before you know it

And there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed…

Though I've tried I've fallen

I have sunk so low

I messed up

Better I should know

So don't come round here and

Tell me I told you so

I messed up

Better I should know

So don't come round here and

Tell me I told you so…

Amy couldn't bare the depressing song any longer; she wanted to scream so badly at Shadow and tell him that everyone cared so much for him. If only there was a way to show him…

Unbeknownst to Amy, Shadow could hear every thought in her mind; it only disheartened him more. Was this group really his friends? He only knew them for so long – they weren't even on the same side for heaven's sake! How could they possibly see him as worthy of their kindness?

Shadow had lost everything in the blink of and eye. On the ARK he lost his entire family and home, 50 years later he lost his new friends and his life. When he was in limbo he thought that he would finally see Maria, at least one more time before he went straight down to hell. That's what he thought he deserved; he killed many GUN agents, blew up the moon, nearly blew up the earth and killed its inhabitants. And worst of all, he let Maria down.

The thought sickened him; how could she ever love a murderer? Heaven would never accept him for whom and what he was and Hell would probably spit him right out, but he was on his last final chance to change everything. They have to find his body, they just have to.

Unbeknownst to our heroes ("I'm an anti-hero, ANTI-HERO!"), yes you are Shadow. Ahem, as I was saying, unbeknownst to our heroes and ANTI-HERO ("Better."), a certain robot of Eggman's was watching they're every move.

"Are we there yet?"

"No, and I'm not going to tell you again so, SHUT UP!"

"Fine, be that way, Knuckle-head!"

"Why you-!"

"Sonic! Knuckles! Stop your bickering you two, we're almost there." Angel was already annoyed by these two and their arguing kept getting worse! How could everyone stand even being around them for so long! Three more hours had passed before they got anywhere near the subway, let alone Mystic Ruins and everyone was ready for a break. "So Angel, what's it like on the Other Side?" Startled by the question, Angel simply looked at the sky. Everyone was sitting around watching the sun set with a milky stream of reds, pinks, and oranges. "It's absolutely wonderful there. Your soul is free," Angel looked up at the sky, "And there is no more pain, no more suffering; no more darkness."

Shadow fidgeted slightly, not only was this hedgehog was dead – she knew too much about the afterlife, enough to confirm his deepest fears. He would never see his dear Maria again – not even in death. Amy could sense his inner turmoil. If there was no darkness in Heaven, only light – where was it cast off to – Hell? Shadow in nature was a dark creature—not to mean that he was evil, he was good but not perfect, just misunderstood. He was created for the people, with the hopes and dreams of the people, with the anger and pain of the people. Professor Gerald Robotnik created Shadow for one purpose only: to destroy. It may never have been his original intention but the loss of his granddaughter was enough drive the man mad, mad enough to pervert his innocent creation.

Unbeknownst to Shadow, he never actually knew Maria Robotnik. She in body never existed around the time of his 'birth'. Angel knew this fact well, too well. When she died as Maria she had watched all of the horrors going on upon the ARK. She had seen her dear grandfather loose his sanity over her untimely death, and destruction of his life-works. She watched him calculate madness and horror into his newest creation—Project Shadow. Everything and everyone Shadow had ever known was never real—at least to him only. Maria swore than and there to be his guardian; to love, to protect, and befriend him.

Angel knew that he was also a ticking time bomb—if he were to find out the truth about his past, time itself would be at stake. Professor Gerald created him with a failsafe: With the realization of falsehood, Shadow would not follow through with his original plans. So, if that were to happen Shadow's 'Chaos Control' ability would release negative energy and implode on itself—taking Shadow and the world with it.

Chaos energy is a terrible power if in the wrong hands, many before the present holders knew this well. Many have died trying to harness its greatness to no avail. There are still many unknown answers about the Chaos Emeralds—not even the echidna Knuckles knew its full potential, what would become of its negative influence?

Our tired and weary heroes camped out for the night in an abandoned warehouse. Station Square was well known for its great cityscapes and beautiful beaches but only its long term inhabitants knew about the slums. A long time ago all of the factories and warehouses were of great use, but with the coming of new technology and better pay, its workers up and left their jobs. The industrial area grew dingy and rusty; it was an area of ghosts and memories where only the bums came for shelter.

With a fire burning of decayed wood and ashes of past actions, the group minus two slept soundly unaware of the echoes of pain coming from the mourning rusted metal walls. Amy had asked Shadow if she could be in control for the night, he complied, and both found some peace in their dreams. Sonic lay awake and aware of his surrounding, he used to run all over the city but never once did he notice this place. It was dark and it was creepy.

"What happened to this place?"

"People lost their jobs and abandoned it."

Sonic rolled over quickly to the voice, and looked up at a smiling white hedgehog. "Maria—I mean Angel, you scared the shit outta me!" Angel frowned, "No one's awake you can call me as you please—and watch you're language Mr. Hedgehog." Sonic flinched at her tone. "When did all of this happen?" Sonic waved his hand towards the building. "50 years ago, like everything else. During that period of time Station Square was at its zenith towards the end of the industrial age. People were fed and clothed, everyone was happy." She paused.

"Then things changed. People lost what they once had, and they starved. In the factories workers were replaced by machines and they lost their jobs. The workers' children were better schooled for the new wave of technology that awaited them so that another incident like this wouldn't happen again. Soon after war erupted between countries, things kept getting worse so each government decided to stop and become allies. Many died in battle, many died of disease and broken hearts." Sonic couldn't think of anything to say to such a story. Maria just smiled at him. "You can't expect anyone to be able to say anything to such a sad tale besides what's past is past, you can't change it but you can learn from it." Sonic nodded in agreement, for some odd reason he felt comfortable around her—mother-like in a way. Is that the real reason Shadow would do anything for her? Did Shadow think of Maria as his surrogate mother? Sonic choose not ask, besides it was Shadow's and Maria's business, not his. "Sonic I must tell you something, its about Shadow and the real reason he cannot find out about me."

He was intrigued. "Spill it."

She hesitated, "In all honesty, Shadow never lived upon the ARK, he never met me and I have never met him—ever, before today." Sonic stared at her wide-eyed, "Wait, Shadow knows all about you, he practically worships your existence and you're saying you've never met each other? You lost me big time." Angel sighed and stared at Amy's sleeping form; somewhere inside Amy's pure heart lay Shadow's nicked and cracked but still beating heart. Shadow was ruff around the edges but he was good and innocent, none of this was his fault. He was the true victim.

A certain bat perked her ears listening intently to the conversation at hand.

"My grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik created Shadow after my death, therefore we've never met." Seeing the confused look on his face, Maria continued. "My grandfather created false memories based on the real memories that we both shared up until our deaths." She spoke of the details of the why's and how's of Shadow and her unaware of the danger lurking outside the building.

"What do you have to report Omega-456?"

The robot did not speak but sent his data report through to his master.

"Very well, this may be the beautiful beginning of the end!" The egg-shaped mad man (who in which believed he looked rather pleasant in women's clothes…) howled with laughter.