Work Text:
At first, Shadow thought this was just another sign that Sonic was being his usual, eccentric self.
---
June 22nd, 11:45 PM
The black hedgehog was irritated. He'd lost a Chaos Emerald on a mission—how could he have made such a mistake? And now, adding to his irritation, just as he stepped out of his room to splash some water on his face and clear his head, the communicator on his wrist vibrated. Shadow glanced at it; it was a message from that annoying rival of his.
Faker: Shads, I wanna have some oatmeal with milk, but I'm out of milk. Can you bring some over now?
Shadow's brow was already furrowed over the mission report that was two weeks overdue. Seeing this nonsensical message made it crease even deeper.
He originally had no intention of humoring Sonic, wanting to focus on finishing that damned report. But when he returned to his room and picked up his pen, an image of the blue hedgehog from earlier that day suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Honestly, Sonic hadn't looked too good lately. He seemed to have suddenly lost a lot of weight. Even so, he'd managed a weak smile and asked Shadow if he wanted to go for a run.
The Ultimate Lifeform, of course, refused.
"You look sickly. Rather than talking to me, shouldn't you be at a hospital?" He crossed his arms, looking down at Sonic. The latter's eyes were lackluster, the usual sparkle gone from his emerald green irises, accompanied by large dark circles. His frame seemed smaller too, leaning weakly against a tree trunk. He didn't look okay by any measure.
Shadow didn't like seeing him like this. It was as if Sonic might die right before his eyes, leaving him, in the very next second.
"I've been," Sonic said, scratching his head apologetically, "but the doctors couldn't find anything wrong... Tails says my chaos energy readings have dropped a lot recently, but we don't know why. I guess more sleep will fix it?"
"Then go home and sleep right now. Don't let me see you like this again."
With that, the black hedgehog turned around and used Chaos Control to leave.
---
And now, that same Sonic suddenly wanted oatmeal with milk? In the middle of the night? Shadow couldn't understand it, but some inexplicable force compelled him to pick up the communicator and type a reply.
Me: Why should I go out now of all times?
Sonic's typing indicator bubbled for a few moments before the message appeared.
Faker: Oh... never mind then. Sorry for bothering you at this hour.
Shadow didn't like Sonic talking to him like that. He sighed, stood up, stretched, and walked out of his room. He took a carton of milk from the fridge, pulled on his rocket skates at the door, and pushed open the apartment door.
---
It didn't take him long to get to Sonic's place. Gliding on his rocket skates, even at a stroll's pace, he arrived within ten minutes.
He stopped at the door, milk in hand, and glanced at his communicator: 11:58 PM. He thought, surely that blue faker wouldn't have fallen asleep within ten minutes of sending the message, and knocked.
However, after waiting a moment, the door didn't open. He didn't even hear footsteps. So he knocked again.
Still no answer.
Now Shadow was getting impatient. He checked his communicator again; it was half a minute to midnight. What was Sonic playing at?
The Ultimate Lifeform had no intention of wasting this milk or his ten-minute glide. Today, even if Sonic was asleep, he'd wake him up. So he kicked the poor wooden door open and stormed inside.
The interior was almost identical to his last visit, but it lacked the presence of a vibrant blue hedgehog. The beige sofa, video game controllers scattered on the floor, the multi-functional TV Tails installed for him, the coffee table and the bowl on it... its contents looked like... oatmeal?
Shadow quickly walked over, but his eyes fell on Sonic on the sofa. However, unlike usual, Sonic looked... strange.
He was curled under a blanket, eyes tightly shut, his complexion pale, his fur appearing almost grey-blue. The black hedgehog's heart sank. He set the milk aside, sat on the sofa, and pulled Sonic out from the blanket, placing him on his lap.
He checked for a breath, horrified to find he could barely feel any airflow. Sonic's chest wasn't rising and falling much either. He was like a lifeless doll, limbs dangling limply over Shadow's legs.
"Sonic?"
The black hedgehog felt a cold sweat break out all over. He tentatively called his name and checked his body over and over.
Aside from his old scars, there were no visible wounds on Sonic—Eggman and his robots hadn't appeared lately; the city was safe. And while Sonic liked staying up late, he wasn't completely without discipline. He had habits of morning and night runs, ate on time, and Shadow had hardly ever seen him sick.
Why was he like this?
Shadow held him close, pressing his ear against Sonic's chest, but couldn't even hear the echo of a heartbeat.
He closed his eyes, trying to sense the flow of chaos energy in the room. Yet, he discovered the most despairing thing—in the entire room, the only energy he could sense was his own. The Sonic in his arms was like the sofa they sat on. Not only was his energy inactive, it was... completely dissipated.
Shadow finally realized the fact. He stared blankly ahead, slowly laying Sonic's body down. He half-expected him to suddenly open his eyes, boast about learning a new trick to hide his energy, and laugh about successfully scaring the Ultimate Lifeform.
But he didn't. He wouldn't.
Because he was already dead.
---
For the next three days, Shadow stayed completely indoors, not even attending the funeral.
He spent almost the entire time lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, because every time he closed his eyes, Sonic's lifeless face would appear.
When Rouge cried in the next room while calling Knuckles, he overheard fragments: Why so sudden... Can't believe it... Can't imagine life without Blue... Not just Rouge, everyone was devastated. He heard Tails and Amy's eyes were swollen from crying. Yet, Shadow found he couldn't even shed tears, just immersed in confusion and numbness.
Everyone respected his space. He hadn't attended the funeral, and no one came to seek him out actively, knowing he was the one who'd witnessed Sonic's death firsthand. The shock must have been immense. Rouge left some food by his door, but he didn't touch it. He couldn't even bring himself to get out of bed.
Sonic.
Shadow mechanically repeated the name in his mind.
---
When the black hedgehog finally regained some clarity and opened his door, Rouge, who was in the living room, immediately rushed over and hugged him tightly. Shadow, unusually, didn't push her away, just silently listened.
"You idiot! Do you know how worried I was?!" This might have been the first time in all the years he'd known the white bat that he'd seen her cry so hard. "I was afraid you'd gone with Blue!"
"Rouge."
Shadow spoke, his vocal cords dry from disuse.
"Is Sonic really dead?"
His roommate looked up, gripping his shoulders tightly, tears shining in her eyes as she spoke with utmost seriousness. "Sweetheart, I didn't want this to happen either, but... it did. Everyone is sad, but we have to accept it..."
"No," Shadow shook his head. "No, Rouge, I can't accept it."
"What...?"
"I can't accept it. A world without Sonic? It's ridiculous, don't you think?" He spoke faster and faster, his orange-red eyes filled with confusion. "How could he just die so suddenly? I don't even know the reason! He texted me at midnight saying he wanted oatmeal with milk, needed milk, so I went to deliver it. I knocked but no one answered, so I kicked the door in, and then he was on the sofa..."
"..."
The air fell into a brief silence. After a moment, Shadow lowered his eyes and asked, "Was it because I wasn't fast enough? Did he die because I couldn't get to him in time? Is it my fault?"
"No... no, how could it be your fault..." Rouge said, flustered, but the black hedgehog wasn't planning to listen.
"If I'm faster next time, won't he die?"
"What do you mean...?"
Shadow looked up, his eyes revealing an unprecedented clarity and determination. He whispered, almost like an order:
"Lend me your Chaos Emerald."
"I'm going back to save him."
---
Opening a temporal wormhole required immense energy. Shadow should have known that his strength alone wasn't enough; he needed to contact Silver or Blaze at the very least. But he couldn't wait. He couldn't bear it. Only after leaving his room did he realize how utterly unable he was to accept Sonic's death.
When the portal actually opened with one Emerald, Shadow became even more convinced of the necessity to save Sonic. So he ignored the sharp pain that just shot through his chest and jumped in without hesitation.
And now, the black hedgehog found himself in a place almost unchanged.
The doorstep of his own room in the Team Dark apartment. The difference was that Rouge was gone, and the sky outside was pitch black.
Shadow raised his wrist. The communicator showed he had returned to June 22nd, 11:45 PM.
Simultaneously, the communic vibrated again, popping up a message.
Faker: Shads, I wanna have some oatmeal with milk, but I'm out of milk. Can you bring some over now?
He typed a reply quickly.
Me: Okay.
Faker: Huh? Really?
Shadow didn't reply further. He rushed to the fridge, grabbed a carton of milk. This time, abandoning the idea of running there—too slow—he held the Emerald and whispered "Chaos Control," placing himself on Sonic's floor in one second.
Clutching the milk carton, he strode straight to the sofa. Sure enough, there was a blue hedgehog, curled under a blanket, still holding his communicator. Seeing Shadow, he was startled.
"Shads...?" Sonic blinked, surprise gradually dawning in his eyes. He tried to get up, threw off the blanket, but wobbled and nearly fell.
The black hedgehog immediately reached out to steady him, helping him sit back down slowly. Then, he twisted open the milk carton, pouring the pure white milk into the bowl of prepared oatmeal with a splash. He picked up a spoon and, under Sonic's astonished and bewildered gaze, stirred the oatmeal milk.
"Drink," Shadow said, crossing his arms and leaning back on the sofa, gesturing to the blue hedgehog beside him to have what he wanted. The latter smiled gratefully, extending a trembling hand to pick up the bowl. Seeing this, Shadow sighed, took the bowl for him, scooped a spoonful, and brought it to his lips.
"Ah... I can drink it myself."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Sonic blushed slightly and lowered his head but leaned closer to the spoon and drank the mouthful of oatmeal milk. Softly, he said, "Sorry for making you come here in the middle of the night."
"There won't be a next time."
They fell silent for a while. Shadow just patiently kept scooping milk, watching Sonic drink it sip by sip, until the blue hedgehog smiled and said his craving was satisfied, and he didn't want more for now.
He shrank back into the blanket, whispering, "Sorry for the trouble today, Shads. I'll treat you to coffee beans next time."
Finally, he added uncertainly, "...Goodnight?"
It was a hint that Shadow could go home now, but the black hedgehog made no move to get up and leave. He swallowed, staring at Sonic nervously.
The hero seemed to have gained a bit of color after drinking the oatmeal milk, but he still looked very weak. Shadow didn't dare leave now. He moved a bit closer and said, "I'm... in no hurry to leave."
"Hmm—?" Sonic smiled. "Then shall we chat, for old times' sake?"
The black hedgehog nodded.
"How was your day, Shads?"
Truth be told, Shadow had almost forgotten what he was doing three days ago (actually). He only remembered Sonic's text, and his death... No, he was dealing with that now. And then, there was that long-overdue, annoying mission report.
"I was writing the mission report," he said. "But it's difficult. I've been thinking for a long time and couldn't put pen to paper."
"There's actually a report the Ultimate Lifeform can't write? What mission was it?"
Shadow closed his eyes, recalling that day two weeks ago. It was just a routine mission to clear out one of Eggman's bases. What was special was that the mission was underwater, and the base was built next to an underwater volcano.
They speculated the doctor wanted to use the volcano's energy as a power source for new robots, considering the environment's concealment. But this made GUN's search teams feel it was troublesome. They needed diving suits and oxygen tanks and had to be prepared to return empty-handed—GUN only detected abnormal chaos energy readings and suspected Eggman, but the actual cause could also just be a natural fluctuation of chaos energy.
Ultimately, GUN decided to send only Shadow.
"They really don't mind using you..." Sonic said thoughtfully. "But you know you could have asked for my help, right?"
"It wasn't a difficult mission. Calling you for something like that would disgrace the name of the Ultimate Lifeform."
As if remembering something interesting, Shadow's lips quirked slightly.
"And I recall a certain blue hedgehog is afraid of water?"
Sonic looked at him indignantly. "I'm not afraid of water! I'm just not very good at swimming..."
"Even more reason not to."
Shadow shook his head. Just thinking about that mission gave him a headache. How could he have taken Sonic to a place like that?
It was only after he arrived that he discovered the unusual nature of that "underwater volcano." It wasn't an ordinary conical volcano but a rift valley with extreme depth. Shadow held the aqua blue Chaos Emerald—the one he used to have. Above him were kilometers of seawater, blocking all light from the surface. Below was a dark abyss. His night vision allowed him to see the pillow lava in the rift valley. In the solidified black river, there was a strange point of light—the place where the chaos energy was most active on the detector.
"When I swam closer, I realized it wasn't the Doctor's base," Shadow said in a low voice, dry and heavy. "That point of light was sinister. It pulsed like a heart, its color constantly changing, sometimes blue, sometimes purple. The closer I got, the more I felt the water around me was wrong, as if being torn by something invisible. Even my own chaos energy felt unstable."
Sonic listened quietly, his body under the blanket seemingly curling up unconsciously. He could barely keep his eyes open but tried hard to perk up his ears.
"I reported the existence of the light point to HQ. They ordered me to retrieve or seal it immediately. So I approached again, wanting to stabilize the energy with my Emerald first, but unexpectedly discovered..."
He paused, looking at the blue hedgehog beside him, his expression grave. "Do you remember the Void from the shattered universe before? The center of that light point was only the size of a pinprick, but it was the same existence."
Sonic gasped softly. Seeing Shadow's very annoyed look, he suddenly thought of something. "You didn't... accidentally drop the Emerald into it again, did you?"
"Not 'drop it in,' Faker. It wasn't the result I wanted," the black hedgehog covered his face, leaning back on the sofa with a sigh. He still remembered what happened. When the Emerald got close to the light point, that powerful, black hole-like suction felt like countless hands trying to snatch the Emerald from his grasp.
"I tried desperately to reclaim the Emerald, but just then, the depths of the rift valley suddenly shook violently. The energy I controlled instantly went out of control. The light point expanded with this shockwave, swallowed the Emerald, emitted one final shockwave, and then, as if mocking me, shrank back and disappeared instantly."
The room was silent until, a few seconds later, Sonic spoke again to comfort him. "But... the mission was completed, right?"
His voice was weaker than before, but Shadow was still immersed in the memory of the mission and didn't notice.
"After the Emerald was swallowed, that was the most terrifying part," the black hedgehog sighed again. "The surrounding seawater became very quiet, very dark. I couldn't even sense chaos energy anymore. It was as if that part of the sea had died."
"Later, GUN issued a report. Your fox brother should have noticed too. The chaos energy of the entire planet became unstable..." As Shadow spoke, he suddenly realized Sonic had been quiet after saying that last sentence. He hesitated and turned his head, finding Sonic leaning quietly against the sofa with his eyes closed.
Asleep? He raised his wrist to look at the communicator: it was already midnight. Indeed, time flew when they were talking.
Shadow should have left silently then. But looking at Sonic's face, an impulse drove him to reach out, pick him up along with the blanket, and walk towards the bedroom. He'd done this before, usually after movie nights when everyone had gone home, and Sonic had already fallen asleep slumped over on the sofa or floor, hugging a bag of chips. Then, on a whim, Shadow would put him to bed.
This time should be no different. Sonic would snuggle into his arms, find a comfortable position to lean on, be carried to the bedroom, and be safely tucked into the covers.
Right?
Right?
The Ultimate Lifeform stood still, holding the lifeless blue hedgehog in his arms. He wasn't moving restlessly; he wasn't actively leaning on his shoulder. His limbs hung limp, like a doll to be manipulated.
And the surrounding air was deathly still, only the ticking of the clock hand symbolizing time's relentless passage. Strange.Even though there was enough oxygen, Shadow felt like he was back in that dark underwater abyss.
---
After passing through the portal again, Shadow returned to the Team Dark apartment.
He fell onto the floor, holding Rouge's yellow Chaos Emerald. Using just one Emerald to travel through time was clearly unwise. Shadow could feel his own chaos energy being used as compensation, causing pain throughout his body. But he had no time to care about that because he checked the time and found he had only returned to 11:45 PM.
This wasn't the best time. Shadow wanted to go back earlier. He needed to find the cause of Sonic's death. Perhaps two weeks ago? When that blue hedgehog was still alive and kicking, not like now. Perhaps he should ask Sonic how he felt himself.
Shadow didn't forget the milk. His communicator vibrated as he rushed to the fridge, but he had no time to look. Grabbing the milk, he used Chaos Control to arrive at Sonic's place.
---
The black hedgehog walked wordlessly to the sofa, sat down, poured the milk into the bowl of oatmeal, stirred it, and handed it to a speechless, astonished Sonic.
"Drink."
"...Thank you?" The blue hedgehog hesitated, just about to reach out, Shadow remembered his poor condition and picked up the spoon, scooping a mouthful and bringing it to his lips.
"Drink."
Sonic blushed, and seeing color in his face was a great comfort to Shadow. He fed him the oatmeal milk spoonful by spoonful until he couldn't drink anymore.
The black hedgehog placed the bowl on the coffee table, took a deep breath, and looked into those half-open emerald eyes.
"How do you feel now?"
"...?"
"..." Shadow paused, rephrasing the question. "How is your physical condition? Do you feel tired?"
Sonic looked confused, but he answered truthfully. "To be honest, I've been feeling very tired lately..."
"Because your chaos energy readings are low? And you don't look like something more sleep can fix," the black hedgehog moved closer, placing a hand on his shoulder, closing his eyes to sense Sonic's energy level.
It was indeed very low, still continuously decreasing. Soon, his energy might be completely dissipated.
They were different from others. Sonic naturally possessed powerful natural chaos energy, could use the power of Chaos Emeralds, and his life force originated from this. Shadow's body was also largely composed of chaos energy, but his was artificial, different in nature.
Energy dissipation—this might be the true cause of Sonic's death.
But... why?
The blue hedgehog seemed to understand his question, lowering his eyes. "I don't know, Shads. Tails doesn't know either. It's like something is draining my power, but we can't find the source."
"Could it be Eggman's doing?"
Sonic weakly shook his head. "He hasn't appeared recently. Unless he can drain my energy remotely, but that's not very realistic."
As soon as he finished speaking, his body began to sway again. Shadow caught him before he could fall over on the sofa, supporting his shoulders.
"When do you think your symptoms started?"
The hero thought for a moment. "About two weeks ago...? I was lying on the roof sunbathing, and a strong shockwave suddenly came from afar, startling everyone. I think... it started from then...?"
Two weeks ago? A strange shockwave?
Shadow's eyes widened. His brain almost inevitably connected these two elements to one event.
Two weeks ago was exactly when he went on that underwater mission. And that shockwave might be the energy fluctuation from the depths of the rift valley. It made perfect sense.
So much sense that he found it hard to accept.
Because if that was the case, didn't his own mistake cause Sonic's death?
An intense bitterness spread through Shadow's mouth. His chest felt like a heavy rock was pressing down, making it hard to breathe. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead desperately on Sonic's shoulder.
"Shads, are you okay?" The blue hedgehog tremblingly raised his hand, stroking Shadow's back. His voice was full of concern, even though he was the one in the worst condition here.
Shadow didn't feel okay. He was no longer that avenger opposed to Sonic, nor the Ultimate Lifeform who wanted to kill him. He had lived on this planet for many years. He had friends, and Sonic was a very good friend, even if he wouldn't usually admit it. That was a fact.
And his mission failure had indirectly caused the death of someone important to him.
"Shads..." Sonic softly called his nickname, cupping his face, making those orange-red eyes filled with self-doubt and pain look at him.
"Am I going to die soon?"
He said this with a smile, and Shadow felt his heart ache even more.
"It's okay. I kinda expected it when Tails exhausted all methods and still couldn't get my energy levels back up."
"I don't have any last affairs to arrange. Everyone can protect themselves after all these years of fighting, so I don't have much to worry about. I believe in everyone."
"Just..." Sonic's fingers gently stroked Shadow's cheek, and he laughed sheepishly. "I just wanted to see you one last time, so I texted you. Hehe."
The Ultimate Lifeform couldn't say anything at this moment. This blue hedgehog seemed to have accepted the fact that he would die. His expression was calm, only showing a trace of attachment when mentioning Shadow.
The black hedgehog let Sonic lean into his embrace. A muffled voice came from his chest.
"I'm glad you came. I'm glad you're not pushing me away now," the blue hedgehog murmured. "You always pushed me away before."
"I..." Shadow at a loss, wrapped an arm around him, his mind blank. "I will never push you away again."
Sonic obediently pressed his cheek against that patch of soft white chest fur and smiled contentedly.
---
The hand of time's death pointed to midnight, once again taking his heart away.
---
No matter how many times Sonic died, Shadow couldn't remain indifferent.
He went from the first shock like a blow to the head, to the second unexpected disappointment, to the third despair. Now he tried a fourth, fifth, sixth time. If possible, he really wanted to return to two weeks ago, abandon that mission, no matter what the commander said, he wouldn't go to that underwater place again. Or be more careful, not let the Emerald be swallowed, and seek everyone's help to deal with that light point together—even if it wasn't his style.
But Shadow could only return to 11:45 PM each time. His own chaos energy was constantly used as compensation, and each trip was also immense torture for his body.
He repeatedly took milk from the fridge, repeatedly used Chaos Control to get to Sonic's, repeatedly fed him oatmeal milk, and then tried to talk to him, to find more clues.
The fourth time he returned to Sonic's house, he took the most direct approach. If Sonic was dying from energy loss, perhaps he could share his own energy with him. But Shadow didn't expect their energies to conflict. This accelerated Sonic's death. Before midnight even arrived, he had permanently closed his eyes.
The fifth time, Shadow didn't go to Sonic with milk but went directly to Tails' workshop via Chaos Control. The little fox was greatly startled. He seemed to be staying up late researching how to stop Sonic's energy drain. Papers were piled high on the desk, along with an EKG monitoring Sonic's heartbeat.
Shadow quickly explained everything he knew and his suspicions, like a barrage of bombs thrown at Tails, then asked fiercely, "Can you draw any conclusions?"
He forgot to control his tone, making the little fox extremely nervous while searching through materials and pulling up data, flustered. But eventually, they found a map recording the flow of Sonic's chaos energy. It basically flowed towards the entire continent. Tails guessed it didn't have a fixed destination but merged into nature.
"You know chaos energy is actually everywhere, and Sonic's chaos energy is like returning to the natural chaos," Tails explained, with big dark circles under his eyes.
"But I feel it's more like compensation than returning, to maintain the balance affected two weeks ago."
"Why does it have to be Sonic..."
Shadow sat down amidst the little fox's tired and desperate muttering. The pointer hadn't even reached midnight yet when the EKG turned into a straight line, emitting a piercing beep.
He closed his eyes, silently chanting Chaos Control, returning to the starting point for the sixth time.
Shadow brought the milk. This seemingly insignificant drink also seemed to affect Sonic. Was it because it was his last wished-for desire? He didn't understand, but he brought it anyway.
The black hedgehog mechanically poured the milk, stirred the oatmeal, mechanically fed Sonic spoonful by spoonful, then sat on the sofa, staring at him with hollow eyes. The latter was a bit scared by the stare but didn't have the strength to move closer. Shadow wasn't responding to words either, so he just leaned there quietly.
From the moment he passed through the portal, Shadow's chest was in severe pain. A thick血腥味 rose in his throat. His remaining chaos energy began to riot, running rampant inside his body, causing dizziness and nausea. But he still sat there, nailed to the sofa, as if guarding Sonic's final predetermined outcome.
After midnight, Shadow immediately used Chaos Control to get to the downtown library. He coughed up blood in pain while poring over books and research papers on chaos energy.
What happens when a Chaos Emerald is lost? Why does this affect Sonic? What is the connection between them? What are the cases of natural chaos entities? How can continuously draining chaos energy be replenished?
Various questions filled Shadow's mind, but the books he found were either too theoretical, inapplicable, or had missing pages. He didn't even have time to grieve anymore. Seeing Sonic's lifeless face multiple times had numbed him, but his goal remained unchanged. Intense guilt and belief drove him to force himself to find a way to save Sonic, even though his own body was gradually failing to support him.
Fortunately, heaven didn't seem intent on keeping him in the dark forever.
Just as Shadow was almost ready to tear the entire bookshelf down, an ancient book fell out. He picked it up, dusted off the cover, revealing the title.
Natural Chaos and Balance. The author was... Tikal the Echidna? Shadow opened the book. The title page featured a giant green Emerald standing on an altar, surrounded by lines showing its glowing state. Below was a line of small text:
"Seven Chaos, Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos..."
Shadow read silently, finally forming an outline in his mind.
---
When he returned from the seventh trip, Shadow's tinnitus was worse, his vision was dark, and he fell out of the portal in a very disheveled posture. He was sure he had never been so disgraced in his life, but he didn't care anymore. He needed to talk to Sonic immediately.
He didn't forget the oatmeal milk either. According to the book's instructions, this was a symbol, through Sonic's strong desire, it had become his temporary anchor point. So Shadow had to use it to stabilize Sonic's condition.
Coughing, Shadow struggled to get up from the floor, walking with mechanical, heavy steps to the fridge, taking out that carton of milk he felt he had taken countless times. He unconsciously squeezed the milk carton, almost deforming it, then picked up the yellow Chaos Emerald and disappeared in a flash of light.
He landed precisely in Sonic's living room, falling to the floor again. His whole body hurt, but he pushed himself up and walked to the sofa.
Sonic, startled by the sound of him falling, peered over the back of the sofa, instinctively wanting to help, but he couldn't leave the sofa at all.
Shadow shook his head. He sat down, pulled the blue hedgehog into a hug, and sighed deeply into his shoulder.
"Shads...?" Sonic's surprised expression also made Shadow feel numb, but the gentle voice slightly improved his mood.
He nuzzled his cheek briefly, then pulled back, started pouring milk, mixing oatmeal. This act had almost become a ritual. Shadow pathetically wanted to use it to keep Sonic a little longer, just a little longer.
As he mixed, he said, "Sonic, you will die at midnight." As if it were some unimportant small talk.
"How do you know Tails' calculations... Wait? How do you know..."
Shadow laughed at himself inwardly. How did he know? How could he not know? How many times had Sonic died in his arms? Six? Seven? How many times had he watched him become weaker and weaker, his voice smaller and smaller, until his eyes could no longer open? He lay on the sofa, leaned in his arms, pressed against his chest, merely centimeters from his heart.
Sonic looked shocked, but Shadow continued calmly. "Two weeks ago, I accidentally let a Chaos Emerald be swallowed by the Void. The natural chaos energy became unbalanced. You, as a natural chaos entity, were used as compensation to restore balance. This is the reason your energy continuously drains and ultimately takes your life."
"What?" The blue hedgehog's eyes were filled with disbelief.
"At first, I didn't know this. I used one Chaos Emerald and my own chaos energy to repeatedly travel back to 11:45 PM on June 22nd, searching for clues, searching for a way to save you," the black hedgehog said, suddenly laughing. He handed the mixed oatmeal milk to Sonic's lips. "Drink it. You want to, right? You wanted to see me one last time before dying, found this excuse for yourself, but because of your obsession, it has become a necessity."
Sonic still froze in place, the information overload making him unsure how to even reach for the bowl. Shadow frowned, brought the bowl to his own mouth and took a big sip, then without hesitation pressed his lips to Sonic's.. The latter instinctively opened his mouth, so the sweet oatmeal milk was poured into his mouth, flowing down his throat and into his stomach.
Even though the milk was cold, his chest felt very warm.
After feeding the milk, Shadow casually licked off the residual liquid from Sonic's lips. The latter's whole body began to heat up, his cheeks turned bright red, his eyes wide open, which greatly satisfied the black hedgehog.
"You look like a living person now."
He smiled, stood up, and scooped Sonic up in bridal-style.
"Sh-Shads!"
The hero exclaimed, not daring to look at his face.
"Sonic."
"Present!"
"Do you want to live?"
---
Sonic was stunned. His emerald green eyes returned to Shadow's face, seeing the black hedgehog's exhausted look, but his eyes held an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity.
"I need your answer, Sonic. I really need it."
"Tell me, do you want to live?"
The hero's lips trembled. Shadow had never looked at him with such a determined gaze. He knew he hardly ever joked, but so serious? It was as if his life depended on his answer.
Sonic's mind conjured images of blue skies, white clouds, grass, sunlight, and the laughing faces of friends, even Eggman and his robots. What he wanted was simple: to live in this imperfect yet so lovely world, with everyone he loved.
With Shadow.
So he nodded and answered firmly:
"I want to live."
---
When the golden light flashed, Knuckles was scared enough to jump right off the steps of the shrine.
The reason was Shadow suddenly appearing before him holding Sonic. The black hedgehog knelt heavily on the ground the moment he saw him. The echidna didn't know if that part was intentional or not, but what Shadow said next was enough to shock him for ten days without sleep.
The Ultimate Lifeform explained the entire story in frantic, breakneck speed within a minute. The time on the communicator was already 11:55 PM. He truly couldn't afford to consider anything else.
"...So, only the balancing power of the Master Emerald can save Sonic. We need your help," Shadow lowered his head, his forehead pressed tightly against the obviously weakening Sonic.
"...Please, Knuckles."
The echidna was initially hesitant, but he quickly understood the situation.After all, he was aware of Sonic's recent condition, just not how serious it had become. And if it could make Shadow beg someone, it was definitely an apocalypse-level event.
Knuckles signaled them to come before the Master Emerald. Then, he closed his eyes, raised his arms, palms facing the Master Emerald, and chanted: "Seven Chaos, Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos..."
Then, he opened his eyes and shouted, "Master Emerald, please answer our request!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the giant green Emerald emitted a bright yet not dazzling light, illuminating the entire shrine. Sonic and Shadow were also enveloped in this soft light. The former gradually gained color in his face. Faint golden threads of light appeared on his chest, as if being pulled by the Emerald, and he slowly sat up straight.
Knuckles smiled and turned around, speaking to Shadow, who was staring at Sonic. "The Master Emerald responds to the power of the heart. You can say all your thoughts now. The Master Emerald will definitely answer you!"
Having said that, the red echidna tactfully left, leaving the shrine to them—everyone knew what feelings Shadow and Sonic had for each other. He wasn't going to stay and be a third wheel.
---
Shadow set Sonic down, letting them sit cross-legged facing each other before the glowing Master Emerald.
He looked into the blue hedgehog's eyes, finding them more beautiful than ever for the first time. He had ten thousand things he wanted to say. Originally, there were less than five minutes left, but now the Master Emerald's power had bought them a little more time. He decided to hold his hands and tell him, sentence by sentence.
"Sonic, first of all, I want to say I'm very sorry."
Shadow's tone was very sincere.
"There's no doubt that my mistake caused your current predicament. If I had been more cautious and not lost that aqua blue Emerald, you wouldn't have suffered like this."
Sonic chuckled softly and squeezed his hand in return.
"When I received the message and rushed to your house for the first time, I was too late. You were already dead. I couldn't accept this fact, kept checking you, until the fox pushed the door open, threw himself on you, and started crying."
"After that, I didn't eat or drink for three days. I didn't go to your funeral either. My mind kept replaying the way you died, until I finally decided to go back in time to save you, because I found I completely couldn't accept a world without you."
"Really? You care about me that much?" Sonic raised an eyebrow, taunting Shadow as usual, but this time, the black hedgehog didn't hide his feelings but acknowledged it sincerely.
"Yes, I care about you very much."
Shadow blinked, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"You are my best rival—almost my best friend too. You are incredibly strong, brave, freer than anyone, but you are also very just, kind. You are practically the embodiment of the finest qualities."
He lifted Sonic's hand and gently imprinted a devout kiss on the back of it, saying, "I enjoy being with you. Running, racing, fighting, eating ice cream together—I love any time spent with you. Your passion pulled me out of my inner cage, brought me out of hell. So this time, I want to snatch you back from death's cage too."
"Shads, you're..." The blue hedgehog seemed incredulous, his eyes wide in astonishment, a faint blush on his cheeks.
"It's a confession, Sonic," Shadow said with a gentle smile, his face also flushed with embarrassment. "I have to tell you here. I love you. I want you to live. Of course, the premise is that you want to live too. I will always respect your wishes."
Hearing these heartfelt words, Sonic's eyes began to shimmer with tears. He trembled, biting his lip, and when the tears were about to spill over, he cried out excitedly:
"You idiot, of course I want to live! Didn't I already say that before? I want to live with you!"
He stopped holding back, threw himself onto Shadow. The two of them fell to the ground together. At the same time, the Master Emerald's light intensified. Its power surrounded the two hedgehogs, lifting them into the air together.
Sonic looked up in surprise but saw something flying towards them from afar... That was...
"Chaos Emeralds!" he almost immediately cried out in delight and surprise.
One, two, three, four, five, six Chaos Emeralds miraculously responded to the Master Emerald's call and came! Even that aqua blue Emerald swallowed by the Void had returned! Shadow's eyes immediately lit up. He didn't hesitate, immediately taking out the yellow Chaos Emerald he had been carrying all along.
The familiar power made them speak in unison as they looked at each other.
"Can you hear me?"
Shadow's lips curved into a smile, and Sonic readily gave that telepathic answer.
"Yeah, I can hear you!"
The seven Chaos Emeralds rose with their telepathy, spinning rapidly around them, dyeing their fur gold and platinum, shining like two stars in the night sky.
A gentle force field enveloped them. Shadow pulled Sonic close, one arm around his waist, the other gently stroking his cheek, his eyes filled with profound love. His fingers moved from the fur on his cheek to his soft lips. The Ultimate Lifeform suddenly belatedly realized how boldly he had kissed Sonic not long ago, making the tips of his ears turn red.
"Sonic."
"I'm here."
The golden star blinked, his lips parting slightly under the pressure of Shadow's fingers.
"We have one last step."
"Hmm?"
"Establish a new anchor point. With my energy," the platinum hedgehog leaned closer, pressing their foreheads together. "Initially, we were mutually exclusive, but here, we can do it."
His gaze shifted to Sonic's lips, asked tentatively : "Is it okay?"
Sonic smiled helplessly. He didn't answer, just actively put his arms around Shadow's neck, then with an air of certain victory, leaned in and kissed his lips right under his surprised gaze.
In that moment, only the light emitted by the Emeralds witnessed that tender affection.
---
The Master Emerald and the seven Chaos Emeralds restored Sonic's proper energy, healed Shadow's scarred internal organs, and on top of that, gold and platinum chaos energy intertwined, flowing within their bodies, establishing a new mechanism existing only for each other.
By the time the Chaos Emeralds scattered across the world again, they slowly descended to the ground.
Sonic's fur no longer showed a dull color, returning to that beautiful blue. His breathing became smooth, no longer weak and clutching his chest. He puffed out his chest, the light shining in his eyes making him truly look vibrant, just like before.
Shadow was still holding his hand, unwilling to let go now, but he still raised his wrist to check the time on the communicator.
June 23rd, 12:10 AM.
It was past midnight, but the god of death didn't take Sonic away again. He was right in front of him, holding his hand, smiling, though his eyes seemed too shy to look at him. Moonlight cast a silvery glow on the blue hedgehog's fur, softening his outline, making him enchanting.
They enjoyed the long-lost peace between them, until they spoke simultaneously again.
"Happy birth..."
"Marry me."
Sonic's head shot up, wanting to confirm if he had heard correctly. He looked into Shadow's eyes, only to be severely burned by the intense emotion within them.
"Huh————?!"
---
"Huh————?!" Amy screamed, jumping up. "You mean, after Shadow saved you, he suddenly proposed?!"
"Basically... yes," Sonic scratched his head, saying. "After that, he took me home, stayed by my side and refused to leave, as if afraid I'd suddenly die again. But I really wanted to sleep and had to persuade him for a long time before he agreed to go home."
"When I woke up again, there was a small cake on the table with a little note underneath that said 'Happy Birthday'."
"Aw... he really loves you, Sonic," Amy said happily, cupping her chin. "And we can all see how much you care about each other. I'm so happy for both of you."
"Hehe, thank you... But I really hope this kind of thing doesn't happen again..."
Sonic shook his head. While there was a silver lining, he didn't want to experience being placed on the edge of life and death for no apparent reason again, nor did he want Shadow to gamble everything for him again, plunge into such dangerous situations—perhaps on the eighth attempt, the Ultimate Lifeform would have completely given out.
"Technically, it won't happen again."
Just then, Tails walked over with some documents. He sat down, opened the file, which contained freshly tested data. The two curves of gold and platinum on the graph were tightly intertwined like a DNA double helix.
"Your and Shadow's chaos signatures are almost identical now. It can be understood that he fused his energy with yours, um... So you are now a hybrid of two types of chaos energy.Something like this 'compensation' won't happen again."
"Great!" Sonic finally laughed, excitedly high-fived an equally thrilled Amy.
"So when's the wedding? Can I plan it? I also have to make up for your birthday party this year; we can just have them together!" The pink hedgehog's mind seemed to already be imagining the perfect wedding/birthday party she would plan, was practically surrounded by pink bubbles.
However, Sonic seemed to shrink back a little, lowering his head somewhat embarrassed. "I don't know if he was serious. It's been so long already. Maybe he just..."
"He was definitely serious, Blue."
A familiar voice suddenly sounded, making the hero look up in surprise. Rouge had apparently arrived in the room at some point, and beside her was the very black hedgehog often mentioned, currently holding a bouquet of roses, his orange-red eyes fixed intently on him.
Sonic averted his gaze flusteredly, but then heard Shadow's footsteps stop in front of him, followed by the sound of him kneeling on one knee on the floor.
"Sonic."
"Yeah, what is it, Shads?"
"Sonic, look at me."
The blue hedgehog couldn't help but comply. Then, a small velvet box came into view. Inside was an exquisite silver ring set with a beautiful blue sapphire. It was cut into a teardrop shape, with golden filaments inside, as if sealing a wisp of chaos energy.
Surprise made him open his mouth slightly. He looked at Shadow's face, and the latter was smiling, his eyes full of sincerity.
"Will you marry me?"
The air fell silent for a moment. Everyone held their breath, looking expectantly at Sonic.
"So..." he finally spoke after a long moment. "You disappeared for a month just to prepare this for me?"
"Yes," Shadow answered without hesitation.
"Did you ever think I might be sad because you were gone for too long and end up refusing you?"
This clearly flustered the usually unflappable Ultimate Lifeform, but he said firmly, "Then I would find a way to win you back, just like I used every ounce of my strength to save you."
Sonic finally couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head and said, "Just kidding. You have no idea how long I've waited for this day. Maybe I've been waiting since the day we met."
Shadow's eyes immediately lit up.
"So yes, I do... No, please marry me, Shads!"
The blue hedgehog laughed, throwing himself onto his lover. The bouquet of roses was accidentally knocked to the ground, petals scattering everywhere. The two hedgehogs, now connected tightly from body to soul, sat amidst them, crying tears of joy.