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skywriter97 · 3 months

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When Heaven Calls

The sky is orange. Not the orange of the sunset, beautifully blended with hints of scarlet and violet with the occasional cloud or early star. The stars have long since burned out...and the clouds are but a fond memory. The sun no longer sets; it has grown too large for such an ancient, insignificant thing.

Hence the orange sky.

The heat of a burning sky is nearly unbearable. Centuries past, Mobians—male ones, especially—wore clothing for style, a sense of fashion or luxury. No such luxury exists now. Clothes, thick garments of scratchy materials, are worn to protect against the heat, provide some sense of shade or coolness from the charring heat.

The colossal sun has done more than increase the temperature. It has become an enemy of the world; scorched the grounds to ash and dust, dried up the seas and even the atmosphere. It would be an issue, certainly…

If the citizens of Mobius hadn’t heeded the warning signs. Hadn’t paid attention to the changes in the planet’s climates, hadn’t noticed the sun expanding ever so slowly over the centuries, devouring stars and planets and everything else in its hunger.

But they had.

World leaders had gathered. Solutions had been proposed, tried…and ultimately failed.

Not even the Chaos Emeralds, or the Master Emerald, or both working in tandem, could halt what was declared ‘natural progression’. After all, the sun is just another star. Stars grow, stars feed, and then…stars die.

With their final hope of saving their world exhausted, efforts were redirected to instead saving the people of their world. Expeditions were directed and launched, seeking another home, a better, safer home, for the people of Mobius. For years, decades, they searched.

Then they found one.

A planet so strikingly like Mobius that it seemed too good to be true. But it hadn’t been. The planet was not only hospitable, but perfect for Mobians and practically sparkling with Chaos energy. It was perfect.

So, the planning began to vacate Mobius and journey to this shiny, beautiful new world…the Mobians’ new home. It took years to build plenty of shuttles, even with the technology from Yellow Sky Industries, and by the time the fleet was ready for the voyage…time was nearly out.

“Come with us.” She begged. Her green eyes, so like her ancestor’s that he felt it in his heart of hearts, were damp with tears and shone with the sincerity of her plea. “There’s plenty of room aboard our shuttle.”

Technically speaking, this was true. The shuttles had been built and prepared to accommodate all that was left on Mobius plus extra. She told no lie to him, and he knew that she wasn’t the only one that would like him to take a seat onboard and journey to this new world.

But that was just it, wasn’t it? This was a new world, and…

“There is no room in a new world for an old relic such as I.” Shadow patiently replied and squeezed her shoulders. There was no hint of pink in her quills, but the way she blinked up at him…all he could see for a long moment was his Light, who had left to shine upon him from a place he could not yet reach so very long ago.

Shadow had been careful since her passing…since the passing of his children and grandchildren. He was known of by his descendants, his story a legend among legends not only on Mobius, but among his own lineage, but made sure that while he was known by legend, he wasn’t personally known by any.

Old legends had no place interrupting new stories.

Shadow had kept his promises. Each and every one. He kept watch over his blood as it navigated the centuries and ensured their health and safety and happiness. He’d guarded each addition from afar, blessed the way which they walked, and had never felt more pride and adoration in their accomplishments, in the way they embraced the opportunities to create their own legends.

“But you’re not an old relic! You’re-,” She grabbed his wrists tightly, unwilling to let go. “You’re family, and I won’t leave without you.”

Shadow chuckled lightly. “You remind me so much of her.” He fondly informed her. “She would have dragged me aboard, kicking and screaming, citing that I still had so much to do, so much to discover, and I had no business wasting such an opportunity.”

“Then you should listen!” She pressed.

“I did.” Shadow’s ruby eyes were soft, ancient, and she fell silent. “I did listen to her. Even though I’ve ached without my Aurora since she passed, I carried on. I watched over our family. I helped people. Even saved the world a few times. And now,” Shadow glanced over her head and nodded to the Mobian standing at the door of the shuttle. The time had come. “Now it’s your turn, little star.” He smiled at her, and she sniffled.

“I-I don’t wanna go without you.” She whispered. “There-There’s so much you could teach me, so much we could do together. Don’t make me go without you, please.”

Shadow pulled her close and allowed her tears to soak into his cloak. “Just because you won’t see me doesn’t mean I won’t be there.” He murmured to her. “Just because you can’t see the stars doesn’t mean they don’t shine. My light will always be with you.”

“What-,” She scrubbed her face. Shadow tsked and used his scarf to wipe her cheeks, both surprised and softened that she let him. “What will you do?”

“While you journey to your new world,” Shadow smiled. “I’ll be waiting for my heaven’s arrival.”

“On your own?” She demanded.

“NEGATIVE.” Shadow nodded in greeting, but Omega remained focused on her. His large, clawed hand patted her head consolingly. “WORRY NOT. I SHALL REMAIN BEHIND AND KEEP SHADOW COMPANY UNTIL HIS DEMISE.”

“It will be alright, little star.” Shadow reassured her and gently pushed her to the shuttle. “Now, off you go. That new world isn’t going to come to you!” He huffed a laugh when she whipped around and tossed her arms around him, and he stroked her quills comfortingly, and then she was gone, vanishing into the shuttle.

Shadow and Omega stood side by side on the charred grounds of Mobius’ remains, observing as the fleet of spacecrafts ignited their engines and rose into that burnt orange sky, watching their escape from the devouring sun until they were no longer visible. Briefly, Shadow wondered about this new planet. Would the skies be blue? Or some other marvelous color? Would the flowers smell sweeter than the ones his father-in-law used to pick? Would the beaches be golden, like the one he proposed on?

Shadow shook his head away from those thoughts. He’d been right not to board the shuttle. His time had long passed. The need for an Ultimate Lifeform had long been fulfilled.

And now…now he could finally rest.

Shadow glanced at his oldest friend with a half-smile. “Would you sit with me, Omega?” The ground was hot and dusty and unforgiving, but Shadow saw no need to find a more comfortable spot. There was no longer any such thing on Mobius, and so sat on the harsh, charred earth with his legs crossed and hands folded neatly in his lap. He smiled when he heard the tell-tale whir of Omega’s belts, and the clunk of heavy metal settling on the ground beside him.

“I HAVE AN INQUIRY.”

“Ask, old friend.”

“WE HAVE DISCUSSED MANY THINGS OVER THE CENTURIES.”

“Yes.” Shadow agreed.

“ONE THING YOU HAVE NEVER EXPLAINED TO ME. SINCE I CALCULATE THE SUN WILL SWALLOW MOBIUS IN THREE HOURS, FORTY-THREE MINUTES, AND ELEVEN SECONDS AND DESTROY US BOTH, I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION NOW.”

“Alright.” Shadow pricked his ears.

“IT WAS GERALD ROBOTNIK’S INTENTION TO UTILIZE MOBIAN AND BLACK ARMS DNA TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM.” Omega stated. “THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS THE PROTOTYPE KNOWN AS BIOLIZARD.”

“Yes…?”

“I DO NOT COMPUTE HOW A HEDGEHOG WOULD CONSTITUTE AS AN ULTIMATE LIFEFORM.” Omega admitted. “WHY CHOOSE HEDGEHOG DNA TO MERGE WITH BLACK ARMS? WHAT MAKES A HEDGEHOG THE ULTIMATE LIFEFORM?”

Shadow stared at the last remaining creation of Dr. Ivo Robotnik, blinking slowly…before a smile wobbled on his muzzle, and he burst into laughter.

“I AM SERIOUS.” Omega insisted, sounding irritable. “IF PROJECT SHADOW WAS TO YIELD ANY MEASURE OF SUCCESS FROM INCEPTION, THEY SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE STRONGEST AVAILABLE MOBIAN DNA. A TIGER, GRIZZLY BEAR, OR EVEN AN ELEPHANT WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE THAN A HEDGEHOG.”

Shadow pounded on the dusty ground, wheezing with tears in his eyes, but after several moments of continuous laughter, finally sat up and grinned at Omega. “That’s what you’ve wondered so long about?”

“COLOR ME CURIOUS.”

Shadow smirked. “After the failure of the Biolizard, the Professor and the other scientists wanted something containable. Powerful, but controllable, yet since Project Shadow was highly classified, the resources for DNA were limited. Hedgehog DNA was one of the few qualifying samples available. That and,” Shadow chortled. “Hedgehogs were Maria’s favorite animal.”

“I SEE.” Omega hummed.

No words passed between the two companions for a long time, and Shadow idly spun the slim golden ring resting on his finger, tarnished by time, never once removed in the centuries since its adornment. He looked up, the heat from the encroaching sun scalding his face, scorching the grounds black as it approached, but he still didn’t move. Instead, he smiled. “Omega?”

“SHADOW.”

“…Thank you. For remaining with me all these years. For staying with me now.”

“…YOU ARE WELCOME, MY FRIEND.”

Shadow bowed his head, closed his eyes, and exhaled slowly. After centuries of waiting, Shadow’s heaven finally came to collect him. Now, after centuries of turmoil and heartache…he could finally know peace.

“Hey there, Spaceman.”

For @e-vay, @evayart for her awesome Sonic Fanart that continues to inspire me!

I'm such a huge Shadora fan, I love that ship, and one of the big "what-ifs" regarding future-future Shadora is Shadow's immortality. Here's one spin on how I think it might go down if Shadow keeps his Immortality in E-Vay's AU!

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emceevoices · 4 months

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youtube

New comic dub! Will Aurora still love Shadow as a Werehog?

YT Link: https://youtu.be/dgbaGqkd8eo

Comic by @e-vay/@evayart

#sonic #shadow the hedgehog #aurora the hedgehog #shadora #werehog #sonamy fankids #comic dub #youtube #Youtube

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pccyouthleader · 7 months

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Hedgehog Hodgepodge: A Story of Espionage, Confusion, and an Evil Plan Gone Haywire

Chapter 18: Stealthy, Wealthy, and Wise

“Here, put these on,” Shadow said, handing Aurora a pair of safety glasses and headphones. “These are for eye and ear protection while we’re here at the range.”

After falling asleep in the crow’s nest at the pier, they were awakened by the sound of someone blasting a marine signal horn. Looking over the edge of the railing, they had seen a snarky-looking capybara sneering at them from the helm. Shadow’s hands had tightened into fists as he imagined himself pummeling the rodent to bits, but one look at Aurora reminded him of his charge.

The capybara would live to creep another day.

Now they were at Scope’s Gun Range and Shadow was placing his own pair of sporty-looking glasses on his face. The bright yellow of the lenses made his eyes appear blaze orange. He was wearing ear plugs to dampen the noise.

After checking in with the Range Safety Officer (RSO) and listening to a lengthy list of “dos and don’ts,” he assigned them a bench inside the range. Shadow placed a soft case on top of it with a *clunk*, then proceeded to repeat the rules of the range. When he launched into explaining the rules a third time by reading from a pamphlet, Aurora had to stop him.

“Shadow, can’t you just tell me as we go? I know the rules are important, but I kind of tuned you out five minutes ago.” She smiled a sheepish grin.

Shadow gave her a frustrated look, but set aside the pamphlet and began unzipping his bag. Aurora’s small handgun had been stored there for the journey, and he took it out now, along with the magazine. He checked the chamber and loaded the magazine, placing it on the bench facing the target.

Aurora watched his every move. “Do you really know all that much about shooting?” she teased, knowing the answer already.

Shadow smirked at her. “Let the Master show you how it’s done.” Picking up the gun, Shadow got off three bullseye shots and turned his head with a smug grin to Aurora. She rolled her eyes, but a playful smile shone on her face. She loved watching Shadow do something he enjoyed. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun with him.

“I’m going to empty the magazine, then reload for you to shoot.”

As he aimed the gun toward the target, Aurora lifted her hand and shot a light projectile in the same direction. Caught off guard, Shadow fired the gun and the bullet imbedded into the ceiling.

“What- Aurora! Why did you do that?!” he stammered, looking around for a threat that might have caused her to react that way. Aurora giggled as she pushed the button to move the target forward.

“Hmm, let’s see,” she began. “One, two, three bullet holes, but four shots fired. Well, Shadow, I guess you’re not the Master after all.”

He stood dumbfounded. If anyone else had done this, he would have obliterated them by now. But it was different with Aurora.

Shadow slowly unchambered the handgun, took out the magazine, and placed everything on the bench. He turned to give Aurora a very stern look.

Aurora thought maybe she had made a huge mistake with what she had done. The smile melted from her face and she was about to start apologizing when Shadow started laughing softly. “You’re lucky we’re the only two in here, or the RSO would have probably kicked you out!” Aurora looked at him wide-eyed. He laughed harder at the mental image.

“Now,” he said, serious again. “If I teach you how to use the gun, will you behave? It’s important that you learn to use it safely. No more pranks.”

Aurora nodded, and Shadow pulled her into position in front of the bench. After reloading the magazine and chamber, he checked the gun again and placed it in her hands.

“Always point the barrel towards the target, no matter what you’re doing,” he said, moving behind her and adjusting her posture. “Only when you’re ready to shoot should you put your finger on the trigger.” He made a few more adjustments and explained how to aim.

“You ready?” Shadow asked, stepping back.

Aurora nodded. “I think so.” Her heart was beating 90 to nothing.

“Then whenever you’re ready…”

Aurora took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. A loud blast erupted from the barrel of the gun, and the bullet whizzed through the target, coming within inches of Shadow’s bullseye shots. She turned her head to see an amazed looked on Shadow’s face.

“Keep going,” he encouraged her.

Aurora shot six more times, emptying the magazine, and astonishing her boyfriend. He pushed the button to bring the target forward, and gaped at the paper riddled with bullet holes all around the bullseye.

Shadow looked at Aurora. “I’ve never seen anyone shoot this well the first time they’ve held a gun!” Aurora blushed. “You have a natural talent for this,” he continued.

Over the next hour, Shadow showed her how to load the gun and magazine, and she continued to practice her aim. Aurora felt confident knowing that if she ever needed it, she could use the small handgun with ease and safety.

—

In the lobby of the gun range stood a familiar figure, out of sight and out of mind. He watched through the window in heated displeasure as the couple interacted, so natural and easy in each other’s company. The observer was incognito, having received word from an informant about Aurora’s whereabouts at the pier. From there he had tailed them to the gun range, where he remained scrutinizing their every move.

When Shadow touched Aurora, anger flared within him and he had to look away. But he had learned something from this surveillance: Aurora was naturally good with a gun. He made a mental note to be cautious in the future. The element of surprise would be ideal.

As the surreptitious spectator turned to leave the stifling gun range lobby, he headed toward the door and nearly burst through. The cold air filled his lungs and he could breathe again. Reaching in his coat pocket, he pulled out a small device and tapped it. At once, his communicator honed in on the small gadget and began to track it. After carefully surveying the area, the individual slid the device smoothly under the frame of Shadow’s motorcycle and walked away. He approached a different vehicle from the one he had driven before. Instead of his sleek black sports car, he climbed into a small SUV. It was only the mountains from here, and he needed better traction. A rather toothy grin replaced his angered countenance as he envisioned what was to come.

—

After grabbing a bite to eat at a nearby deli, Shadow and Aurora set out once again for a destination unknown to her. There was a chill in the air as he turned the motorcycle northward. Up they climbed, higher and higher into the mountains.

At last, Shadow and Aurora arrived at a small cabin tucked into a type of alcove in the mountainside that shrouded it from sight. Aurora shivered violently as they dismounted from the motorcycle and made their way toward the door. Her thin jacket wasn’t nearly enough for this cold weather.

“Wha… what is this place?” she asked through chattering teeth.

“It’s an old G.U.N. hideaway,” said Shadow as he pulled an ancient-looking key from his coat pocket. “You should be safe here.”

The two of them walked into a sparsely furnished room with a fireplace, two chairs, and a coffee table to the right. To the left was a small kitchenette, as well as a hallway that led to what Aurora assumed were the bedrooms.

Shadow quickly closed the door, placed their bags on the coffee table, and moved to start a fire in the fireplace. Aurora picked up a dusty blanket and wrapped it around herself. Soon there was a welcoming fire blazing in the hearth, and she moved to sit down in front of it. As the heat melted away the chill in her bones, she began to relax.

Shadow sat back and studied her, noting the sad look on her face.

“Light,” he said softly, “are you alright?”

She managed a weak smile, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“I am. I just miss my mom and dad, and I wish I knew exactly what was going on,” she replied.

Shadow leaned forward and gently brushed her tear away with his thumb, letting his hand linger on her face.

“I’m sure things are fine back at home. Right now your mother is probably tearfully watching some sappy romantic comedy, and your father is sitting next to her, bored out of his mind.”

Aurora laughed, picturing the two in her head.

“And you’re here with me,” he continued in a deeper, quieter tone. His eyes were fixed on hers, and his hand felt like a flame to her face.

Aurora sniffed. “That’s another thing. I feel so bad that you’re going to all this trouble and expense for me. I know you’ve got more important things to-“

Shadow moved his hand to place his finger over her lips. His expression became more serious. “Don’t ever think that you’re not worth all of this and more. I’ve got money to burn from 25 years of missions and nothing to spend it on. But money means nothing to me. This mission is everything. I’ve taken it on as my personal responsibility to ensure your safety. Aurora…,” he paused, “…you are my mission.”

Fresh tears poured down her cheeks as he pulled her into his strong embrace. He held her tight as all the fear and confusion and questions of the past twenty-four hours poured out of her in distressed droplets.

When her crying subsided, he gently placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his.

“Aurora, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for days - weeks - now, and I never could find the right time.”

His deep crimson eyes held hers in an unrelenting gaze.

“Light… I love you.”

Aurora gasped in utter exhilaration. Pushing herself up, she stopped within inches of her lips touching his. “Shadow…” she breathed as their lips met. Shadow put one hand in her quills and the other on her lower back and pulled her to him tightly. As he brought her closer, he deepened the kiss, passion driving him like a bear to honey. He wanted her - needed her - this very moment. He began kissing her face, her jaw, and her neck, his breath coming in short, rough gusts.

Aurora cradled Shadow’s ear in her hand, caressing it with small kisses, then gently nibbling with her teeth. Shadow let out a low growl of satisfaction. His breathing felt like hot steam burning her skin.

Just as his mouth reached her collarbone, a loud, shrill alarm sounded, sending Aurora scrambling backward and Shadow jumping for his communicator. When he got the alarm stopped, he hung his head and swore under his breath.

“What was that?” Aurora asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“My communicator has been off, but has an emergency setting that allows urgent messages to come through.” Shadow took some deep breaths, trying to slow his racing heartbeat. “It’s probably your father making sure we aren’t touching.”

Aurora laughed nervously and Shadow pulled his communicator open to reveal a voice recording waiting. He tapped the triangle and was surprised to hear Tails’ voice fading in and out.

“Shadow! I hope you can hear me… something weird… if you’re there can you… Sonic…”

Then the voice recording ended.

“What do you think that was all about?” asked Aurora, anxiety creeping back into her chest at the sound of the cryptic message.

“I don’t know,” Shadow replied. “But Sonic knows how to access the emergency setting on my communicator, and I’m sure he or Amy would have called if something was wrong.”

Shadow sat in deep thought for several moments. Then, looking up at Aurora, he said, “I know you’re exhausted. Let me show you to your room.”

#Y’all this is such a long chapter!#Sorry it took so long!#shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #aurora the hedgehog #amy rose #shadora #sonamy #sonic fanfiction #hedgehog hodgepodge #aurora belongs to e-vay #shadowxaurora #shadowxaurora?

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sleepyg00n · 9 months

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Fanart for @e-vay Of her Shadora baby; Piper 💕

I love all the babies, but she's got my heart qwq 💕

#shadora #aurora the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #Fanart

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power-rings · 3 months

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I can't believe this fanfiction is 8 years old. I had originally planned for it to be a short story... but we're closing in on chapter 10!! I have no idea how many more chapters I will squeeze in, but I hope ya'll will stay tune for more!

Oh ..I finally fixed the earlier chapters of "Light Consorting with Shadows." If you wish to catch up to the beginning... check it out here!

#light consorting with shadows #shadora #lancelotxaurora #my writing

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echidnapower · 9 months

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A Light in Darkness - Chapter 1

As I continue bringing back my fics here onto Tumblr, here's one that has been in-progress for quite some time, and shall continue to be until I find the time to finish it, which I will someday. A story featuring the only Sonamy fanchild I could ever accept as canon, due to how much work and effort went into making her feel real. @e-vay's own Aurora the Hedgehog. I hope she - and everyone else reading this - enjoys!

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An old and broken down warehouse can be the location for many different shady operations. In many old cartoons, the villains would often keep their secret hideout in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of a town. Sometimes criminals would keep their hidden stash of illegal drugs and their ill-gotten profits to try and avoid detection by the local police. And in some extreme cases, insane psychopaths will hide the bodies of their tortured victims in warehouses such as these.

In this case, an old abandoned warehouse holds the last hope for all of Mobian kind.

"So we're all agreed?" Shadow the Hedgehog, leader of the newest incarnation of the Freedom Fighters, leaned his palms against the surface of the old and rusted metal table as he looked at each member of his war council.

"We don't really have much of a choice now, do we?" That reply came from Silver the Hedgehog, a psychokinetic hedgehog who had joined up with the Freedom Fighters as soon as he'd learned of their existence. "I gotta say though Shadow, I hate the idea of this being our last chance."

"Unfortunately, this is our final option." Blaze the Cat - a Princess from another dimension and born with the power of pyrokinesis so that she could one day become the guardian of the source of power in her own dimension: the Sol Emeralds - spoke grimly at her fellow Freedom Fighters. Unfortunately, soon after the event that caused the devastation of her world, the emeralds were taken from her, and with them, any hope of restoring things to the way they were. "If we are to undo this madness, we cannot fail. If we do, we won't even be alive to see the results of our failure."

A fist slammed onto the table in frustration, startling the group as the owner of the fist glared angrily at the others. "If you had just listened to me in the first place, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess!" Sticks the Badger, a wild jungle girl who'd been forced out of her burrow by the disaster screeched at her teammates. "I tried to tell you that he was acting strangely, but you thought I was CRAAAAAAZY!" she pointed accusingly at Shadow. "You of all people should've noticed Mr. Ultimate Life Form!"

The black hedgehog lowered his head and closed his eyes a moment before looking back at the young badger with an intense gaze. "I was a fool not to notice, but I intend to make up for that grave error right now." Shadow turned his attention to a lanky marsupial who had for the most part kept his focus on a set of blueprints laying on the table. "Have you figured out the best way into the stronghold Yukon?"

Yukon, a young Sugar Glider who had been rescued by Sticks the day the apocalyptic disaster struck, nodded at Shadow and placed his index finger on the blueprints. "I looked over the blueprints Tails had in his lab of Dr. Eggman's old Fortress, and with a little input from Sticks, I think I've managed to find the safest way in."

"There is no safest way in." Sticks scoffed and rolled her eyes. "With evil machines guarding every possible entrance, it won't matter where we try to go in, we'll still be seen!"

"That's a risk we'll have to take." Blaze nodded at the Sugar Glider, "Please continue."

Yukon nodded back and dragged his finger over to the right side of the middle of the map. "This leads to Eggman's old vault, that's probably where Ba'Gan is keeping the Chaos Emeralds." He dragged his finger down the map near the bottom of the blueprint. "It looks like there's an old passageway Eggman installed that leads to the vault, and from the looks of things, it's hidden behind a wall that's since been sealed off, and the other end of the passageway appears cut off too." Yukon looked up and glanced at Shadow. "You know Eggman best, is that passageway still there?"

Shadow stood tall and crossed his arms, his eyes closed as he pondered for a moment. "Knowing the doctor, he likely would've left it available for him in case of an emergency." Shadow opened his eyes. "No doubt that room contained some rather extreme security measures as well."

"I bet that's where he keeps his stash of violins that he used to torment me in my sleep!"

The others looked at Sticks oddly for a moment before continuing. "So what exactly is the plan?" Silver asked.

"The first thing we'll need to do is disable the guards posted at that position. If they're Eggman robots, then we'll need to destroy them quickly so they don't send out a signal to alert the rest of the guards that we're attempting to breach the stronghold." Shadow's expression became grim. "If they turn out to be some of them..." Shadow frowned deeply as the others around him lowered their heads in sadness. "Hopefully there will be a way to save their hosts...but if it's necessary, we will have to destroy them as well."

"The idea of having to murder innocent bystanders..." Yukon shook his head and shuddered. "It goes against everything I believe in...maybe if Silver could hold them still, I could strike a few nerve points and knock them out for a while."

"I could try, but these things have shown they can resist my psychokinesis to a certain extent." Silver looked at his hands and sighed, watching as they pulsated with cyan energy. "Maybe if I'd spent more time honing my skills, I'd be able to handle more than one at a time."

"You mustn't blame yourself Silver, none of us were even remotely prepared for what has taken place." Blaze spoke up. "What matters now is that we fix it."

"Weeeeeell actually, I was prepared." Sticks ran off a moment and returned with crude looking armor that appeared to be made of some form of wood and tied together by vines. "These may not look pretty, but I spent years building sets of armor for me and my friends in case a zombie apocalypse happened." she began handing out the armor to everyone around the table, until she was holding only two sets. "This armor is made out of nothing but wood from the Steelwood Forests and some good ol' fashioned wilderness survival skills." she placed the last spare set on the ground and put on her own, beaming proudly at her teammates. "Wearing these, you could get hit by one of those laser beams of theirs and not even feel it!"

Shadow rolled his eyes and decided to humor the young badger by putting on the armor. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even entertain the thought of being with this mishmash of personalities, let alone being their leader. But then again, their circumstances weren't normal. "Thank you Sticks." Shadow nodded with a neutral expression before continuing. "Once inside, it should hopefully be a simple matter of finding the Chaos and Sol Emeralds. Once in our possession, Silver and I will use Chaos Control to open up a time portal, and then we can stop this from ever happening."

"And if something goes horribly wrong?" Sticks asked.

"It won't go wrong."

The badger crossed her arms and raised a skeptical eyebrow at Shadow. "You seem a bit too sure of yourself."

"Not at all." Shadow replied. "I say it won't go wrong because it can't go wrong...if it does go wrong...well...then they've won." Shadow stood tall and looked at each of his teammates. "These mechanical nightmares have absorbed our friends and families, turned them from those we love into instruments of destruction; their sole purpose to absorb all other organic life and add them to their hive mind. Some of us...admittedly...have lost more than others, but we all feel the same passion and desire to right the wrongs and stop this threat from completely overtaking Mobius...and then the rest of not one, but two universes." He looked at Blaze when he said that. "You know what's at stake. After tonight, we will either succeed and live to fight another day, or we will be absorbed like the rest of them." Shadow rubbed at his golden power inhibitors before giving a heavy sigh. "We will move out at 0300 hours...in the meantime, get some rest, you'll need it."

"You get some rest too Shadow, we're gonna need you too." Silver said sympathetically.

The black hedgehog simply nodded and walked away from the table, leaving the rest of his team to their own devices. He ran a hand through his ebony quills as he tried to amp down from the constant adrenaline high he was feeling. While he'd recently gotten used to being around other people, he was by no means built to be a leader...that was more his specialty. He cursed under his breath in frustration at the thought. That confounded blue hedgehog had let himself be the first one to be absorbed, and he never even knew it was happening. "Of course, I should have noticed to begin with. If anyone would know what that looked like, it would be me."

As he continued walking, he spotted a distinct form, colored in an even more distinct shade of pink sitting on a pile of crates in the back of the warehouse. Sighing once more, Shadow walked over to the girl and tried to get her to look at him. "How are you doing Light?"

The bright pink hedgehog just shook her head and sobbed a bit before looking up at the black hedgehog with tears evident in her emerald eyes. The bands on her clothes were glowing dimly to match her somber mood, and it broke the black hedgehog's heart to see her so reduced. "I still can't believe it Shadow...how could they...how could they just..." she sobbed a few more times and buried her face in her hands.

Shadow moved in to embrace the hedgehog girl, stroking her quills in an attempt to comfort her. "They did what they felt they had to do, they wanted to try and protect you." He used his finger to tilt her head up at him so she could look at him. "They didn't volunteer to be absorbed Aurora, they fought to the bitter end, like true heroes should...even your father fought it until there was simply nothing left of him to fight back."

Aurora the Hedgehog, the final member of the Freedom Fighters...and more famously...the daughter of Sonic the Hedgehog and Amy Rose, cried into the chest of her boyfriend as she continued to mourn the loss of her parents and extended family. Her Uncles Tails and Knuckles, they'd been absorbed fighting off the monsters while trying to get them the blueprints to Eggman's former fortress, only Shadow had managed to escape, albeit barely. Her Aunt Rouge had been absorbed trying to gather information from the G.U.N. Headquarters about the current threat they were facing, and those were just the ones she knew about regarding their fates.

"Aurora." Shadow said consolingly as he gently tilted her head up again. "We'll save them, we're going to save them. All of them. You have my word." The black hedgehog then leaned in and gently kissed the pink hedgehog's forehead. He never imagined falling in love with the daughter of his greatest rival, but after twenty years of travelling the world in search of a better understanding of himself, and also to find someone he'd met during his greatest adventure, he'd come home to find that the ones he once called his friends had reached adulthood, and now had families of their own, most with grown children even.

Coincidentally, the very girl he'd quested to find for over twenty years turned out to be Sonic and Amy's daughter, which naturally added a whole new dimension to the "friendly" rivalry he and Sonic shared. But just as Sonic was beginning to accept the fact that Aurora truly loved Shadow, the disaster struck. Now, there was no time for simple pleasures such as going out to watch a movie and have dinner, there was only slight lulls as a war raged. The speed at which the takeover had occurred was staggering. Just one week before, Shadow was contemplating how to celebrate his and Aurora's one-year anniversary as a couple, and now, he was leading a small band of troops into battle, one from which they might never return.

"Shadow...do you think...we'll be able to save them?" Aurora asked, her voice was almost that of a frightened child, as she looked up at Shadow in uncertainty.

Shadow sighed and frowned as he ran his hand through his quills once more. "I don't know Light...but I swear to you, I will either find a way to do so, or I will die trying."

Instead of comforting her, that had the opposite effect on the pink hedgehog as she clutched tighter to her ebony boyfriend. "I know you're trying to help, but please don't say stuff like that...I already lost my family...I can't...I can't lose you too." She buried her face into his chest and shook her head in defiance of the thoughts invading her mind. "I can't...can't lose you too." she mumbled.

Shadow stood in silence for a few moments, contemplating what to do next. Aurora was usually incredibly upbeat and enthusiastic, and her bubbly personality infected everyone around her, admittedly even himself - to a degree anyway. But ever since the invasion of the mechanical creatures taking over the bodies and minds of her family, she'd been...just the opposite. There had to be a way to make her crack a smile at least, and a recent memory popped into Shadow's mind in answer to that thought.

"Aurora."

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember the look on Blaze's face when she saw that Cream was now over ten years older than her?"

That finally got the pink hedgehog to give a weak yet sincere laugh. "What's weird is that I have memories of the real Blaze coming to visit from her dimension. I never thought I'd meet one of my aunt's best friends and be older than her." She laughed a bit at the remembrance. A time displacement caused by the appearance of the creatures had merged the past of Blaze's world with the present of Mobius, and as a result, Blaze had appeared as well, only still as a young teenager as opposed to the adult that Aurora was more familiar with.

When Aurora had shown the teenaged Blaze a photograph of Cream the Rabbit as an adult, her jaw had dropped clear to the floor. But it didn't take long for the Sol Emerald Guardian to make the mental adjustment and get down to business. All the better for the Freedom Fighters, as her flames would come in handy when the battle began. Upon thinking of the upcoming battle, Shadow spoke up once more. "Aurora...we have a plan. We're going to infiltrate the fortress and steal back the emeralds from Ba'Gan, then we'll open a time portal so we can make sure none of this ever happens. We need your help."

The offspring of Sonic the Hedgehog and Amy Rose looked up at Shadow and got up off the crates so she could stand tall. Taking a deep breath, Aurora nodded with determination and held up a fist. "Let's go stop those Droids. No one messes with my family and gets away with it."

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With their operation planned out to the smallest detail, the small band of Freedom Fighters stealthily made their way to Eggman's former fortress. It was a huge building with walls and lasers and every scientific method of defense one could think of protecting it. However, since the evil scientist had abandoned the lair, the most elaborate defenses had been removed so that they could be installed at his next base. Unfortunately, the creatures called Droids had more than made up for it by making several hundred Mobians their mindless slaves, and given them all orders via the hive mind that they should defend the fortress with their lives.

Upon reaching the fortress, the Ultimate Life Form peeked his head out from behind a bush, and he looked around to scope things out. "All clear." Shadow stepped out of the foliage and gestured with his hand to summon his teammates. As they began emerging in single file, the black hedgehog took note of the two guards standing watch in front of the wall they were targeting. "Generic Egg Pawns. Excellent. It should be easy enough to disable them. Silver, Blaze, go!"

Acknowledging Shadow's signal, the lavender cat leaped up into a tree and looked for a good vantage point. Once she felt she had a good shot, she looked down at Silver and nodded at him, and moments later Silver advanced on the robots. "Uh, hi, take me to your leader?"

The robots immediately made a move to contact more guards, but a giant fireball struck them from above, and less than a second later, a psychic shield appeared and surrounded the blast, keeping the sound of the explosion from being detected. "Nice work Silver." Blaze said as she hopped out of the tree, her palms still smoking from the attack. "So what's the next step?" she asked as Shadow and the others walked up to her and Silver.

"Well," Yukon stepped forward and began feeling the wall carefully. "If I read the blueprints properly, there should be a switch that'll open up the secret passage." Moments later, Yukon's eyes widened slightly, and the wall opened up, revealing an old and dusty passage. "There ya go, they don't call me Houdini for nothing." Yukon pointed at himself proudly.

"The easy part is done, now we get to the real tough stuff!" Sticks seemed almost excited at the prospect. "Those machine maniacs will think twice before attacking my friends again!"

Shadow chose to ignore the badger and nodded at his girlfriend, who immediately understood his unspoken request and nodded back, as her suit began glowing brightly to allow her friends to see. "We've made it this far, but Sticks was right. This was the easy part. Now we've gotta find a way to stay undetected. Let's go." Shadow led the team into the dark passageway, Aurora's unique photokinetic powers lighting the way for them, just enough so they could see where they were going.

As they continued, a sense of unease began to envelop the Freedom Fighters. They had yet to encounter any form of resistance, and while that could be interpreted as a good thing, they couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. "I understand that this was the way we wanted the plan to go, but doesn't this seem a bit too easy?" Blaze whispered.

"Maybe...we're just a lot better at this than we thought?" Silver's voice betrayed that he definitely didn't believe his own words.

"They're here...I know they are." Sticks hissed lowly, looking around frantically. "I'm not exactly sure where, but we're not alone."

"We're almost at the end of the passageway." Yukon took a few steps so that he was ahead of Aurora, but he suddenly gave a terrified yelp when he ran into something. Looking down, the Sugar Glider saw that he had merely bumped into a piece of scrap metal from one of Eggman's old badniks, and he placed a hand over his rapidly beating heart as he tried to catch his breath. "Sorry...guess I'm a little on edge." He looked up again. Then he screamed in mortal terror.

"We've been detected!" Shadow launched a Chaos Spear which struck where the heart would have been for the tall Droid soldier that had been staring coldly at them in the dark, and the former Mobian fell to the ground with his mechanical parts sparking violently from the hit. "Aurora, light up the room!"

Aurora concentrated and strengthened the output of her powers, and soon the room was bright enough that everything could be seen. "There's no one else here?"

"They will be soon, I hear them! Hundreds...thousands of 'em!" Sticks exclaimed as she stared at the ceiling above them.

"Then we've no time to waste, we must get to the vault before they do!" Blaze was about to rush forward, when she turned suddenly at the agonized cry Aurora had given out. "What's the matter?!" She looked to the ground and saw the pink hedgehog trying desperately not to burst into tears, as she was staring at the unmoving corpse of the Droid that Shadow had just destroyed. "Oh no..."

The dead Droid was quite clearly Miles "Tails" Prower.

"Uncle Tails!" Tears began to flow from Aurora's emerald eyes, as she mourned the loss of her beloved Uncle. "Why did it have to be you? Of all the Droids they had, why did it have to be you?!"

"I should've realized." Shadow cursed under his breath. "When Tails was absorbed, the Droid Hive Mind obtained all of his knowledge and all of his memories, including his knowledge of our plan to use the passageway!"

"So then they knew we'd be here!" Silver's eyes widened in horror.

"But then why send Tails down here by himself if they knew we were here? Why not bring a whole army?" Yukon wondered.

"There's no time to think! We've already spent too much time thinking!" Sticks shouted. "They know we're here? So let's stop acting like they don't! Let's storm this place!" The wild Badger gave a shrill battle cry and pulled her Bow Staff out from behind her back, and she charged down the corridor shouting expletives, which was soon followed by the unmistakable sounds of battle.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way!" Blaze rushed forwards with Silver hovering right next to her, and Yukon followed to the best of his ability, as his speed was nowhere near that of Blaze and the flying silver hedgehog.

Shadow was about to join them when he took note of Aurora's state. The pink hedgehog was kneeling next to the body of what used to be her uncle, mindlessly staring at all the wires and gadgets that ran through and around his body. A mechanical eyepiece had been placed where his left eye used to be, and his right arm was now a form of claw with a laser at the end of it. "Aurora, we can fix this, but we need your help!" he said as gently but as urgently as he could. "If we get to the Chaos Emeralds, we can open a time portal, and reverse all of this!" he held his hand out to her. "I can't do this without you."

Aurora looked up at Shadow, then back down at Tails. Taking a moment to fold his hand and robotic arm over his wire filled chest, she got up and nodded at him. "Let's go. I want my family back."

Shadow nodded and took off running, Aurora matching him stride for stride with the speed she inherited from her father. They soon reached a light at the end of the passageway, and once they went through it, they saw the floor littered with Droids that had been knocked unconscious by their teammates. "Looks like you've got this handled."

Sticks snorted. "Like these dummy Droids had any chance against real flesh and blood!"

"Um...they used to be flesh and blood." Silver pointed out.

The badger narrowed her eyes at the psychokinetic hedgehog. "Stop trying to confuse my brain with details."

"Enough." Shadow took a few steps forward and examined the glass cases that held the Chaos and Sol Emeralds. "It won't take long for reinforcements to arrive so let's do this quick." the black hedgehog reared his fist back and shattered the glass with his punch, setting off an alarm throughout the fortress. "The alarm is moot, they already know we're here. Silver, grab an emerald!"

"This oughta slow the Droids down a little!" Yukon gave a sharp kick to the electronic panel and destroyed it, effectively locking the Droids out, at least for the moment. "I doubt that'll make a difference for long, make it fast you two!"

Shadow and Silver nodded at each other and held up a Chaos Emerald each. "Chaos Control!"

With the combined efforts of the two hedgehogs, a swirling vortex of energy slowly began to form. "It's working!" Silver cheered. But then the door burst open, sending Yukon and Blaze flying backwards, and they slammed into the wall and crumpled to the ground from the impact. Upon seeing the Droids beginning to march in, Silver stretched out his free hand and attempted to put up a psychic barrier to hold them out, but the cyborgs quickly changed tactics and started opening fire on the barrier. "I can't hold it!" Silver strained.

Moments later, the barrier shattered, and the psychic backlash sent Silver crumpling to the ground just as the time portal was finished forming. But instead of advancing, the Droids merely stepped aside and allowed something to walk past them, and the sight made Shadow, Sticks and especially Aurora tense up. "So Shadow, you've managed to avoid absorption. You always were a pest." Standing in front of them was none other than the form of Sonic the Hedgehog himself, but unlike the Droids, Sonic's body had been left unmutilated by internal or external machinery. Instead, the only sign that anything was wrong with Sonic was the glowing red eyes and the distorted voice. "I compliment you on making it this far, but you must know resistance is futile. You will be absorbed into the hive mind and serve me, and assist me in achieving my goals."

"No!" Aurora rushed over to Sonic's body before Shadow could stop her, and she stood in front of him with desperation all over her face. "Daddy it's me! It's your Tiny! Please, you've got to fight this! Don't give into Ba'Gan! I know you're strong enough to beat him!"

Ba'Gan chuckled and grinned evilly at the pink hedgehog. "There was a time long ago when that would have worked...but that time has passed. Now, there is only me." Ba'Gan took a step forward and Aurora immediately took two steps back. "Your father is gone Aurora, I am all that remains."

"I don't believe it." she dropped her head and shook it in weak defiance.

The alien creature just chuckled again and looked over at the emeralds. "This has gone on long enough." he said casually. "Now I shall capture you and have you all absorbed into the hive mind...but first, I think I'll have some fun by giving you all a beating you'll never forget...unless I want you to, that is." the emeralds began glowing black, and Aurora moaned as the negative energy began to radiate from the emeralds. "Does that energy bother you Tiny?" he asked with a condescending sneer. "I'm so sorry. I'll make it all stop soon."

Aurora growled at the now pure black-hued hedgehog that she once knew as her father. "Don't call me that ever again, only my father can call me that."

"Oh? Well in a sense, I am your father. So treat me with respect little girl!" Ba'Gan grabbed Aurora's wrist and began squeezing tightly as he lifted her into the air, and she gave a brief cry of pain from the pressure. Then the monster brought Aurora as close to his face as he could without actually touching hers. "Welcome to the family." he chortled.

"No!" Without warning, Ba'Gan was knocked back by a golden figure, and the pink hedgehog's savior caught her and gently put her down as he glared angrily at the leader of the Droid army. "Are you okay Light?"

Aurora shook her head to get her bearings, clutching at her hurting wrist as she looked up to find her boyfriend now in his golden super form, the positive energy emanating from him quickly making her feel stronger. "I'm okay, but what do we do now?"

Shadow kept his eyes locked onto Ba'Gan, who now seemed to be glaring at him despite the lack of any pupils, as customary for Sonic's dark super form. "Take the others, go through the portal, I'll hold off Ba'Gan long enough for you to escape!"

"What?!" Aurora's eyes widened in horror. "That's crazy! You can't beat them all by yourself!"

"I don't need to beat them." Shadow twisted the bracelets off of his wrists, and they fell to the ground as the golden hedgehog prepared to unleash his true power. "I just need to slow them down."

"But our plan! We need you! I need you! You'll die Shadow, please don't do this!"

Shadow looked into Aurora's pleading eyes for just a moment, and suddenly his own eyes widened in an apparent revelation. "Of course." he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "Aurora, you have to go, if you don't, your family is doomed, and I will be too."

Before Aurora could inquire as to what his meaning was, Ba'Gan surged ahead and tackled Shadow into the wall of the vault, growling viciously at him as if he were a wild animal. "You're already doomed! I will obliterate you Shadow the Hedgehog, but not before I make you watch each and every one of your so-called friends be absorbed in the most agonizingly painful way possible!"

Instead of returning the threat, Shadow turned his head to look at his young girlfriend. "Hurry Aurora! Time's running out!" he maneuvered his arm so he could keep Ba'Gan at bay for just a moment, "I promise, you will see me again! Just go through the portal! Change history for the better!"

"No, you won't take away my victory!" Ba'Gan was about to move in to destroy the pink hedgehog, but Shadow quickly grabbed hold of the dark beast and held him tight in a headlock. "Let go of me you miserable parasite!"

"Takes one to know one." Shadow quipped with an effort-filled growl. Then he looked up at Aurora, who was gathering her friends and leading them to the portal. "You caught us off-guard once Ba'Gan, but it looks like you got more than that blue faker's body, you also got his infernal cockiness. Now, it's gonna cost you."

Only Aurora had yet to leave, and she looked over at her boyfriend who seemed to be fading fast as the removal of his power inhibitors had caused his energy to drain at a rapid pace. "Shadow..."

"I love you Aurora, promise me you'll light up the darkness when you get to the past!"

"Huh? W-What does that mean?"

Shadow grunted as he almost lost control of Ba'Gan, whose rage had kept him from realizing that his Droid army was still awaiting commands. "Just promise me Light!"

"O-Okay! I promise!"

Shadow smiled. "Good...now go!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ba'Gan finally broke free of Shadow's grip, but he was just a split-second too late to stop the pink hedgehog from diving headfirst into the portal, and it disappeared seconds later, much to the alien being's rage. He glowered at the now once again black hedgehog and picked him up by the throat, squeezing it as tightly as he could. "Your time is up, Ultimate Life Form, you have not won this battle."

Shadow could feel his consciousness fading as Ba'Gan strangled him, but despite the extreme pain, he was able to give a faint and triumphant smile just before death took hold of him. "She's safe...I've already won." With that, the Ultimate Life Form fell to the ground as Ba'Gan dropped his now lifeless body, that same triumphant smile on his face even in death. The mission had been completed.