Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Nothing Lasts Forever ❯ Goodbye ( Chapter 5 )

Shadow and Rouge in

Nothing Lasts Forever

Phase 5

 

A/N: This chapter is EXTREMELY long and EXTREMELY graphic. If you don't think your stomach can take a lot of gore, then you may want to think twice about reading some of the later parts in this chapter.

 

A/N: Think this is the last chapter? I wonder about that myself.

 

-

 

“When you doubt the path trod thus far, when the hand you held is lost to you, gaze anew at the heart that once was…for all the answers are within.”~ Sorcerer's Book(KH2)

 

 

-

 

Nothingness.

A void.

Alone, Shadow lay within the depths of his sub-conscious. Floating as if submerged in a thick liquid, his inner being became partially consumed by his telepathic imagery as they assimilated with his subdued thoughts. He was dreaming yet had no realization of it. Whenever he shut his eyes, he always felt the same as if he was dreaming, but he never was. But those encounters were in the past now.

His drifting had yet to cease as it surrounded him in a cocoon within his mental suppression—almost mimicking the likeness of a womb.

There was an envelope of silence. Then like a flicker of light, distant sounds begun to emerge from the dark ellipse.

 

“Papa… Papa!!” A soft wispy voice called to him. He had never heard it before, and yet, while it felt so distant and unknown—in another way, it felt so warm and familiar.

 

Who was calling him? Did they mean to call him? Did they mistake him for someone else?

Shadow didn't understand. Yet, because all of this was happening within his mind, he HAD to be the one the voices referred to…

Right…?

 

Groggily, he allowed their presence and listened...questioning the title they gave him. Papa…...?

 

 

“Papa wake up, today's the day!!” Another wavering voice echoed.

“Come on, papa!”

 

...Who…Who is it…? Shadow spoke through the waves of his sub-conscious. Although he was `nice' enough to grant them entry, no one other than himself was able to enter in here. Even the voices that taunted, tortured and haunted him weren't allowed this far.

 

Frowning slightly, Shadow slowly opened his eyes. A thin film of liquid glistened in his crimson ovals as he lifted his glossy eyes and curiously rested them on the two blurred figures before him. He blinked a few times to allow for his vision get adjusted to the opaqueness surrounding them, and we he succeeded, he could fully make out two energetic children standing before him. One male and one female, yet their appearance seemed very familiar to him. Instead of questioning the familiarity within their faces and forms, he said nothing and silently let his eyes brush over the two of them as he sat up on a bed of nothingness. The female, who appeared to be the eldest of the two, seemed no older than 8. Eagerly she looked at him through pure and caring eyes. A large pink bow was tied into her hair and a beaming smile played across her lips as his eyes studied her.

`That bow… had Rouge ever worn something like that?' he wondered, then placed the thought aside. Why think of Rouge all of a sudden?

Allowing his eyes to linger on her a bit more, something familiar about her appearance had begun to stir a realization within him, but he placed it aside and shifted his attention over to the other child. A young male, no older than 4, perked up when he noticed Shadow looking straight at him and giggled. Then that realization returned and hit Shadow more than before from the mere sight of this boy But before he could utter any words, the boy had already begun to happily climb into Shadow's lap.

“Hold me, papa. Keep me warm!” the young child pleaded, clinging to Shadow as best as he could with his tiny arms.

Seeing the younger be reunited with someone of great importance to him as well as herself, the young girl smiled mildly and nodded to Shadow.

Not fully understanding what was going on, but having a hunch, Shadow lightly lifted his hands to the boy and pulled him away just enough to look at his face.

 

Large and innocent eyes happily looked back up at him. But if Shadow hadn't known this little boy was someone else, he could have easily mistaken him for a younger version of himself. Sadly, his eyes softened as he begun to understand and without a word, he hugged the boy tightly to his chest. After a few moments passed, Shadow lightly lifted his attention to the young girl who now stood right next to him.

 

“Papa…” she spoke softly, lightly touching his shoulder. When she received a piercing look, her mouth dropped open to reply, then quickly shut as she reconsidered her words. “Papa…I…I'm pretty sure that now you know what today is…”

“Where is your mother…” he interrupted flatly, not realizing the words he declared.

Alarmed in the least the little girl smiled sadly and shook her head. “She's not with us yet. But there is a chance that she might be soon.”

Knowing exactly who the mother she spoke of was, Shadow gingerly moved the boy away from his chest and slid him off his lap as he stared curtly at the young girl. “What are you saying…?”

She smiled. “But if she does then we can be a family….wouldn't you want us all to have the chance to be a family, papa?”

“ `Papa' ?” he questioned, standing to his feet, not taking his eyes off the girl. Slowly, he understood. Not because of the content, but because of the acceptance he had chosen to take.

 

“Look…I can't say that I'm not your father…” he admitted sadly, looking over to the little boy. Just peering into those wide and clear eyes drew a faint smile from Shadow but his frown soon returned. “But…I also can't say that I am…especially since the two of you have not been born yet…”

“We never will be…” the girl stated softly, barley being heard. “We can't. Mama isn't allowed to have any children and you—“

“I already know about myself lacking that ability…” he retaliated bluntly, fully aware of his impotence to breeding. But Rouge… also wasn't able to have children? He never knew… Why hadn't she told him?

`…Why didn't she tell me…' he shuddered, sulking in defeat. `Why…? Did she think I would be upset with her and not want to be with her? IS that why she didn't tell me?! ….Why didn't you trust me Rouge……..!!' Scowling silently, it was made perfectly clear to the girl that her `papa' had fully understood. She bowed her head in sympathy, imagining that she could understood his pain.

 

Shadow did feel angry by this at first, but it quickly dissolved into a sigh. “So, if your mother nor myself couldn't conceive the two of you, how are you standing here now…”

“Because…” the girl continued, eager and ready to answer the question, “My brother and I are your and mama's unborn children…”

`What…?!'

“ And since we can't be granted life in the world you both live in, the two of us had to remain in a dark and secluded place…”

Shadow winced as his expression collapsed. “…Then…what are the two of you doing here?!” he demanded, overlooking the opinion of the inside of his mind being `dark'.

Adverting his gaze, the girl had already been prepared to answer that question. Nodding slowly, she bit her lip and turned her saddening full eyes towards him. “Simply to warn you, papa.”

“Warn… ?! You mean—!“

 

The child's words finally got through to him.

 

`Oh no….' he feared. It all made sense.

Rouge could not have children and his sperm was defective. He knew that about himself already.

And since he couldn't produce effectively, the two of them couldn't raise a family of their own.

… … …

Did Rouge even want to have children? Did she know she couldn't? Why didn't he know?!

Feeling almost entirely defeated and plagued with answerless questions, Shadow forced himself to not look at either of them.

The acceptance of them being his and Rouge's unborn children was a hefty toll on him and his heart. But he did accept it.

They never existed, but were somehow able to `warn' him in his dreams and because of that he was the only one to speak with them.

That also meant the very day they spoke of was ---

“Papa…”the youngest prodded, tugging at Shadow's arm. Out of instinct, Shadow almost wanted to smack his hand away but something inside him made him consider otherwise. His body didn't make a move but his adverted eyes were racing.

“Papa…” the little boy continued, “I know that you understand…You already chose to be with us. Now we wait and see if mama will choose to be with us too.”

Now Shadow completely understood.

They were waiting for himself and Rouge to join them in death. And if they purposely contacted him on this day then…he knew what he had to do. But it would crush Rouge's heart if she knew. Then again, he wouldn't be surprised if she already had known. Shaking slightly from the thought, Shadow clenched a fist and looked elsewhere.

Seeing his reaction, the girl nodded, as if an agreement was decided and smiled to her brother then returned her gaze to Shadow.

“Today, then…” she said, with a hint of hope.

“Today…” Shadow reiterated lowly in a whisper, pondering, but still not facing either of them. But suddenly a light hand carefully clutched his shoulder. His body flinched, but relaxed as he allowed the embrace. But the moment he did, he began to feel a sudden drowsiness start to overwhelm him. “Papa…” the young girl spoke softly, leaning close to his ear. “…If you and mama choose to stay with us, that would make today a good day, wouldn't it??”

Feeling both depressed and equally shocked by the whole situation, Shadow slowly turned to face them but the moment he did, the children and everything else around them all disappeared.

And all he heard was the wavering of a faint and warm voice say : “Goodbye, papa… Goodbye…”

*

 

With a startled gasp, Shadow awoke from his telepathic encounter and barely had time to catch his breath before quick and nimble arms draped around his body and pulled him close.

Struggling for air without waking his partner in the process, Shadow discreetly turned to look at Rouge, who was still asleep but had him locked in a firm but loving hold.

“Got…you…” she murmured in her sleep with a goofy drowsy grin plastered across her face.

Shadow blinked in surprise, not knowing how to respond for a split second. So many emotions and thoughts were running through his head and seeing Rouge again burned that same question into his mind. `Why didn't you tell me…'

But seeing how almost fragile and innocent she appeared in her slumber, Shadow couldn't stay mad at her for long and soon his expression softened. “…Rouge….” Delicately, he brushed a finger across her cheek and lightly rested it beneath her chin. Despite how rambunctious she was when she slept, she appeared to be as soft and fragile as the petals of a flower. But Shadow knew better than that. A faint smile graced his lips as he watched her and toyed with the ends of her hair. “…What would I do without you...” he murmured, his words trailing off as remnants of his dream drifted back into his mind.

Those words that child spoke… His body shuddered as what she said returned to him.

“…If you and mama choose to stay with us, that would make today a good day, wouldn't it??”

He shivered. He never liked feeling fear from anything, but this time he didn't know what to expect or what he was ultimately going up against—A tyrant because of a rebellion ---or preserving the life of his family…

Family…

Maria was the only form of true family he ever had or considered important enough to be labeled as family. But now, Rouge was the most important person to him and he would never forgive himself if anything happened to her because of him.

If he stayed with her, they would be in danger, and if he left to ward off that danger, he knew that she would still get involved in someway. It was in her nature to meddle into things.

 

But for a moment, Shadow put his worries and concerns aside and leaned down to softly bush his lips across her cheek.

“…I love you…” he whispered into her ear and smiled when he saw it twitch in response. `…You're so beautiful Rouge…' he thought, gliding a finger across her jaw line and simply eyeing her. But the more that he did, the heavier the tug on his heart became and the guilt and regret of what he had to do began to infiltrate him yet again.

And before he could realize it, his body had begun to quiver. The burning of unwelcomed tears stung the backs of his eyes. Rouge, still asleep, only hugged him closer and nuzzled his stomach.

Shadow found this almost too hard to bear.

With great reluctance, he placed his hands behind his back and slowly moved Rouge's off and away from his body.

She slightly stirred and Shadow paused for a moment, then delicately placed her hands beside her. Gingerly, he lifted his hands under her upper body and lightly pulled her up and away from him. But suddenly he stopped.

Her eyes were lightly closed, her hair crisply framed her face and was still partially damp with her sweat…

Her face was calm and composed, the hint of red still remained across her cheeks from the previous night's activities…

Her lips were slightly parted as small sounds of her breathing emerged between them…

And ever so slowly, Shadow found himself being drawn to her… closer and closer until his nose brushed hers.

Then the sorrow hit him dramatically as the thought of never seeing her again tore through his mind and the next thing he knew, he had her in a tight embrace and his lips eagerly against hers.

Passionately and also sadly, Shadow kissed her and sent her the best love he could ever give her in that one kiss.

Soon, Rouge began to finally wake up and before her haze of drowsiness could clear, she felt a continuous warmth across her lips and automatically kissed back.

“…Shad…ow…” she murmured, folding her arms around his neck. “…Shadow…”

“Shh…” he shushed softly, placing a finger to her lips then leading it and two others to her face. Gently stroking her skin, Shadow kept his eyes closed and laid his forehead against hers. So many emotions…so many things he wanted to say in this one moment…to make up for everything, knowing full well he couldn't do that now…

“Shadow…?” Rouge asked, almost sounding innocent from the bits of sleepiness still tagged to her voice. “Shadow…”

“Rouge….” He replied, with a hint of uneasiness in his voice. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and widened them at the sight of the large aquamarine jewels staring sleepily back at him.

And there, he restricted himself no longer.

Without words, Shadow covered his mouth over hers and hugged her lovingly as his hands frantically roamed her curves.

A low sound escaped Rouge and the second it did, Shadow brought her down to the bed and laid her on her side.

He followed suit and kissed her sweetly before telling her softly to turn around.

Giving him a strange look, she parted her lips to speak, but Shadow dipped to catch those words she dropped and returned them in a kiss.

And after a reaction like that from a guy who usually withheld his feelings, Rouge eagerly went along with it!

Seeing her acceptance, Shadow lightly kissed her neck and nibbled on it as one hand traveled down her back and the other down her right side. Eagerly, he cupped the outline of her rear and lightly pressed his hips against her.

A soft moan slipped from Rouge and she nudged him back, letting him know she would accept.

Nervousness struck through him at that moment, but he pushed it aside. Slowly, he slid his hand up to her shoulder, around it, then downwards-spreading it over and across her peaks. His touch soon slowed as his palm glid over her nipple and caressed it in a circular motion.

Rouge moaned, whispering his name as she clasped a hand over his and pressed it closer.

“Don't…stop…”

“I didn't plan on it…” he whispered back, leading a flurry of moist kisses down her neck and to her shoulder as he led one hand to freely caress her thighs.

A quick gasp escaped from her as Shadow swiftly found her warmth. She fidgeted a little and moaned lowly as his fingers stroked her.

Not long after, Shadow pressed his length against her. Since he was still pretty new to lovemaking, he clumsily took a while to find her entrance.

But all was made clear when the loud and drowsy moan from Rouge rang in his ears.

Loving the sound of it, he ventured deeper inside her. Looping an arm around her waist, he trailed his lips to the back of her neck and resumed his nibbling.

“Uhhnn…” Rouge moaned, unknowingly wiggling her hips, beckoning him to keep going.

Holding her close to him, Shadow shut his eyes and allowed the sensations of their love overtake him.

 

-

 

Two hours later, Shadow lay in the bed wide-awake with his eyes to the ceiling.

Restless.

After making love to Rouge, his worries and concerns had come flooding immediately back to him and kept him awake. Rouge, on the other hand, slept silently immediately afterwards and had cuddled close to his side with an arm laced across his midsection. Lazily, his eyes trailed to her form and focused on her slow and deep breathing.

 

`...Beautiful…' he thought, lightly stroking her cheek with a finger. But then he stopped.

 

“…wouldn't that make today a good day?”

 

Remembering the words spoken to him in his dreams, Shadow roughly shook his head to relive them from his mind, but no avail. He had been holding it back for the past 2 hours, but now, it was nearly tearing him from the inside out.

He and Rouge couldn't stay together.

They couldn't live the life they wanted despite their feelings for the other.

They couldn't start their own family and chances were that today, Shadow would never see her again.

Despite the fact that he was considered `immortal', Shadow knew there was a way for him to still `die'—but it wouldn't be a natural `death'.

`What do I do now…?' he thought urgently to himself, `…I can't stay here…and worse than that…' he trailed off, looking to Rouge's face.

And there, his features dropped.

Their future and lives….they couldn't genetically pass anything on.

All his hopes, dreams and newly regained courage had been put into Rouge and their commitment, and even though it was over a very short period of time, Shadow eagerly awaited the day when he could see the fruits of their labor in full blossom.

But now, that was not going to happen—and he couldn't bear it.

Feeling his throat tightening in anguish, Shadow choked back any hints of sadness that would dare to display themselves and carefully slipped out of bed and out of Rouge's warm embrace.

The thought crossed his mind to use Chaos Control and leave without a trace, but that wouldn't be fair to Rouge.

…Rouge…

Risking one last look at her, a few soft words passed by his lips as a faint smile curved them. He took one last look at her room, his eyes traveling from wall to ceiling, to wall then back to her in the bed.

He wanted this memory to be a beautiful one.

Slowly, and painfully, he turned to face her door, then stopped. Glancing to her nightstand, a thought passed through his mind and he left the room for a few moments. When he returned, he was already finishing putting on his semi-damp gloves. He looked down at his right wrist and thought for a few seconds before extracting the ring bracelet around it. Holding it gingerly in his hand as if it were a small form of life, Shadow walked over to the bed. The thought crossed his mind to place it in her hand for fear that it would wake her up and she'd follow him right that second, so instead, he placed the belonging on her nightstand.

Not wanting to make things more difficult than they already were, Shadow reluctantly forced himself not to stare at her—knowing if he did, he would never be able to leave her.

Closing his eyes with his back turned to her, he heaved a quiet, but heavy sigh to recompose himself. And when he succeeded, he boldly stepped out of her room, lightly closing her tasseled door behind him.

 

-

 

 

The moment he stepped outside, he felt nothing. The heavens had opened and streams cool liquid pelted down on and around him. It took him a while to realize he was getting drenched. His mind remained elsewhere.

He didn't think, he didn't show any emotion.

All he did was walk. He walked wherever his feet took him.

Soon, he came across an abandoned highway. He had been devoid trudging alongside it for such a while, that he didn't realize until later what significance it held. Facing the highway, his eyes aimlessly trailed over to the spot in the concrete that showed skid marks and proof of impact embedded in it.

Then he realized…

`This is…the place where Rouge…' The moment he thought of her, a jolt rushed through him and caused him to temporarily lose his balance. Regaining it, he shook his head and placed a drenched gloved hand over one eye. Seeing that same spot where she found him practically dead, yet still dying, conjured up unwanted memories, and guests for that matter, as a sharp pain tore through his head, causing him to step back.

“…N…No…” he managed to force out while fighting against himself as well as the icy water pelting down unmercifully on him. “…Stop it…” he demanded. Those spirits hadn't interrupted him or bothered him for several hours, and how they decided to come back? He wouldn't let it stay that way. He suppressed them before, but it was time to rid himself of them

“Yes…” he murmured to himself, forcing himself on.

Ever since the incident, the road was closed off and the highway became abandoned. Normally Shadow would have loved to run on it to relieve stress and clear his mind. But now---

It was too late for that.

With a controlling growl, Shadow lifted his heavy feet and continued his trudge towards the office Rouge used.

His body felt so heavy…

His breaths were short…

`What's…happening to me…?' he thought, breaking the silence he once had. Irritated, he shook his head and neared closer to the building. Upon reaching the door, he noticed it had been a bit rusted.

`...It has been pouring a lot lately' he stated in his mind. Discarding the thought, Shadow shoved the doors open and took a look inside.

The interior was so tiny, he barely had to walk three steps to reach the computer terminal. Sitting in the swivel chair, he sighed and punched in a few keys—completely unaware of those in the shadows surrounding him.

 

*

A cold chill spread throughout the room and whispered over Rouge's exposing skin. With a shudder, she woke up with a start in cold sweat. Gasping for air, a light hand went to her throat as she panted to regain proper oxygen. `What's going on?!' she pondered, looking around. The instant her eyes caught sight of the empty space beside her in the bed, she gasped sharply and threw off the covers.

He's gone!!

“Shadow!!!” she called, hopping around on the floor, kicking the remaining bed-sheets from around her ankles and throwing on her robe. “SHADOW!!! ANSWER ME!!” she cried. Frantically, she stumbled to her door and pushed it open, nearly falling to the floor from using so much force. “Shadow, please!!” she called again, her eyes fleeting through the living room, the dining room, the kitchen.

He wasn't there.

Immediately, she checked the bathroom, even looked in some of the cabinets, and the hamper.

Nothing.

Shaking, she started to run to the front door.

 

Wait… Go back…

 

Rouge stopped cold in her tracks. What and where was that voice coming from?? Was it trying to warn her? Feeling a twinge in her heart, Rouge ran back to the kitchen and looked around and stopped immediately when her eyes beheld the refrigerator.

She had gotten a lot of different alphabetized letter magnets a few years back and was shocked to see them actually put to decent use.

In an uneven line across the fridge read in red and yellow characters:

“ I love u but cant stay

do not follow

listen to m3 pl3z

and b3 go0d”

 

Tears had formed in Rouge's eyes as she read the message over a second and third time. He used numbers when he ran out of letters just to get his point across to her. Just for her. `That idiot!' she cried, forcing a sad smile `….Idiot…!' Shaking, she threw her hands to her face to muffle her sobs, but then, she stopped. Lifting her head, a newfound glint sparkled in them, and she ran to her room. Throwing on an oversized t-shirt with wide enough slits in the back for her wings to slip through and some pants, she almost rushed out the door, but stole a glance at the nightstand.

 

Shadow's bracelet.

 

After what they had both gone through the night before with him almost leaving her and the trouble they had gone through---she returned to him what she held onto, but got something much more in return.

He gave her his heart.

She had given it back to him, thinking he'd leave her and never come back, but since he gave it back, could that mean---?

Without a second thought, she snatched up Shadow's bracelet, slipped on her arm and dashed out the front door.

`I'm on my way, Shad—` >CRACK!<

A loud and excruciating sound broke through the air, as Rouge was unable to finish her thoughts and instantly dropped to the concrete in a heap. A splash of red sparked from her head and jaw but soon became mixed with the clear droplets from above. Breathing rapidly, her heart brutally beat against her chest and her mouth was stuck in a gape. Unable to keep her eyes open for long, with a soft and sporadic sounds of combating to breathe, she forced herself…to rest…

Standing on either sides of her were two shadowy figures armed with odd sorts of weapons.

There was a burst of static then: “We found her. Agent neutralized. Permission to send in reinforcements, granted.”

“Excellent. Bring her in.” the other line replied.

There was a response in military jargon, before the call ended.

Stepping out into one of the festive streetlights near them, the two figures revealed themselves to be G.U.N soldiers but their uniforms proved they worked alongside someone else as well. One of them knelt down and placed two fingers to Rouge's neck and wrist as the other motioned for their teammates to infiltrate the building. “Allright, let's move. If that Ultimate Life is still inside, he'll be taken care of. If he isn't we've got another sector ready and waiting for him.”

The other nodded and chuckled and roughly snatched up Rouge's limp body and draped her nonchalantly over his shoulder, ignoring her obvious wounds. “Wooow, she's really soft. Think we can kill a few minutes before heading back to HQ?”

The other glared at his partner and smacked him upside the back of his head. “I said, let's move OUT. That was a direct order!”

“Sheesh allright allright, I'm movin out already!” Then he scoffed “She's a bat anyway…”

“That never stopped mankind before… Anyway, regardless of where that Ultimate Lifeform is, we've got something he wouldn't bear to lose…”

 

-

Shadow…where are you…?

-

 

Shadow paused immediately in his actions and turned around. He thought he heard a soft voice calling to him—someone important to him--

But nothingness was all that greeted him back.

“…Am I hearing things?” he cautiously wondered wanting to believe that, and glanced upwards, looking for a sign or answer.

There was none.

Disturbed and a bit confused, Shadow furrowed his brow, but continued to resume his research. If he could find the data surrounding himself, he could erase it and the knowledge that he ever existed as “Project Shadow”.

“And they'll have no reason to bother her as long as she continues with her investigations…” he murmured to himself.

Feeling a sudden cold chill, the stray quills on Shadow's back stood up and he shivered. “What was that…?” he questioned, again looking around.

Again seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Shadow continued with his previous engagement. Then a powerful and heavy sensation rolled over him and forced him to the floor. He quickly recovered, but for some reason had a deeply depressing feeling.

Then all he could think of was…

“Rouge---! I know it's her!” he cried, pushing himself to his feet. “…Rouge!”

Suddenly, the image of his unborn daughter and son lurched into his mind and he shook his head roughly to get he decrepit thoughts from his mind.

“NO!” he cried, grabbing at his head and shaking it roughly. “NOO!!”

It almost seemed as if he were debating with an unseen force—and losing sanity from it.

“No, I won't do it!! I won't kill her!”

Do it…

For your own good…

Forget her…

“No stop it!!! I won't listen!!”

Get rid of her…

Nuisance…

Dispose…

She needs you…

“What--!!??”

That last voice—it sounded like---

Not wasting another second in that place, Shadow burst through the door and into the raging downpour—only to take a blow to the chest that sent him flying back into the office wall.

Scrambling to get up, Shadow roughly wiped the rapid flow of crimson from his mouth and jumped to his feet, ready to attack when a gunshot rang out and pierced him in the arm.

Growling, he clawed at the wound, only to realize he had been shot with a tranquilizer and its contents were rapidly emptying into his vessel. Since he wasn't like humans or like any other lifeform, it would take a little longer for the effects to actually work.

“What the hell did you do to me?!!” he snarled at the figures standing in the doorway. Rows upon rows of them lay beyond the two crowding the doorframe. When he received no answer, he prepared to annihilate them for attacking him, but a bright light flashed and bounded around the room, causing him to adjust to the change. When he recovered, much to his surprise, he could make out a bright medium sized screen connected to some machine or communicator of some sort and before he could utter a word, the images his eyes beheld scarred him for life.

Rouge was shown on the screen, with her t-shirt torn and her pants hanging open. Next to her was a soldier with the top of his uniform discarded and a tank top in its place. With a sadistic grin, he waved to Shadow and used a long and cylinder shaped rod to glide under Rouge's chin.

Shadow's eyes widened and his pupils became almost microscopic as the soldier used the rod to turn Rouge's head to the side and exposed her wounds.

That…did it.

Enraged with a force beyond explanation, Shadow roared and emitted a power that sent all of the soldiers flying back. Swirls of red encircled and spiraled around him and the glow amplified the glimmer of his eyes even more.

I'll KILL them…!!

And within the quarter of a split second, Shadow was gone.

 

Over in the Laboratory on Central City, the soldier that had sat beside Rouge in the transmission rubbed the back of his head and asked another within the room, “Do you think we overdid it?”

“Nah” the other replied, shaking his head. “It isn't liked she was molested or raped…”

“……Um..”

The soldier's eyes widened. “Tell me you didn't rape her…”

“No, not that! …But I did…have a little fun…”

“Dammit, our orders were to distract him, not send him an invite to kill us! You may be the death of us all, soldier!”

He shuddered and laid Rouge aside. “Whatever. Let's just check back with the President…”

 

-

 

Light…

Floating…

Where am I?

Surrounded in a delicate encasing, the young woman's consciousness slowly reidentified itself and allowed her to do the same.

“Reawakening”, the consciousness known as “Rouge” slowly and lightly rose to greet herself.

I'm alive she thought. Identifying what and where she was, she slowly “stood” to her feet within her own illuminating void.

Looking around, she called out for someone—someone dear to her.

Shadow?

Was that his name? She tried to remember. Yes, that was it.

Shadow? she called again, but received no answer.

About to lose hope, a soft light and warm voice spoke to her.

So warm—and also so familiar—who or what was it??

She felt she knew it somehow.

But it wasn't his.

No, not his—it was—

“…Mama…!!”

Mama?

Who are you? she asked, her voice wavering into the atmosphere, Who's there?

As if to answer her question, a soft giggle was heard and a light hand touched her shoulder.

“Mama…it's good to see you, at long last. My brother and I get to see you…”

“You're beautiful mommy!”

Huh? What? Me? Who are you? she asked, looking around for them and her eyes met with two smallish forms before her.

One was female. The other was male. The female resembled herself in a way, whereas the male resembled Shadow almost exactly.

Kneeling down to meet their heights, the young woman eagerly and warmly outstretched her arms to them. Small tears ran down her cheeks as they understood and ran into her loving embrace.

My children… she whispered gladly, …our children.

“Yes, mama” the girl replied, hugging tighter.

The little boy jumped up and down while sharing hugs, excitedly making appeased sounds and giggles.

But then she stopped. …Why are we all here…? She asked

The girl slightly pulled away, expecting the question and whispered. “We're waiting for you and papa to stay with us…your fam-i-ly?” she said, the last word she spoke unsurely, as if she had just heard the word and found out what it meant.

Family…? But I can't have children… she said with a lowered expression. I never could, I was born like this… The only female in my family to not be able to bear a child…so I told myself I never wanted any to keep myself from worrying and dreading about it so much…But I was just afraid of accepting the truth…

“I know.” the girl replied

“And me too!” the boy chimed in, jumping up and down again.

“But mama, that's allright. If papa decides to join us and you do too, then…we can experience what it's like to have a fam…ily. And if we were, then that would make today a good day wouldn't it?”

Today…a good…day?

The girl nodded. “Yes…”

Wait a minute, this doesn't sound right…

“Please mama, stay with us??” the boy pleaded. The woman looked down at him and when she beheld his eyes, she instantly found what she fell in love with in Shadow all over again. Hugging him dearly to her chest, she shuddered as she wept.

I'm sorry…We shouldn't be here. But I'm not going to die yet. I'm not giving up on you, Shadow or us!

And with that, a bright light emitted from her as the void gave way and she fell, separated from her children and continued to plummet through endless luminescence.

 

-

 

“So, where is she?” an impatient male voice questioned intently. “Where is Rouge?”

“She's neutralized, sir.” One of the soldiers replied, saluting the image of the man on the screen before him.

“I know that, you twit. You told me when it happened! Well, where is her specimen?”

“His whereabouts are unknown, sir.” The other soldier answered, also saluting. “We had heard his previous location had been pinpointed at the agent's office in Central City, but he's on the run now.”

As if on some sort of cue, a sharp sonic boom filled the room and in a spark of red and black, Shadow appeared .

His feet didn't touch the floor, as he hovered in mid-air, frantically looking for Rouge. And the moment he located her sprawled out on the floor, anger tore through him and he flashed to her side.

“Rouge!” he called, his flaming eyes fleeting between her closed lids and her mouth. “…Answer me, Rouge…!”

A jolt shot through him as he felt her body shake then jump in his arms and the moment she regained consciousness, she began flailing her arms and legs wildly as if she were drowning. “Shadow!!” she called frantically and Shadow quickly held her to his chest, hugging her—his rage fading. “It's allright, Rouge!! You're okay now…” he trailed off, remembering her wounds. Upon doing so, he quickly checked and examined her head and her face with his fingers.

Splotches of red stained the fingertips of his gloves.

In utter shock, he stared at it as if it were a foreign substance he had never seen before.

Everything he ever knew and loved and cared for was shattered and endangered at that moment. And for the second time that night, Shadow lost it.

With a sharp glare, he spun around and met dead eye to eye with the soldiers who captured Rouge—recognizing one of them as the same one from the video transmission.

That smug gloss in his eyes…The shade of them… The way his eyebrows lifted and his mouth began its spread as he cried out in horror… His hands raising in a foolish attempt to shield himself…

And from that point on, all Shadow saw—was red. Cries and screams echoed throughout the room. Spurts and sparks of blood tore into the air as he ripped through the soldier—dissecting him of his arm, his leg, his neck, decapitating him…

With his hands covered and soaked with splatters of deep thick blood, Shadow nonchalantly shook the dangling excess of it with a swift movement of his wrist. Standing above the dismembered soldier, Shadow scoffed at his pitiful remains and raised his foot, preparing to smash the soldier's head.

“---op!! Shadow stop!!!”

That cry…who was it..? He had been so driven by rage, he nearly lost control of himself.

`…She saw me like this…'

Turning around, his body shook as the anger rippled down into the bottom of his body and started to dissipate at the sight of Rouge.

But she…

Trembling in complete shock and horror, Rouge stood with a shaky hand over her mouth. She shook her head continuously in denial of the events that just occurred before her, while tears continued to flow from her now red eyes.

Had she been crying the whole time?

Oh no...

`… Because of me...'Shaking his head, the guilt began to pile up inside him. Shaking from the fear of her never being able to see him the same way again, Shadow dropped his hands to his sides and started to take a hesitant step forward. But suddenly, his body refused to move and locked down on him.

Slowly, he was sinking to the floor but managed to hinder the process by balancing himself on one knee on the floor.

`Wh—what--?!' he growled in his mind, clenching his chest. Then a series of images rushed into his mind, reminding him of the tranquilizer he was shot with earlier.

Swearing strongly, he struggled to stay focused as a dizzying wave crashed against him, but was losing rapidly. Rouge and the flickering light on the ceiling above were the last images he saw before passing out.

“Shadow no!!” Rouge shrieked, too afraid to move and too shocked to just stand there. She would have stayed there wallowing in her indecisiveness if not for the mocking voice of the President.

Her ears twitched as she heard him mocking her and she slowly turned her head to face him on the screen---her moist eyes brimming with hatred and liquid.

Not seeming to care the least about what had happened to one of his soldiers, the President clapped and announced for the remaining soldiers to scoop up Shadow and carry him to another room---an operating room…

Knowing where they planned on taking him, Rouge straightened herself up and started to run after them but three guards blocked her path. Angered, sweat beaded her brow as she glared up at them—her hair matting to the sides of her face. “Move, or else I'll make a way through you…!” she threatened, preparing to attack when the sound of the President clapping caused her to stop.

“Excellent work, agent…” he mused, still clapping, “…At first I had my doubts, but you did a commendable job capturing him. I'm impressed.”

“I don't care!” Rouge snapped acidically, starting to push by the soldiers when the President stopped her again.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you. Grab her!” He commanded, and the soldiers did as they were told.

Held in a vice grip on both her arms, legs and around her neck, there was little she could do let alone barely breathe. The President saw this and motioned for them to loosen the clutch on her throat a little.

How generous…

“I apologize that we have to do this to you agent, but you were authorized to carry out your orders and nothing more with the subject. And to think when I last contacted you, you refused to hand him over to me. Even when I offered to double your reward.”

The soldiers holding her exchanged quick and silent whispers and Rouge squirmed to try and wriggle out of their grasps as best she could to make them stop, but they only squeezed her arms and legs tighter.

Yelping painfully, Rouge hung her head and shut her eyes, fighting back the piercing sting behind her eyes.

“…Please don't resist agent…” the President resumed, “…otherwise you'd be in more pain…” He paused, eyeing her discreetly through the screen. “I should have known better than to entrust an emotional woman with such a task. …Yet I knew you had some connection with this creature and I had hoped that very connection would lead you to him for me.”

Rouge didn't want to listen anymore. She squeezed her eyes as tight as she could to forcefully block out his words, but to no avail.

“And since you refused my direct orders, you are no longer an affiliate of this sector. I'm removing your status from you and labeling you as nothing more than a traitor.”

`No…' she thought `no….!'

“And…in addition to you being a traitor, you are to be executed promptly…”

`No!!' Rouge shrieked in her mind, shaking again—her body too numb to feel anymore pain at that moment caused by the soldiers.

“But…since I'm feeling a bit generous towards you, since you did capture the Ultimate Life with impeccable timing, I'll extend your sentence until dawn. You have less than 15 hours to mope and hate yourself. I suggest you make the most of it.” He then nodded to the soldiers with a despicable smile. “Send her to the OR. Let her watch her precious Ultimate Life squirm while we extract his genes. And someone clean up this mess while you're at it.” He added, referring to the scattered remains of the soldier on the floor. “Dismissed.”

At the command, the soldiers saluted, and still kept a firm hold on Rouge. Allowing her to walk, the soldiers who held her legs resumed their positions in front of her and led the way to the O.R.—with a dispirited Rouge dragging her feet behind them.

 

-

 

Shadow… …Shadow!…

 

-

 

Hearing that same voice calling out to him, Shadow stirred and moved his head from side to side. `Who's…calling me…?' he inquired, slowly opening his eyes and then quickly shutting them.

That light…its so bright! Yet he tried it again and allowed his vision to adjust to the luminance of the room.

“Where am I…?” he asked, looking around and taking in his surroundings. But once he tried to sit up, he couldn't. It didn't take long for him to realize that his body was restricted.

Instead of straps, he was tautly secured to an operating table constructed of titanium slabs bolted to a rather long steel table.

Glancing at the contraption as if it were a foolish attempt to hold him down, Shadow scoffed. It was a rather desperate attempt to keep him down, but not a useful one at all.

But his amusement quickly dissipated into fear as he frantically looked around for Rouge. “ROUGE!!” He called, then suddenly winced. Darting his attention sharply to his left arm, he caught sight of a tiny leaf of something white poking up from his arm. Turning his arm towards him, he realized that a thick padded bandage had been wrapped around his forearm. A small shaded area of a moistened buildup leaked through the bandage—indicating something was either injected into him or extracted out.

His eyes widened in shock as the thought of a part of him being taken away and pushed against the bars with his body.

Nothing happened.

Struggling now, he squirmed and fought harshly against the bars, yelling and shouting loudly—his cries of pain and anguish echoing through the corridors—his empty demands for chaos control—

Halfway down the hall next to Shadow's confinement, Rouge's ears perked up from his sound, while the rest of her remained distant and emotionally beaten.

“…Shadow…is that you, Shadow…” she murmured, straining her ears to listen. Painfully and slowly, she raised her head and suddenly stopped dragging her feet.

Through crystal clear glass window, she saw Shadow—strapped down to a metallic device. There were wires and tubes all around him. In fact there were so many, she couldn't bring herself to believe that he actually knew about them.

“SHADOW!” she choked out.

Feeling chills up his spine, Shadow looked to the window. He couldn't hear anything—the glass was too thick for that. But at the sight he saw, his brief joy of seeing Rouge was immediately destroyed by the grips the soldiers had her in.

“ROUGE!!” he vociferated, but his voice bouncing off the bright white walls of the O.R.

Stricken with horror and malaise, the grief-stricken bat began to shudder and cried out. “What have they done to him!!?” she shrieked, forgetting about the soldiers and making a break for the glass. She barely got an inch away from them, and was sharply reminded of their presence.

“Just what do you think you're doing!” Once shouted as another hit her in the back of the head with the end of his shotgun.

With a yelp, Rouge's body went limp in their grasps for a moment and she forced herself to lift her head back up.

“….bas…tard…” she whispered, the words barely trickling from her lips.

“What was that?!”

“Speak up!”

Pushing some of the other soldiers aside, the one with the shotgun fiercely kicked Rouge behind the knees, sending her plummeting them.

“Stop it!…Stop it I'm warning you!: she threatened—one eye shut from the blow.

The soldier grinned and kicked her again. “Oh yeah? Maybe this'll keep you quiet…” he stated, cocking his gun and pointing it at her.

Only able to see part of what was going on from her hindered vision, Rouge gasped and nodded.

Standing unbalanced to her feet, she headed towards the glass once more—reaching out to it as if her beloved hedgehog was within her very grasp.

Three of the soldiers started to pursue her, when the one with the shotgun stopped them. “Let her go.” He said with a sadistic smirk “She's going to be executed anyway…”

 

_

 

Light…All Shadow saw was light. Rouge—his angel—was reaching out for him.

“Shadow…” he could hear her sweet voice whisper “Shadow…!”

In awe, he watched her come closer to him.

There were no restraints in his pseudo reality…there was no blood…no pain…

Her wispy fingers motioning for him to come to her—to bask in the warmth of her arms and be embraced.

There was no pain…

No pain…

Eagerly, he extended a hand out to hers—his being the only splotch of shadow in a glorious surrounding of light.

Just directly behind her, he could make out the familiar forms of those he thought he wouldn't actually see today—

The young girl with the pink bow in her hair…and the smallish hedgehog that had resembled him so much…

“My children…” he thought, outstretching his arms for the 3 of them “Our children…”

Ecstasy and joy were the only words that could describe how Shadow felt the moment they all fell happily into his arms.

“I'll never leave you again” he heard himself speak. After precious moments of several hugs, the little girl started chuckling and peered up at him.

“Papa..” the little boy spoke.

“…wouldn't that make today…a good day?”

A good day?

a good day?

a good day?

Shadow gasped as everything around him went pitch black and in slow motion, reality ripped through his illusions as the image of Rouge, beaten and bleeding pressed against the thick glass, pounding on it…and pounding on it.

He couldn't make out any of her words by sound, but he could clearly read the shapes and movements of her mouth.

“Shadow!” she was saying—or perhaps she were yelling it? He couldn't tell. He didn't know what he did or what happened in that room while he was strapped down, but something in that room got Rouge to smile.

For the first time since early that morning—Rouge smiled. And instinctively, he felt himself smile back, forcing away the disturbing churning in his stomach.

Something was going to happen, he could feel it.

He could tell she was pleased she got him to smile—and seeing that, she nodded and spoke something he had difficulty making out.

“Y_u lia_” he repeated, then made it out along with the rest “You liar. I missed you. … I saw our children”

“She saw our---“

 

That woman…

If she is willing…

Then it is not by force…

 

“No…” he mouthed, the cold reminders of those voices came shrouding his mind again.

 

Traiiiitoor…

Trying to protect her…

 

“STOP IT!!” he cried, trying to wriggle out from the restraints. “STOP! LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!”

 

She is…

A part of you now…

You share…

 

Everything with her now…

Papa…

 

All of Shadow's oxygen stood at a complete standstill and his body nearly went on lockdown.

`Papa….papa…?'

Then it hit him. Those spirits, the voices in his head that provoked him and used him, his “children”!

It was a lie. Everything had been set up from the first night he let that truck hit him—when those spirits took control of him and lead him to that highway. They knew she had to be around, and if they caused a large enough disturbance, she'd be there.

For him.

All for him…

And the night before when they took over his body again was another part of their plan. Either outcome would have sufficed. If Shadow didn't win control over his body back, they would have raped Rouge and instilled his defective seed in her anyway.

She didn't have to even become pregnant. All that was needed was for her to become one with him.

And that was exactly what happened.

They had been playing into their hands the whole time and didn't realize it.

…And the farce about them actually having unborn children waiting for them---!

“…That was just their ploy of killing us off… Knowing we'd be vulnerable enough to fall for it…”

No wonder…it all made sense to him now…

“All this time…we were so foolish…!”

 

Exactly…

Without her…

You cannot live on…

 

Cannot pass anything on…

Nothing…

You are…

 

Nothing…

Worthless…

Traitor…

 

Broken, Shadow opened his mouth to object, but no sound came out. `No…' he thought, his insides hot and feeling as if they were being torn to shreds piece by piece within him. Burning tears stung his eyes and flooded them as he shut them tightly, fighting back the urges to scream.

They had gotten what they wanted.

They had gotten through him, they had gotten to Rouge and now, they had gotten through to the end…

The end….of…

“What's going on…?” Rouge whispered, watching Shadow with her good eye. Fear and worry shot up her spine as she watched him suffer. What happened?!

He was smiling just a few moments ago!

Just what did he see or hear that caused him to go into such a fit…?

Leaning closer, she called out to him again and started to take off down the hall when a gruff arm snatched her back and threw her against the glass.

Crying out in excruciating pain, Rouge could barely hold herself up and started to sink towards the floor.

The faint whisper of his name fell from between her lips “…Shadow…” Slowly, she closed her eyes.

Knowing something was wrong, Shadow threw his eyes open and watched as one of the soldiers aim his weapon at Rouge and begun to pull the trigger.

Every nerve and breath in his body got caught in his throat as everything …went…black.

“NOOOO!!” he boomed, his roar shaking the whole facility.

Breaking instantly from the restraints, Shadow's body erupted into an entity of pure fire, white flames rolling over his being.

“MURDER!” he bellowed in a tone that was not his own.

Startled, the soldiers cowered before the new being before them and tried to run—but Shadow was not about to allow ANY of them to live for what they had done.

Raising his powerful arms to the air, the wavering energy of the 7 Chaos Emeralds suddenly materialized within his reach with each having a small sonic boom of their own. Concentrating, his rage as well as his power increased a thousand-fold. Shadow was no longer a fraction of himself.

He was now nothing more than a blood-craving monster.

Instantaneously, he gathered the ethereal he needed to teleport into the next room, where he eagerly slaughtered every soldier in sight with one swiping slice of his hand. One swipe, tore multitudes of them into halves on the spot.

Their pitiful cries for mercy were amusing to him now. Such feeble and weak disgusting creatures!

With one hand balled into a fist, Shadow plowed through more than a dozen of them and tore out their innards with one `swish' of his wrist.

The hallways and rooms that he had been in and around him were nearly flooded with thick and putrid blood. Blood that seemed to cry out in vain to be saved as it assimilated with other like sinewy substances.

The ceilings…

The walls…

All strewn and splattered with blood and dismembered bodies…

His hands, his face, his nose—all speckled and dappled with a film of red.

His teeth—curved into an almost vampire-like grin…his eyes—dilated and racing .

Every strike, every blow, every move he made in destroying them…

He laughed, loving every despicable second of it.

`They will pay… They will pay!' The words repeated over and over through his mind as if his thoughts weren't even his own anymore.

His body was growing intensely hot—his insides ached and groaned with pain, torture and suffering, but he didn't care.

He didn't care.

His rage continued to grow, as did his unimaginable power…

Almost nothing could get through to him now…

 

*

Stirring, Rouge found herself still alive. How she was still alive she didn't know. Shuddering, she grimaced from the odd and uncomfortably warm feeling of a liquid surrounding her. Feeling her stomach beginning to lurch from the constant `waves' that she felt, she slowly pushed herself up from the floor, clutching her midsection with an arm. Taking a breath of air, she nearly choked on it from the steamy and disgusting smell that was in the room. Hacking, she leaned against a wall and with great struggle, forced both of her eyes to open.

And from the brief flashes of unexplainable images she saw scattered all over the walls and ceiling, her stomach heaved and she threw a hand over her mouth and bent over to release her sickness. But once her eyes beheld the splashing rivers of blood stretching beyond as far as she could see, her stomach released its contents faster than she could realize what was happening.

 

Dizzying moments later, she lifted her head and wobbled in her steps, trying to keep her balance and to avoid falling into the mess below her.

`What happened…!' she shrieked in her mind. `Where did he go…? Everything's so dark…!' “Shaaaadooow!” she called, her voice sounding slurred and distraught. “Shaadooooww! Where are y—“ she paused, stopping to catch her breath. `Where is he…' she wheezed in her mind. `Where—`

Her thoughts were interrupted as her heart beat sharply all of a sudden—once—twice—multiple times. Rapidly, her breathing increased.

She was hyperventilating. `I need to get out of here!' she cried in her mind and with a grimace and groans of pain, she managed to unravel her beaten wings and took flight.

 

Only mere seconds had passed and already she had begun to feel exhausted. How did things end up like this?!

She didn't want to make herself think about it. Losing momentum, Rouge soon found the weight of her battered body weighing her down—lower and lower until she almost grazed the citrine river's surface.

She had to rest---she had to.

Nearing closer to her limit, she flew for a bit longer until her wings stopped working. In a last resort, she threw her body with all her might and remarkably landed on solid ground.

`I made it!' she cheered inwardly, glancing over to the bracelet. Shadow's bracelet. It had been smeared with blood now. Frantically Rouge forced herself to her knees and tore off a piece of her clothing to attempt to clean it.

`Shadow's bracelet…he gave this to me…after I gave it back to him… He had better come back to me…!'

“Shadow!!” she cried.

Unknown to her, a soldier had somehow managed to escape freely of all the manslaughter, yet had wet himself, possibly in the process of sneaking away.

Creeping up nervously behind Rouge, he raised his weapon and prepared to striker her down with it.

“ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” he cried, swinging the gun down.

It had been only inches from her head when a sudden swipe out of nowhere tackled the soldier roughly in the torso and twisted his neck. Once he landed on the floor, his body burst into flames and he melted upon its contact.

Mortified, Rouge quickly made herself turn away from the scene. Shuddering she opened her eyes to see—

“Shad…ow..!” she whispered, covering her mouth. It was him, except, in a way, it wasn't.

Dark fiery eyes peered down menacing at her, pinning her in place.

Never.

Shadow would never look at her like that.

Shadow had gone through so much pain and through such a transformation…from not caring about his life to actually wanting to stand up and fight for the both of them…as well as their future together.

This was…

This was not Shadow.

Gathering a newfound strength, Rouge stood boldly to her feet and stood directly in front of the Ultimate Life in front of her.

“Who are you…” she demanded lowly. “Who are you!! Answer me!”

Smirking, he chuckled. “The Ultimate Lifeform. I go by no other name.

Alarmed, she gasped and took a step back. “Don't make me hurt you…! Give me back my Shadow, or I'll kill you.”

“Kill me? Would you want to risk your precious Shadow taking my place? It's his body after all…”

Not listening to what he was saying, Rouge shut him out and concentrated on the slither of light in her heart that Shadow shared.

`Shadow…listen to me…I know you're in there… And I know you can hear me…'

The Ultimate Life laughed at her attempts and raised its arms—the emeralds becoming white hot and emanating intense power…

`Shadow…please… I'm coming to find you!'

With a wave of its arm, a quickening crack traveled up the west area of the building.

`…Shadow…'

With a curl of its fingers, two sets of cracks ran up the left area of the building. The floors and ceilings had begun to crumble and fall apart, but Rouge continued to stand her ground and unceasingly searched for Shadow.

`…You idiot…you promised me you'd be with me…and this is the thanks I get…Is this what I deserve…? Is this what we deserve?!! You lied to me once when you tried to end your life. Don't …lie to me again…'

The Ultimate Life suddenly paused in mid-destruction as something within it clicked. Staggering backwards, it grabbed its head and fell to its knees.

“No…No! He's…He's…coming out…. He's…awake…!”

`Shadow!!” Rouge called, in her mind, still in deep concentration. `Your heart is pure! You could never turn into something like this! You are not a killer! You're not! …You just need time to relax with me… This is… ` she trailed off, then her eyes fluttered open as another voice spoke softly along with hers.

“…This is what you wanted—to be loved…right…Shadow…?”

He gasped.

That voice!

Trembling the name of the girl he loved so dearly and who taught him to love fell from his quivering lips.

“Ma…Maria…”

What has he done?! Everything he had built upon… everything he had done…

... For Maria… For Rouge… For all those that he loved…

Is this the way he showed them that he cared? By losing complete control?

Rouge…Rouge had never seen him in such a way before today. She had never seen him so driven by carnage and bloodshed… She had never seen him so uncontrolled and weak-willed.

He hated it.

“...And now I'm ending it…” he murmured.

Rouge blinked, not believing the words she heard from him at first and slowly sank to her knees. Slouching from exhaustion, she hesitantly extended a hand to his shoulder, barely grazing it with her touch before a sudden movement by him caused her to retract her hand.

“I…. I…” he started, trembling all over sadly. “I…I don't deserve you Rouge… I…!” he shivered, unable to finish his words and hung his head. Lukewarm tears traveled to his lashes and dangled from them.

Around them, the building continued to crumble and shake as it gradually fell apart. But nor Shadow or Rouge paid it any mind.

“I don't deserve anything!!” he shouted, his dispirited voice wavering unevenly.

“Shadow….” Rouge whispered quietly, reaching out to touch him again. She hesitated only once then fully caressed his shoulder. But Shadow moved from under her touch.

“Don't…” he shuddered, starting to sniffle. “Don't…Rouge…I'm not worthy of you nor your love…”

“Stop it, Shadow!” Rouge commanded in a forced whisper, slapping him across the face.

Flinching, Shadow lightly reached up and moved his fingers across his face, rubbing the spot she struck.

“Stop it, huh?” Shadow reiterated, smiling.

Rouge gasped as her eyes widened.

Shadow was…smiling? He was finally smiling! But why?! Just because she slapped him?!

Rouge game him an odd and bewildered look, but Shadow had become too relaxed to notice it.

Taking a deep breath, Shadow looked to Rouge with a newfound confidence in his eyes. And from his sudden comfort, the emeralds retracted their immense power and dropped around him in a colorful ring.

“Heh… You know…Maria did the same thing. When I was on the verge of losing emotional control, she slapped me—just like you did just now.

…And I couldn't be more thankful.” He said with an apologetic smile.

Gazing into his eyes and feeling all the sensations and emotions that lured her to him in the first place, Rouge laughed happily and threw her arms around him.

“Oh, Shadow! I'm just so glad that you're back…! You're finally back…”

Shadow said nothing for a moment, then lightly caressed her unkept hair and kissed her on the forehead. “Yeah…I'm back…”

“I was so worried…worried that you'd leave me and break your promise. I couldn't bear the thought of you being a liar, Shadow…”

Shadow said nothing as he held her, staring off into space.

Debris and pieces of metal and steel were beginning to fall all around them. And once most of the ceiling cleared away, Shadow jumped slightly as the cold liquid from the heavens showered down on him and Rouge.

Realizing what was happening, Rouge curiously looked up at Shadow. She too noticed the lab falling apart and clutched his arms slightly, as if to say `Come on, let's get out of here.'

But Shadow didn't budge and solemnly closed his eyes.

“...Shadow…?” Rouge called softly, tugging at the tuft of fur on his chest. It wasn't stark white anymore. Now it was dirtied and tangled with blood and other substance she didn't care to know.

“Shadow…” she tried again, but to no avail. She gasped as panic struck through her. He was still alive wasn't he? He was just talking seconds ago! Immediately she looked at his hand, then his abdomen and lastly at his mouth.

His hand was still.

His abdomen was moving and he was breathing through his mouth.

Relieved, she relaxed. But his sudden silence and lack of movement was worrying her.

“…Shadow…answer me…”

Taking a short and shallow breath, Shadow slowly allowed his heavy lids to lift and looked to her with an emotionless expression.

There, he spoke.

“Rouge…” he said, taking her dirtied hands lightly in his.

She was a little embarrassed from them being so covered in substances she preferred not to think about, but she boldly answered him with earnest eyes.

“Yes?”

Those eyes… So pure… So loving…

Gazing into such lucid and beautiful jewels, it took nearly all Shadow had just to fight back a sob. “Rouge…” he croaked, patting her hand. “Leave me here…”

Rouge couldn't believe what she had just heard and for a moment, she didn't. When he said nothing else, she shook her head in disbelief. “What?!!”

Uncomfortable things had to be this way, Shadow glanced to her, then shifted uncomfortably. “I need to settle things. Just leave me here…”

“No I'm not letting you stay here Shadow!” she claimed sadly, grasping his hands tighter. Then her pain turned into anger. “Why! Why don't you want us to stay together Shadow?! Do you want my memories of you to be a lie? Do you want them to be you as nothing more than a liar?!”

“…Rouge…” he whispered, shutting his eyes in remorse.

“No! You lied to me! You lied to me, you lied to yourself---! Tell me, Shadow, did you lie to our children too?!”

 

Our children…

 

At the sound of those very words, Shadow couldn't hold it back any longer and his whole body shook as his emotions overpowered him and tears cascaded down his face.

His features were soon completely covered in liquid, both warm and cool and neither could be told apart.

Knowing she must have hit a sensitive point, Rouge guiltily leaned closer to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Shadow…?”

To her, he said nothing, but sharply raised his head to the sympathetic heavens above and released a mournful yell deep from within a shattered and tormented heart.

His anguish.

His fear.

His suffering.

All of it…all of it separated from him.

Being lied to, being used, being tortured by illusions of his “unborn children”…

Even if they themselves weren't real or never existed, even as spirits, he wished…that somehow, someway, his children would unite with him…

And Rouge…

Shuddering, he finally began to calm down. Lowering his head, he wiped his face roughly with the back of his arm and brought his attention to the marks and scratches on his legs.

“…. Those children they…”

“They…?” Rouge lowly asked, trying to get him to continue.

Shaking his head, Shadow took hold of her hand and placed it on his chest--directly over heart.

“Rouge…if you…believe in any kind of miracle…then maybe someday you'll get to see our children….Our real children…”

“What? Shadow I…I don't understand…” Then she looked away from him in guilt. “I …I never told you this, but I can't have…”

Silencing her, Shadow pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.

Moments passed and debris continued to fall and crumble around them.

It was ironic—the night they shared their first kiss was almost exactly the same as this one--and possibly their last.

As much as he loved Rouge, he knew he had to settle things with the voices of his past that haunted him. Until that was cleared from his being, he would continue to have episodes and threats from them and possibly put Rouge and the two of them in danger again.

So…to prevent that from happening and to protect the woman he loved so dearly, Shadow decided to take that disheartening task and cleanse the pain entirely.

`He's going away…' Rouge thought, tears beginning to form beneath her lashes and mingling with the falling droplets. `...Shadow…is going to leave me …again…'

Shadow knew that Rouge understood his obligations to tie up loose ends, and for that he was grateful.

Allowing himself to bask in her warmth one last time, he hugged her gently, then gradually started to fade.

As she hugged him, his body had begun to feel lighter and lighter with each passing second. Not knowing what was happening, Rouge slowly opened her eyes, but inhaled sharply when her curved arms held absolutely nothing at all.

 

Shadow…was gone.

 

Staring wide eyed at her now shaking hands, Rouge balled them into fists and brought them securely to her abdomen—as if she were hugging as much as she could of what was left of him and his essence.

Whimpering lightly, she continued to cry for him, but did not mourn him.

She knew…she just knew that he'd be back somehow, someday. Moments later, she composed herself and began to wander out of the collapsing building. From afar, she watched it completely fall into itself and break into multiple pieces.

Needless to say, that lab would not be missed.

She didn't see it as a grave site and she didn't see it as a place to remember Shadow by.

He was always with her and she would never forget that.

Even though he was `temporarily' gone, as she put it, she was left behind and still had to face the judgment of being executed the next morning.

But that was allright.

`I'll get out of it somehow.' She thought. But where else was she to go?

“I'll find you, Shadow. ...Somehow…somewhere… But for now, I'm going to wait. And you had better come back…”

she whispered into the air.

Standing upon a steep hill, she watched the downpour melt into sunrise that day. “Wherever you are, I'm going with you!” she stated, also making a wish with those words. Closing her eyes, she lifted her head towards the sky and outstretched her arms—the 7 chaos emeralds in a multicolored ring beneath her feet.

Softly they began to glow…

 

 

 

~

The end?

 

Please give me extremely critical feedback.

 

-Mel