Chapter 22: The Ultimate Returns
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Sonic Team.
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Shadow awoke in a familiar place, looking around warily. It's the chao garden, he realized, sitting up.
"Welcome back." Sonic beamed at him, sticking out a hand to help him to his feet.
"We knew you could do it!" Amy exclaimed next to him, gripping Sonic's elbow.
"There was never any doubt." Knuckles chuckled, Rouge at his side, smiling widely.
"Way to go, Ultimate life form," she winked, "how does it feel to save the entire world again?"
Tails rushed forward, hugging the black and red hedgehog, tears spilling from his eyes. "Shadow, you saved us! I was so worried!"
Shadow hugged the fox back, smiling. His smile faded, and he looked around frantically. "Where are Pyro and Venus?"
"Don't worry, they're fine," Sonic assured him, the two chao running out from behind the blue hedgehog, tackling Shadow to the ground.
He chuckled, the Hero and Dark chao tickling him as they clambered all over him, greeting him enthusiastically. "Okay, okay! Calm down," he laughed, hugging them closely, "you two were brilliant!"
"As were you," Sonic added, "Black Doom is no more."
Shadow sat up, the two chao still in his arms. "But wait," he began, a thought coming to him, "what happened to all of you after you were pulled into the vortex?"
They all exchanged glances, not sure how to proceed. Rouge cleared her throat, deciding that she'd recount the events to him. "To be honest, we're not really sure. Wherever we were, it was dark. We could see a beam of light, and it always trailed toward you."
"We could never tell where you were, " Amy picked up the story, "but we could always see you and the chao, shining with brilliant intensity."
"Amy and I could see the others with you, until they were sucked into the vortex," Sonic explained, "and after that, we all saw you do something incredible with the emeralds."
"By then, I'd already filled them in on the fact that you could use the power of the emeralds on your own," Knuckles stated, "and we watched you fight the Great Evil, and heard him announce himself to you as 'Black Doom'."
"It was so frustrating, watching you fight by yourselves," Rouge lamented, "we wanted to help you, but we were trapped. Our only way out, it seems, was through you."
"When you defeated him, we appeared in this white void." Tails explained.
"I was there, too. I saw Tikal," Shadow murmured, "she explained everything to me."
"About her father and Chaos Zero?" Knuckles guessed.
"Yes," Shadow nodded, "and she sent me back."
"She did the same with us," Rouge said thoughtfully, "but couldn't return, herself."
Knuckles quickly explained to Rouge what she had missed in their caper before the fiasco on ARK, filling in the blanks for her.
"But there's something I don't understand," Shadow said, his hand stroking his chin thoughtfully, "where did Black Doom come from?"
"No one knows," Sonic shrugged, "but thanks to you, we don't have to worry anymore." He shook hands with Shadow, both grinning at each other in mutual respect.
"You were right," Shadow chuckled after a moment, "you do die hard!"
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Epilogue: Parting of the Ways
"Are you ready to go, Rouge?" Knuckles called, the ivory bat hugging Shadow one more time.
"Be there in a sec," she called back, then turned to Shadow, "take care of yourself." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and joined Knuckles, who waved at him, grinning.
"See you around!" the echidna hollered, and he and Rouge turned, exiting the chao garden.
Rouge was going to Angel Island with Knuckles, where she would forever be exposed to the chaos emeralds, along with the Master Emerald. She would also be with the man she loved, but that was a bonus to her, or so she joked. Shadow knew better; she had grown to love Knuckles more than any gem, but was too proud to admit it. Her love for Shadow would remain unrequited. No one else needed to know.
"So, what does life hold for you, now?" Sonic sidled up to him, Amy right behind him.
Shadow grinned, "I think I'll take a page from your book, and go wherever my feet take me."
"We will meet again, won't we?" Amy asked, sounding anxious.
"Of course. What of Pyro and Venus?" Shadow asked.
"They're rounding up the other chao, letting them know that Black Doom has been vanquished." Tails approached them, smiling brightly.
"Once they're done, they plan on going to Angel Island, where they rightfully belong." Amy explained.
"Don't worry. Rouge and Knuckles will take care of them, and so will Chaos."
Shadow nodded, "I will miss them both," he stated, "when you guys visit them, tell them I'll be around someday soon."
"Of course," Sonic grinned, "until then, travel the world. Make new friends, enjoy the sights."
"Yes," Shadow shook the blue hedgehog's hand, "Maria would have liked that."
He said goodbye to each of them in turn, vowing to see them again once his journey was over.
"Sayonara, Shadow the hedgehog." Sonic smiled, and ran, Tails and Amy right behind him, the black and red hedgehog grinning as they left.
Goodbye, blue hedgehog. He took one last look around the chao garden, deciding to stop in the Hero Garden on his way out. He smiled, remembering when he begged for Venus' help, and had received it, after many moments of painstaking grovelling.
He then descended the steps, and reached the Dark Garden. He gave it one last, long look, remembering all the times that he and Pyro had shared, and all the chao who had once lived there. Yes, I'll visit them all, he decided, when I've truly fulfilled my promise to Maria, I will see Pyro and Venus again.
He sped out of the garden, stepping onto the transporter in the chao lobby. The stars shone brightly. Everything was back as it should be. With a smile, he disappeared, the chao world left to be silent, its purpose long since fulfilled.
-The End-
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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed reading this fic, and I hope the ending is satisfactory. There will be future stories by me, maybe even a sequel to this one, but it'll be awhile later.
Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. It's sad to end it now, but all stories have an end…until next time, take care.