The Light In The Shadow (Sonadow) (Book One - Complete!)

Chapter 20

Shadow's dream/death experience…

With a blink of an eye he watched Mephiles and Eggman essentially die in front of him and with another blink he found himself in fields of flowers. Looking up he saw blue skies and wispy clouds, there was a gentle breeze. It was almost perfect. He was aware of someone's arms around him and from his feeling he was in someone's lap. Sitting up slightly to turn around, Shadow found himself face to face with Maria Robotnik. 

"Maria?" Shadow paled looking at the young girl he had grown so close to in his younger years. 

"Shadow". Just to hear her voice made tears slip down his face. "Oh you silly hedgehog what have you done now?" Maria's soft voice was all it took for sobs to leave his vocal cords. Gentle arms wrapped around him. Shadow couldn’t believe it, his long-time partner in crime was within his grasp, lifting a hand he placed it on her cheek. He was aware of his missing gloves but he missed her touch. She smiled down at him as she stroked his quills in a way to keep him calm. 

Their time of peace only lasted seconds as Shadow felt a huge amount of abdominal, he buckled over in agony. Tears filled his eyes, "What's happening to me?!" Shadow cried out, a hand petted his quills. "You're dying" Maria stated, she wiped the tears away. Shadow groaned when another wave of pain hit him. He thought the afterlife wasn't meant to cause him pain. It was like a million of needles was stabbing him, blinking Shadow had to remind himself he wasn’t back in the Arc, in them torture labs.

"Shadow you need to return" 

"No please let me stay for a little bit” 

“Shadow, you have to go”

“But, what about you?" 

"Shadow. My time has passed. We will meet again but your unborn hoglet is more important than me"

"But…"

"Oh you silly hedgehog, we will see each other again"

"Mar-ia wait!"

Maria only smiled, her time was short. A golden hedgehog appeared behind Shadow who only frowned as she faded in front of him. Soft ghostly hands faded from his cheek as she faded in front of him with the two words that caused more inner pain than thought.

"Sayonara Shadow"

"No, please don't go, please! I will do better!" Shadow cried out, "SONIC!". 

His yell must have been heard as golden arms wrapped around him and pulled him back to reality. His eyes fell heavy as the pain grew too much in his lower body. What was happening to him?! He was so confused.

"Shadow?....Shadow?...Shadz?!" Crimson eyes opened startled only to find himself in the lap of a certain emerald eyed cobalt hedgehog. Quiet murmuring around him could be heard but he could only find it in himself to focus on the emerald eyes of concern staring down at him. 

"Sonic?"

"It's about time!" Sonic cried out. Shadow groaned, feeling something soft underneath him, "Where am I?". Sonic looked at him, "you don't remember?" Shadow frowned, it took a few minutes until the battle from before snapped him wide awake, he shot up quickly in a sitting position startling the others. 

"Shit! Maria!" Shadow found himself forced to lie back down by many hands. Blinking Shadow saw Sonic, Knuckles, Nic and Shadwick looking back at him in concern. "What?" He grunted out until his eyes widened when a force of pain would have made him double over if he was in a standing position. Looking around, Shadow saw he was in a bed of some sort and Nic looked to be wearing a stethoscope around his neck.