The Seven Medallions

Episode 30

Shadows POV
Countdown- 2 days

"Chaos CONTROL!"
After taking one last look of Piper beneath the fallen bookshelf, I vanished out of sight.
What have I done? I thought to myself.
I looked at the medallions I stole. The six of them were all in a bag around my shoulder and torso.
Was this really worth it? Hurting Piper, destroying Clair, and betraying them all?
Yes. It was worth it if I got to receive Maria's gift.
I know that it was a truly terrible thing to say, but I honestly mean it. She was my one, true friend, and I let her down.

I suddenly appeared in Eggman's office from using my chaos emerald.
I glared at the bald man sitting in front of me, still oblivious to my existence.
I cleared my throat.
He looked up suddenly, and took a sigh of relief.
"Oh Shadow, it's only you. Don't scare me like that!" He swallowed. "I nearly choked on my hot pocket."
I sniffed and set down the medallions on his desk.
"There you go. As requested. The six elemental medallions."
"Six??" Eggman growled and dug through the bag.
"One, two, three, four, fixe, six." He looked up at me and glared. "Why, Shadow, have you brought to me only six of the seven?"
I rolled my eyes.  "It seems as if the last one was destroyed long ago. We looked for it for weeks, to no avail. Finally, Piper found a clue and we discovered it was destroyed along with an entire civilization."
Eggman huffed and sat down in his seat. He rubbed his temples and thought silently to himself.
After sometime, he threw his hands upon his desk and looked to me.
"No matter, it will still work with six."
I stiffened. "What will?"
"Oh, didn't you know?" Eggman sneered.
"If I put all of the medallions around my neck, I will be the most POWERFUL man in the Universe! Sonic won't be able to stop me then! I'll be able to finally take over Möbius with the help of the amulets!"
"You really think that will work with only six of them?" I scoffed.
"Well I will certainly be more powerful than I was, now won't I?"
I crossed my arms.  Eggman stared at me.
"That will be all, Shadow. You are free to go." He pressed a button and the bracelet around my wrist popped off. I rubbed my wrist and glared at him.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Egghead?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I forgot." He waltzed over to the filing cabinet and opened his drawer titled "NIECE." He rummaged through the files and took out the brown package titled, "To my dearest Shadow"
"Here you go," Eggman tossed the package over to me. "Have fun with that. I promise that I didn't touch anything inside."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, I'm not that heartless. I know you too had a thing."
I growled and raised a fist.  Eggman gulped and dug through papers.
"Well, thanks a ton Shadow. I'll call you if I find any other oddly-specific packages."
My ruby eyes darkened and pierced at Eggman's spectacles.
He sneered and found his missing button pad. Eggman pressed the biggest one and I felt the floor open up beneath me.
"Tootles!"
I cursed as I fell through the hatch under my feet and landed outside of Eggy's base.

***

I sat alone in my secret hideaway under the Möbius mountains and slowly tore open the package. I was careful not to tare Maria's handwriting and signature on the box.
What could be inside the box? Maybe a memento? Or a letter? Perhaps something personal? Maybe a photo album?
The truth was, I had no idea. For the first time in my life, I was truly scared out of my mind.
My hand shook as I opened the package. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.
It was a video tape. A VHS tape, to be precise.
I blinked. Do I even have a VHS?
I scrambled through my base, digging through old junk until I found one. A VHS, probably old enough to be my mother.
I quickly hooked it up to the little tv I had in my room and slid in the tape. My head pounded as I turned on the tv.
An image flickered and I gasped as the image of Maria; tiny, quaint, poised Maria sat down on a chair and looked right at me.

My dearest Shadow,

She spoke.

If you are watching this now, I must be dead.

My heart shattered.

I'm not quite sure how I died, but I hope it was valiant.

She giggled softly, not believing herself. But you did, Maria. Your death was breathtakingly valiant. You saved me.

However fun this topic may be, my death is not the topic of this video. I am recording this for you now because Uncle Ivo had some sort of mission for you, and is the only time we have been apart. I wasn't sure if I would find the time again, so I had to take my chance.

If I had known you were doing this Maria, I would have killed you.

After all, if you found out I was doing this, you would have killed me before I finished.

I smiled softly.

Anyways, now for the reason I made this video. I want you to know, Shadow, that I am gone, and will never come back. I hope you know, dear friend, that I will always be with you, no matter what.
I shook as a tear fell down my cheek.
Good Shadow, please know that I am with you.

Oh I know, Maria.

Now that I am gone, you must make wise decisions, as I cannot help you no longer. I will always guide you, but you have to be the bigger person. You were destined to be a hero and help those around you, even though you don't believe it yourself. But I do. I believe you are good. And if you are good, then you must fill your obligations wisely and humbly.
Enjoy your role as a hero, Shadow. Breath in the air on Earth that I could not. Take in the sun. Lay in the grass and smell the fresh flowers. Be the hero that earth needs. Please, Shadow. Do it for me.
It all depends on your decisions, Shad. Please.

She smiled and winked at me.

Be a good hedgehog, Shadow. Don't make me haunt you.

And with a giggle and a grin, she walked over and turned off the camera.
She was gone.
And I realized what I had just done for Eggman. My hands shook as I collapsed on the ground and for once, let my emotions flow through me.
What have I done?🌟