So Long Goodnight (Sonadow)

Epilogue

'Is there any other way to make this right?' emerald eyes closed shut, white light penetrating his eyelids for a brief second before realizing that the pain was gone.

'Mephiles was gone.'

For a while, it was all that mattered.

Once again, dead silence covered the empty space as they floated away – there was peace, at least. After the cycle of events which they had no idea how long it had been running, they thought this hiatus was a pleasant sensation.

'Or has it been right all along,' the blue blur felt like broken glass, that any move could cause him pain.
Staying still for a while, he wouldn't have opened his eyes if it weren't for a pair of arms gently wrapping around him, 'And it was just us who finds reality hard to swallow?'

A fluff of fur tickled his cheek, and with all his second thoughts, hearing the voice of their owner was the best reassurance he could ask for at that instant, "Faker, we'll be okay..."

"I know," he heaved a deep sigh as he met his cerise gaze – appreciating how lucky he was for witnessing his rival's serene gaze out of all people. "Although, it would've been better if I was the one who really spoke about what's on my mind."

"So, you were listening. Were they true?" the ultimate life form ran his hand through Sonic's quills, letting him relax his head against his shoulders – knowing that his rival was the real faker this time.

The speed demon let out a warm-hearted chuckle as he nodded, a bit embarrassed how Mephiles got a hold of his thoughts accurately, "I don't have any reason to lie."

"Then the feeling is mutual, Faker..." Shadow intimately brought his forehead towards his partner, sharing a moment of comfort and affection they wished they had found sooner.

"Sonic?" a familiar voice called out after a while, revealing a long-lost friend who hurriedly fluttered close to heal the two back to normal. "You made it!"

"Chip?" the blue male turned around with a bright smile. "Heh, those wings are still loud as ever! And, yeah, I know right!" his cockiness was back – the hero rubbed his nose with a thumb. "Told 'ya, buddy! No way I'll leave a job undone."

"I hate to break it to you, but it technically just started," Shadow folded his arms, slightly perturbed for the idea of having another go of time-traveling. 'And I'm bound to lose what we've built so far... again.'

Not knowing what was exactly running in his counterpart's mind, Sonic shrugged his shoulders off, "Not if we settle this for real this time around, I guess."

"How exactly?"

"Tell us what brought you here," a deep and monotonous voice coming from Dark Gaia surrounded them in suddenly, catching the attention of the two.

"Same business as before," the red-streak hedgehog answered flatly. "To alter the future."

"By being thrown back to the past?" the god of destruction scoffed from the shadow, expecting their intentions – receiving a small nod from the ultimate lifeform as a response.

"About that," Chip looked away from them with an apologetic expression. "I'm afraid it wouldn't actually change anything if you just keep going back to the same point of time. Sure, the course would change, but the ending would be more or less the same... and we'd possibly meet again to make another transaction."

"Fair enough. Then take us back to the time you deem best," he pressed on, momentarily looking at his rival for validation. "A point where change is doable."