specialzone | you live an endless life forever

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you live an endless life forever

[ For Shadow, as far as he'd met, there were two Sonics that he trusted more implicitly than the rest. Implicit trust did not come easily for the black hedgehog, and trusting enough to tell another some of his past, though mild, was more trust than he'd give anyone casually. One Sonic he met while in Johto, who he was able to share some of his story with, and come to a point of understanding, especially at a time when he was trying to decide what to do with himself since two very important people had disappeared from the world.

The other blue hedgehog was one that had found him while Shadow had been suffering from hallucinations and intense fear, showing a side he never showed anyone else. That Sonic had stayed by him and managed to bring Shadow back to his former self.

Now, Shadow had holed himself up in a Station Square library, reading a few books. He had a pile of them on a table and was steadily working through all of them... But at the same time, he thought about his recent actions, recent decisions. Was he becoming what the Professor wanted him to be? What Maria wanted? Was Sonic right; that he should be whoever he himself thought was best? Living for oneself was something Shadow never did before. It would certainly take some getting used to.

He flips another page, catching up on history and technological advances made by mankind and different parts of the world. The information was greatly appreciated, allowing him to learn about the people he was supposed to help... for Maria's sake. ]

... Hmph.

[ He reads a quote at the bottom of one page. ] “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” Mother Teresa... [Shadow leans back against his seat, thinking about the quotation he read.] Is that really true, I wonder.

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[Sonic's ears perked up when he heard the question. A flash of ending up in the ocean without a way out--Sonic shook his head, not letting it bother him as it was never going to happen if he could help it.]

Well, why does anyone get on a plane or somethin' when they can't fly? I still like it since there's other stuff to do other than swimming or whatever!

[W-why do you have be so observant all the time, Shadow? /sob]

[ Shadow smiled a little wider at that response. He's laughing to himself, but he won't voice any of it; walking behind another person has its benefits. ]

Yes, of course.

[ Shadow himself hadn't yet learned to swim, there wasn't a need to before. But he never went anywhere that required him to swim... So it wasn't that much of a problem. ]

Hey, now, be nice! I'll... learn how to swim at some point! It can't be that hard! Lots of people know how!

[So says the blue hedgehog who is terrified of water for apparently no reason other than being unable to swim. He continued to walk, thinking about what he had just said and how true it had been. Why was it that he never learned how? He wasn't built for it or something like that. Everyone had to have some weakness. Why did his have to be so... obvious or simplistic.]

... I'll get over it eventually. I will.

[ Shadow looked at the ground. He was learning that everyone had a weakness of some sort... even if he was created to be the Ultimate Life form, a part of life is weakness.

Suffering. ]

I don't care if you get over it or not. No one can dictate to you what your weaknesses will or won't be. If it scares you, no one can force you to overcome it.

If you can live without swimming, then no one should tell you otherwise.

[Sonic stopped walking after Shadow had finished. It was embarrassing having what seemed like a pathetic weakness or excuse to stay away from something that other people took for granted or saw as harmless and ordinary. It seemed so irrational, even Sonic thought it was.

It wasn't a secret, all his friends knew of this fear. Sometimes they joked about it, as serious as it was. Just how serious it had been, Sonic never disclosed it to them. Not until now.

He looked ahead, not looking back at the black hedgehog.]

... Thanks.

Edited 2011-06-25 23:36 (UTC)

[ Shadow also stopped and folded his arms. ]

Pathetic as it may be, it suits you. Even the great warrior Achilles had what people thought was a simple weakness, but it wasn't something to laugh at.

[ He began to walk past Sonic. Looks like Shadow had been taking his reading at the library seriously. ]

We all have our weaknesses, they're more obvious the more we deny them.

[Sonic's ears folded, and he caught up to the black hedgehog who had walked past him, not wanting to get too far away from him. He looked over to him once they were side by side.]

Stop bein' right all the time, Shadow.

[That was hard enough to admit, but it was true what Shadow had said. It was comforting to know that someone, especially someone who was his rival, hadn't ridiculed or mocked him for it. He understood. And this was why Sonic had liked Shadow's company so much.]

... Besides.

[ Shadow looked embarrassed a moment, arms folded, his gaze shifting. ]

... I can't... swim either. Not yet.

[ He intended to learn, however. ]

[Sonic's ears perked back up from their previous folded position. Shadow had trusted him with this information. He was hesitant, yet he managed to say it. They really were alike in so many ways as Sonic was discovering bit by bit.]

You too, huh? [But he realized the reason as to why Shadow might not have needed to learn how to swim. Yet he kept it to himself.]

Do you know what this means, right? We're gonna hafta learn how to together then.

[ Shadow leaned his head away somewhat, not entirely agreeing with this idea. ]

I'd rather not. [ It wasn't that he was afraid, but neither of them seemed like good coaches on this kind of thing. ]

[Sonic tilted his head, thinking about it.]

I didn't say how we'd go about doin' it, but that we should! Or, ha, you could learn and teach me later. Since you don't have the problem with water anyway to start.

It's inconvenient, but I wouldn't say that I'm phobic of it, no.

[ He thought about it. Perhaps he could work it in so that when he learned he would teach Sonic. ]

How about your friends? The Echidna, the Fox? They can't swim?

[Sonic rubbed the back of his head as it was his turn to be embarrassed.]

Well, yeah, 'course they can! It's just... kinda weird to ask them, I guess. It's sorta hard to describe.

Why would it be "weird"? Haven't they known you longer than me? [ Shadow was showing his amusement now. ]

I think that's part of the problem, heh.

[This really was hard to describe.]

It... I kinda got an image. [Now was it not only hard to describe, but it was incredibly embarrassing too.]

I sorta never let it get to me before, and all of a sudden I'm askin' for help about it from them? It's... Yeah, it's still too weird.

[No need to reveal any weakness or fear. Or he couldn't afford to.]

Edited 2011-06-26 18:57 (UTC)

I see. Your pride gets in your way.

[ But even Shadow had his pride; it's why he wouldn't allow himself to do certain things. But he'd managed to push his pride down enough to eat cotton candy... He thought about that. ]

Blue hedgehog, you've been pushing me to find out more about myself and to throw away misconceptions. They're your friends, your family. If anyone would understand, it would be them.

[Pride. That was it. Sonic had so much of it too, and he knew he did. Was it necessarily good or bad to have that much of it, he wasn't sure. Maybe along with pride there was dignity as well, both of which he wanted to maintain and keep pristine.

But again was the thought that he didn't need to burden them. Not with his problems. He didn't need to trouble them, not after reassuring them that he would take care of everything, handle everything. But they had been like family or were his family, his only family. They probably thought the same way in return to him.]

Yeah, I know. Heh, they're always there for me, I know they'd have my back, even if I did ask 'em this late in the game.

[Soon the two arrived at the beach. And there it was, the ocean, the source of one of his greatest fears. He had been here countless times before, it never bothered him so much as long as he knew to avoid it.]

[ Shadow looked out over the ocean. He'd seen it from Prison Island. It was beautiful, but a cold smile appeared on his face. It may have been home to countless creatures, but now it was home to quite a few corpses. At least those that didn't escape the military base in time.

He walked toward the shoreline and allowed the water to touch his shoes. He thought about the White Jungle and Green Forest that had been destroyed when the bombs went off. That entire island had been destroyed.

Shadow didn't feel much when he'd planted the bombs; but now he wasn't sure. All the creatures that lived there... All of them were dead. Did it matter? Did he become what he hated? He smirked. It had been part of the Professor's will... In the end. ]

It looks quite innocent from this side.

[Sonic's thoughts were far from what Shadow had been thinking. Shadow had stepped closer to the sea, and Sonic had done the same, although he made sure that the waves never touched his shoes.

He looked out over the expanse of blue, out to the horizon where that blue met the sky, a lighter shade of the color below it. Though he knew just how fast the ocean could take his life, he never actually considered the fact that it already had for others. It would have reminded him of the time Station Square had been flooded. How many lives had been lost during Perfect Chaos's attack? It was terrifying enough to have to fight against it over water, all while not knowing when the Chaos Emeralds would give up on him.]

From here, yeah, it's safe. I mean, we're still on land and stuff, and there's no storm or anythin' coming, so we're good.

[Sonic picked up a small stone and tried to have it skip across the water's surface despite how the waves continued to ebb and flow.]

[ Shadow watched the stone skip, though quickly sink after getting caught in a wave. ]

No storm coming? [ He turned, that smile still present on his face, though not quite as cold as it had been before. ] You're a hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. There will always be a storm coming.

As long as the Seven Chaos Emeralds exist, you'll never be out of work.

[Sonic hadn't meant it in that way, but he had to laugh and agree with the black hedgehog's assessment.]

Well, a hero's work is never done anyway, Chaos Emeralds or not! And if I'm a hero, then so are you, you know!

[Maybe it hadn't been so bad, the ocean, all that water out there. It seemed threatening, but maybe he could handle it eventually. He could handle so many other things, why not this too?]

I'm no hero.

[ At least not yet. He'd been told that he saved the world with Sonic... But he hadn't done it yet. ]

Your past may not yet be my future.

[Sonic's eyes looked away from the ocean and sky and down to the sand. The waves and foam rushed up toward his shoes, but never touched them.]

... We never got to talking 'bout that. I don't even know how that's possible.

[Sonic had cared for Shadow. And only more so now because of that future.]

Why not? We're all different, here. You're not the first Sonic I've met, either.

[Spots a dolphin.] I've met two other Sonics before you. Both of them from different times and universes.

[Then Sonic hadn't been seeing things whenever he explored any of the other zones. This world that they had ended up in was beyond anything he could explain or rationalize.]

So what're they like? When did you meet them?

[What was he like in a different universe or time? And what about Shadow, there had to have been more than one of them out there. Same for the rest of his friends.]

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