#this is also ultimately why Eggman works better alone and why it makes sense for him to prefer solitude | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

autisticshadowthehedgehog · 4 years

Text

Sonic X Theory: the other Ultimate Lifeforms

In Sonic X’s adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, they make an interesting claim about the Ultimate Lifeform prototypes on the ARK. When Rouge hacks into the base, she informs Shadow of one thing- he wasn’t the only prototype from Project Shadow that escaped the ARK massacre.

[ID: screenshots from Sonic X: one of Rouge looking up Project Shadow, surprised and reading “Shadow? Secure and dispose?” Another shot of two escape pods falling towards a planet, with the caption from a GUN soldier: “Our mission ended when we sealed away the prototype of the ultimate lifeform.” End ID.]

Rouge makes the claim that neither of these escape pods was Shadow... so in X Canon, is Shadow even who he thinks he is? And just as importantly... who are the other prototypes?

Full theory under the cut.

So first off. Let’s look at Rouge’s claim that Shadow isn’t who he thinks he is.

Part One: Is Shadow from the ARK?

[ID: screenshots from Sonic X of Rouge and Shadow talking, with the following dialogue:

Rouge: This is the progress report for Project Shadow, a plan to create the ultimate life form. The body they created is still held there.

Shadow: I know. That’s a prototype. I’m the Ultimate Lifeform they created afterwards-

Rouge: Two capsules were ejected when the ARK was shut down. But neither was found. They couldn’t lock up in prison what they couldn’t find. Do you understand? I wonder who you really are.

Shadow looks troubled. End ID.]

So two capsules were ejected and neither was found in the fifty years it’s been since the accident-- except I think Rouge is wrong about one thing. Shadow is who he thinks he is- because his capsule was sent out alone. It must have somehow not been logged.

How do we know this? Shadow’s flashback of being sent away and the man who worked for GUN are completely different- first of all, the GUN soldier doesn’t remember her saying anything to Shadow, or Shadow even being there- it seems that she died to send away something or someone else. Second- Maria is in a different position around the lever in both flashbacks. See the GUN soldier’s first--

Though we don’t see the full room, we get the sense that it’s small from the other shots that I don’t have the time to screenshot. She’s around an elevated platform not attached to a wall, and either facing the pod she’s sending away or in a completely different room.

But, both of Shadow’s alternate memories of Maria sending him away-- the first one more stylized, the second one we can assume more real-- neither looks like this.

In both, she’s in a differing position. In the sepia flashback, she’s not facing him, and pulling a lever attached to a wall. In the second flashback, she’s already on the floor, and the lever pad we see would cause her to be facing away from Shadow. In neither of these do we see any evidence that anyone other than Shadow and Maria are in the room or even nearby.

Shadow also has enough evidence he’s who he thinks he is- he has the right powerset, the GUN soldier says that they did, indeed, seal away an Ultimate Prototype, Gerald mentions Shadow enough in his monologues, and... honestly there’s really no evidence that he isn’t Shadow, other than the two pods. And two pods? Shadow was sent out alone, we saw no evidence of a second pod in either flashback. So he wasn’t with anyone else.

So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is that these are two different events- one where Maria releases Shadow, and one where she releases another- or, possibly, the others, the two pods that were logged as escaping.

Maria either freed Shadow first and then the other two, or she freed the first two, got shot, and then managed to survive long enough to send Shadow away. Either way-- these events are separate.

So what was in the other two pods? Two other prototypes of the Ultimate Lifeform, clearly, but nothing like the Biolizard, they’re too small.

Now let me ask you something... wouldn’t it make sense for the Ultimate Prototypes to look similar, if they were similar lifeforms?

And who do we know who looks similar to Shadow?

Part Two: Sonic is an Ultimate Lifeform

[ID: Shadow looking down at Sonic, and saying, “I see. We actually do look alike. It’s like looking in a mirror.” End ID.]

Okay so like. Unless you’re very colorblind I think you’ve noticed that Shadow and Sonic are completely different colors. But let’s ignore that for now-- they do have a very similar silhouette... in fact, Shadow’s silhouette is incredibly close to SuperSonic, which is Sonic at full power. And in-universe, they look similar enough that in low lighting pretty much nobody can tell them apart.

And not just that- Sonic has a lot of power for a seemingly “normal” mobian. [Yes, I know they don’t use the term “Mobius” in Sonic X but let me simplify this somehow.] His superspeed, ability to survive so much shit... he’s powerful enough that he presents a rival for Shadow without chaos emeralds (though Shadow is nerfed a little by the Inhibitor Rings- more on that later).

[ID: Sonic and Shadow racing; they are keeping up with each other. Shadow says, “It seems your appearance isn’t the only thing that’s similar to me. Who are you?” Sonic responds, “I’m me.” End ID.]

Shadow’s right- their appearance isn’t where the resemblance stops. And of course there’s probably the most damning similarity-- they are the only two characters we see go Super and have the ability to control the Chaos Emeralds.

[ID: First image is SuperSonic and SuperShadow, having absorbed the power of the chaos emeralds. Second image is from the Third Season, where a MetaRex shouts, “There are two individuals [referring to Sonic and Shadow] who can draw out the power of the Chaos Emeralds?” End ID.]

Oh and SPEAKING OF Sonic/Shadow similarities-- there’s a scene in Season Three where Sonic is being lectured by the villain about how all life ends eventually so why bother etc. and Sonic says that life is worth the good bits, all that jazz. Here’s the scene:

youtube

And exactly 1:25 in.... guess what starts playing

youtube

This song is scarily similar to “Recollection of the Ark”... Shadow’s sad song about his memories of the ARK... while Sonic is being lectured about still having faith in humanity. You know. Like MARIA WANTED.

Interesting how we know absolutely nothing about Sonic’s past, huh-- pretty much all we have before he meets Tails is that he says he’s fifteen years old, but honestly... are we even sure about that? First of all, if Sonic was revived alone, there wouldn’t be a way to tell his age, he’d probably just accept the first age someone assigned him.

Alternatively, we know from the end of Season Two and the beginning of Season Three that time works in a very wonky way from Earth to Mobius- in the ~2-3 days Sonic’s alone with Chris, a week passes on Mobius, despite the fact we know he can chaos control at any time. In the third season? Six years pass on Earth while six months pass on Mobius. So time doesn’t really work in a reasonable way, meaning it’s possible that Sonic is fifteen... and he lived fifteen years on Mobius after awakening, while fifty years passed on Earth.

And we know for a fact that travel between Mobius and Earth was possible even before the events of Season One... because Eggman was born on Earth.

[ID: Eggman looking shocked and turning around in a chair, announcing, “I was born in this world!” End ID.]

Eggman was born on Earth and somehow ended up on Mobius-- but he was young enough he didn’t realize until he saw that Gerald lived on Earth. So was he in the second escape pod? It’s possible, but I don’t think so-- he’d have to have information on Gerald, and it seems he had a picture of Gerald and Maria, so it’s likely he traveled with a parent or guardian, or at least some kind of family history, which I doubt Maria would think to store in an escape pod while everyone was running for their lives. This plot element was probably just to set up that travel between the dimensions happens more than we think.

Neither escape pod from the ARK was recovered, probably because they ended up on Mobius.

It’s most likely that they Chaos Controlled into the other dimension-- I know I said Maria probably wouldn’t think to store anything other than the lifeform themselves in the pod, but if the lifeform needed Chaos Emeralds to practice/control their powers, or the Chaos Emeralds were already stored in an escape pod for safekeeping-- or if, possibly, GUN was attempting to capture the Chaos Emeralds as well, and the Robotniks knew that they would use them in a destructive way-- all that combined could mean that the emeralds would also be important enough to send away in a pod.

If even one of the pods had Chaos Emeralds, it’s possible that the lifeform inside could have sensed danger and unconsciously teleported them to the most safe place from GUN-- another world where GUN didn’t exist and couldn’t reach them. And even better-- a world where mobians like them lived.

From Sonic X lore that I don’t have the time to find and screencap, we know that the two worlds used to be the same but split at some point in history. If this was after, say, the events of Chaos destroying the Echidnas-- which, sidenote, interesting how they disappear and nobody knows where they went, so it’s possible that Chaos straight-up split the dimensions just to get rid of the Echidnas-- then enough of their lore could remain. Old cave paintings, wall carvings, etc., could show enough mobians that scientists could probably think “oh, wow, that looks like a god figure. might as well design our ultimate lifeform after that, esp since they had this god that could control chaos and the chaos emeralds came from here.”

Wanna know what’s interesting about those ancient echidna temples? Guess who’s there-- if we go by Sonic 3 & Knuckles, a game that ofc had been released by the time X was being written...

SuperSonic.

Both the ultimate form of Sonic, and the silhouette of Shadow.

So let’s say they find this on the ARK studies, and they’re like “okay so our ultimate lifeform goal is a hedgehog. Got it.” There’s two options after this:

They make Sonic, but deem him a failure for reasons and cryo-freeze him until they need him or can release him. They then proceed to make Shadow, who they believe actually is their ultimate lifeform.

They made Shadow first, but after a while kept experimenting and making more prototypes, just in case, or possibly because they decided Shadow wasn’t powerful enough. However, the prototypes weren’t ready to awaken before the ARK massacre, Shadow never met them.

So as I’ve made clear, I’m pretty sure that one of those prototypes was Sonic-- who, of course, has no idea. Either he only entered consciousness after arriving in Mobius, or his memories of the ARK were so vague, traumatic, early, or a combo, that his mind blocked them out. Either way, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that he and Shadow are both prototypes, which is what gives Sonic his power.

And Sonic’s power, btw, isn’t limited like Shadow’s. Because he doesn’t have inhibitor rings.

If prototype!Sonic was sent away with inhibitor rings, he ditched them. Which would make sense, especially if he woke up with no memory of the ARK and didn’t know why these weird bracelets were on his arm. He would notice that the rings slowed him down and ditch them fast. And that’s assuming they even stuck rings on the prototype.

But if we do assume they stuck rings on the prototypes... maybe we can find the other lifeform that was sent away along with Sonic.

Part Three: Who is the Third Ultimate Lifeform?

Okay. Let’s do a headcount.

Who, in Sonic X,

Existed on Mobius at the same time as Sonic,

Doesn’t appear to have a lot of power but has a lot of incredible strength if you pay attention,

Sometimes shows strange abilities, such as far leaps into the air, a speed great enough that they can sometimes catch up to Sonic (though not as great, possibly because of the inhibition), even potentially the ability to summon weapons out of thin air,

Looks similar to the Mobian Hedgehog-- or, perhaps, with influences from a Mobian Echidna, who were the ones who had the SuperSonic glyphs in the first place, and thus could potentially serve as a design point,

Wears rings around their wrists at all times?

[ID: Amy Rose being absurdly powerful in several screencaps, often glowing; though this is normal anime expressionwork, it is something that exclusively happens to Amy in Sonic X. End iD.]

And, of course, this beauteous moment:

[ID: A scene from the season two finale of Sonic X. Eggman’s ship, on which Amy’s hammer is stuck, is high above her, and Eggman taunts “It doesn’t matter if you’re angry because your hammer is stuck up here!” In the following image, a moving gif, Amy summons a hammer out of thin air, a puff of smoke coming from it, as she is still glowing with a fire-like energy. Eggman’s robots shout “She has another one! How many does she have?” End ID.]

That’s right! This was all an excuse to spout out my “Amy Rose could kill God” propaganda! But it’s not propaganda if I’m right!

Part Four: The Lifeforms

So. It’s been a couple months since I made this post, but I was rewatching Sonic X with my sister, and we did notice that you do see prototype lifeforms for a flash in the GUN soldier’s story.

[ID: Screenshots from Sonic X; The GUN soldier narrates his story, as we see GUN soldiers arresting scientists, while standing in front of empty tubes of bubbling green liquid. The caption reads, “There were many rumors about ARK. Such as doing research for eternal life or creating the Ultimate Life Form.” The GUN soldier steps to a tube that has something in it. End ID.]

We see a brief flash of an experimental lifeform in this memory, as seen above; we also see two more, the ones that were explicitly stated to be the ones Maria was freeing.

[ID: Screenshots from later in the same episode of Sonic X, the first showing two tubes with dark figures inside, surrounded by dark blue bubbling water. The next screenshot shows Maria preparing to free them, with the captions reading “An experimental life form? She’s planning to free it!” End ID.]

So, these silhouettes. Let’s uh. Let’s take a look at those huh

Now, the bodies are too thick to be standard mobian bodies- but we can also see wires attached to the prototypes, as well as, you know, whatever that liquid is. It’s entirely possible there’s something wrapped around their bodies, to keep them safe/asleep/etc.

But..... ok so I might be reaching here but analyzing the face silhouettes, using red lines to mark quills and green to mark potential laid-back ears, it really could be long-quilled sonic and short-quilled Amy.

As well as this, in the shot of the GUN soldier looking at a prototype, I swear I can see a mobian ear.

tl;dr this is all fascinating me and I think we should let the Sonic X crew return to making this show as if they never left so that we can get answers to this

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic x #shadow the hedgehog #sonic adventure 2 #amy rose #mine #connie theories #connie writes

371 notes · View notes

classicdaisycalico · 3 years

Note

Im here for the most recent ask prompt. I didn't understand if we have to tell you a pair, but I will say #1 and #15 with shadouge

Short fic challenge

Anon I will do ANYTHING to liven up the Shadouge tag so HERE WE GO.

1. "A conversation you wish had happened in canon"

***

With the sheer brawn of Iblis and the devilish cunning of Mephiles, Solaris was the biggest challenge anyone on the side of good had yet to face. Without a doubt, the Emeralds were needed here. Sonic was needed here.

But he was dead...or so it seemed.

Elise mentioned something about sensing his presence in the wind, a sort of wishful justification that somehow the blue hedgehog was only mostly dead. Admittedly, Shadow would have been lying if he hadn't thought the same. That faker had a fighting spirit that could last as long as the ultimate life form himself could exist. Without that kind of motivation, any fight against Solaris would be for naught. Gathering the seven Chaos Emeralds, then, was the only right thing to do.

Somehow everyone had managed to pull through on this feat, and in record time, apparently. Granted, the destruction of time and space itself may have been a factor, but the speed at which the gems had been obtained was astounding, nevertheless. How ironic, Shadow thought to himself, that this process had been slower while the blue blur had been alive. Perhaps a well-timed nod to the idea after Sonic was brought back could give him the motivation to stay focused on the matter a little better.

Still, that would only happen if the revival was a success.

"Think it'll work?"

A voice next to him interrupted his train of thought. He turned and found Rouge standing at his side. "I don't see why not," he said. "The Chaos Emeralds had a hand in giving me life. They should have no issue in giving Sonic his back."

The black hedgehog couldn't help but feel his muzzle heat up when he realized how close the two of them were standing. It hadn't even been the first time the distance between them was this small. It was since that fateful day by the sea that he became more cognizant of the idea.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was the same day he had been told of what was to come for him and Omega, their faithful E-series robot companion, in the future. It was that same member of Team Dark, in fact, who would betray him and seal him into stasis forever, after everyone else in the world turned against him.

Everyone except Rouge, who rescued him from stasis in Eggman's base, who saved his life on several other occasions, who had worked with him to defeat his own biological father and his alien offspring permanently. Through all the light and dark he had suffered, she had been by his side the whole time.

She would make that same point again that very day. The words echoed in his mind, over and over again, like a broken record:

"Shadow...even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you...know that I'll always be by your side. Remember that..."

He wasn't wrong when he said "I will". Until now, no one else in recent memory would stand by someone whose past was so painful, someone whose memory had been tampered with one time too many, someone who was abused to the point of distrusting everyone around him, someone whose path to recovery was like navigating a minefield. Anyone else who said this to him would have him wonder if they meant such a promise.

And yet, he believed her every word. At least, with her, he never had to doubt anything. He never had to second-guess himself. Recovering from his past never scared her away.

Shadow respected that. He respected her, and he trusted her. For him to hold anyone in such a high regard was not something that was given freely.

Still, "respect" and "trust" didn't feel like enough to describe what he felt.

He recalled a conversation long ago with Maria on the ARK, where she once explained to him the concept of love. For a 12-year old girl, her response was surprisingly mature. According to her, she knew someone loved another if they prioritized that person's else's needs before their own in times of trouble.

She was absolutely correct. Between her, Shadow, and Gerald, her definition checked off all the right boxes. Maria was family, after all; of course he and Gerald loved her.

He had also come to learn that Rouge checked off all those boxes, too. Of course, the only context Shadow knew of this kind of love was family. This bat was not family, not in the way he was used to.

But he still loved her.

He looked over at Amy, wringing her hands together while trying to hold back tears as Elise lay the Emeralds in a circle around Sonic. As much as Shadow couldn't seem to believe it, maybe the pink hedgehog was onto something. Perhaps whatever she felt for her blue hero, he felt for the spy next to him. The idea held water very well; there was probably no other way to describe it.

Elise was now lying next to Sonic in the middle of the Emeralds, which began to glow. All the while, the ultimate life form let his fingers brush against those of his ally. As it turned out, these newfound feelings had given way to something else on his mind. "Rouge."

The partner in question turned and faced him. "Yes?"

"He can't fight this alone."

She blinked, feeling his hand grasp hers. "What are you saying?"

"Solaris may well be the biggest threat we've ever seen. Sonic cannot face it alone."

Rouge's eyes widened. "So you're joining him?"

"Silver, too," Shadow replied. "And even among the three of us, our efforts may not be enough."

The Emeralds were floating now, revolving around Sonic's body. Only one scenario involved the gems acting this way. If he was to help the faker, this was the way to do it, but before he could join him, there was one last thing left to do.

He turned to face Rouge. "People may die tonight," he answered. "And if I should be one of them–"

"Shadow, we know that's impossible–"

"If I should be one of them..." he resumed, harshly, before taking a calmer breath to compose himself. "You said you would stay by my side no matter what. Is that right?"

She nodded slowly. "Absolutely."

He took another slow breath, reaching for the limiters on his wrists. "If I should live after this battle...find me."

He removed them, while Rouge could only watch in dismay. "Shadow–"

He urgently placed the limiters in her hands. "Find me," he repeated, and sighed, shaking his head. "If only I told you sooner..."

There was a sternness in her voice now as she heard the serious tone in his. "Tell me what?"

Looking at her, Shadow could see up close just how many small features of her he never paid attention to, like how her snow-white hair curled slightly at the ends. Like how her eyes were a perfect mixture of blue and green. Like how her skin somehow miraculously remained untouched by battle scars no matter how many fights she found herself in.

He chose to set himself up for this. There was no turning back now. Taking one last look at his ally, the hedgehog shut his eyes and pressed his lips to hers.

He could feel her gasp in surprise, but that was irrelevant. What mattered was that she needed to know how he felt about her before it was too late.

Before he knew it, the spy was kissing him back. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, reassured that her feelings were mutual. After all, her promise was as good as binding. Was that not a declaration of love by itself?

On any other occasion, he would have gladly taken his time with this kiss. He could have deepened it, ran his fingers through her hair, lightly stroked her velvety wings, let his hands venture down her back and along her hips and up again, mold the sharp edges of his own figure into the softer curves of hers until there was no space between them at all. Call it the territorial instincts of his Black Arms DNA, perhaps.

Take that, Knuckles.

But there was still a war going on, and he still had a role in it.

They pulled away as slowly as time would allow, their eyes only half open and gazing longingly into the other's. Their foreheads were still touching, along with the tips of their noses. One of his hands still clung to hers, fingers laced together. He could hear her taking slow, steady breaths, stark contrast to the rapid pulse of her heart. Who could blame her? She was caught horrendously off-guard. "What did you want to tell me, Shadow?"

He wanted to tell her. Badly. But all he could do was gently nuzzle the side of her face. "There's no time."

"You can't just–"

Rouge found herself holding Shadow's limiters against her chest, but there was no Shadow standing in front of her. Instead, she looked up and saw him slowly backing away, the ghost of regret clouding his eyes. "What are you doing?"

He shook his head, feeling a part of his heart ache as the distance between them increased. "I'm sorry."

The ultimate life form turned on his heel and ran towards the Chaos Emeralds, now rapidly rotating around Sonic. His only focus now was joining the blue blur and destroying Solaris for good.

He had to survive. Only then, could he find his ally and let her know the three words that echoed through his mind, but never found the right time and place to say out loud:

"I love you."

***

OKAY NOW FOR THE OTHER ONE LET'S DO THIS

***

15. "The scene that will give you, personally, the most joy."

***

The sun was going down, illuminating the sky with brilliant shades of orange and gold fading into red. Dusk would soon be near, which meant nightfall was not far behind.

Being a bat, a night creature, Rouge thrived during this time of day. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't slow down and appreciate the beauty that this sunset had to offer. It almost made her forget the rest of her surroundings, like the tree attached to the thick branch on which she stood.

Upon suddenly seeing Shadow pop up next to her, she yelped in shock. "Don't do that! You scared me half to death!"

"Rouge, I have a question."

There it was, the perfect opportunity to ask her about what was on his mind, about how it was always around Rouge that he found himself trying to keep a cool head a little more than needed. It was her that made his face flush a deeper red than the streaks in his quills. It was her who made his heart beat faster than he could run. It was her that caught every man's eye in a way so tantalizing that he felt a need to tell them all to back off.

Tantalizing...like the many gems she chased after. Her eyes were like turquoise, her lips like amethyst, her black catsuit like onyx, her hair like pearls. Who was she to talk about the mysterious brilliance of a Chaos Emerald when she herself was right there before his eyes? And just like a diamond, her personality was just as multifaceted. On one hand, she appeared cold and cruel, calculating and cunning. On the other, she showed a caring and compassionate side, a side she showed to no one else but him. She was everything a jewel could ever be: hard to find and even harder to obtain, but so beautiful one couldn't help but get drawn in.

In fact, he'd been drawn in for so long, he nearly forgot he had a question to ask. "...When was the last time you ever really got to see the world?"

The bat was slightly taken aback by this question. "I–"

"And not because of some jewel heist, either. I mean...REALLY seeing the world."

She sat down on the tree branch, now much deeper in thought. "I...don't know. Probably...never? Why?"

The hedgehog sat down next to her. "Because it's come to my attention that I never have, either." He smoothed some stray quills back, a tell-tale sign of the nervousness he harbored around her. "To be honest...I was wondering–"

"Of course I'll come with you."

He froze. "How did you know?"

She shrugged. "Lucky guess. Besides," she added, reaching for his hand. "It's what she would have wanted for you. Besides, with Eggy out of commission for good, you've got nothing but time to do it."

He knew immediately which "she" the spy referred to: Maria, his surrogate sister from long ago, whose wish to see the world had never been realized. He also knew Rouge wasn't wrong about Eggman, either. He was gone. Completely. Nothing could restrain Shadow, limit him, make him doubt himself and his decisions.

He was, for all intents and purposes...free. And Rouge wanted to fly in that freedom with him. She helped him find it, after all.

A smile slowly spread across his face. "Then why wait?"

He grabbed her wrist, ready to venture forth, until he realized what was under her hand was not her wrist. It felt loose. Round. Like a piece of jewelry, no doubt. "Rouge...what is that?"

The ultimate life form could see her pause, her muzzle turning bright pink as she searched for words. "...It was from a long time ago," she answered. "I meant to tell you earlier today, but I forgot."

He tilted his head to the side. "Care to show me?"

She took a deep breath, and slowly slid down part of her glove from her elbow down to her wrist. He gasped as he realized what it was he felt: on her wrist was one of his inhibitor rings. "Is that–"

"Yeah," she answered, sheepishly, trying to avoid his eyes.

"How...?" was all he could ask. "When did you–"

"Since the ARK. When you fell from space back down to Mobius. Sonic found it...he gave it to me when I asked you where you went."

The bat looked back up. "Everyone thought you were dead, but something told me I would find you again...and I did. But you lost your memory, and between all those androids, and the Black Arms, and Gemerl, and even beyond that..."

Her voice trailed off. She almost sounded shameful when she explained it, but Shadow didn't care. He could only stare back at her in wonder. "You wore it this whole time?"

She nodded. "I'd say it's more important than any jewel I've ever found. I value it."

The bat looked up at the hedgehog, the uncertainty in her eyes dissipating. "And I value the hedgehog that came with it just as much, if not more."

He was speechless. Even if she didn't say the exact words he expected her to, her intent was clear: she loved him.

And his feelings were certainly more than mutual. "Rouge...I–"

He was cut off when she reached up to kiss him. This wasn't just a flirty little peck on the cheek, however. This was a real kiss, one that represented all the pent-up passion and emotion finally coming out.

It was here that Shadow realized Rouge was not completely jewel-like. Jewels were hard, but her lips were soft against his. Jewels were angular and severe, nothing like the gentle curve of her waist. Jewels were sharp, unlike the smoothness of her skin and her hair.

No. There was not a single gem on the planet that could replicate this.

They broke apart almost reluctantly, but nothing could stop them from smiling. It was an unusual feeling for Shadow to experience, but it made sense that it was Rouge alone who could make it feel less strange.

He felt the spy nuzzle against his shoulder. "Where to now, ally?"

The hedgehog couldn't help chuckling. He called her "ally" as far back as when they found Emerl. It was the closest thing to a nickname he was comfortable calling her. "You're more familiar with this world than I am. You tell me."

She looked back up at him. "I hear Spagonia is nice this time of year. Might take us a while to get there, though..."

"Are you sure?" He reached from behind his quills and brought out a Chaos Emerald. "Just in time to watch the sunrise."

His hold around her waist secured itself further. "Ready when you are."

She was grinning from ear to ear. "Let's get moving."

He held up the Emerald in the air, effortlessly uttering the words, "Chaos Control!"

Together, in a brilliant flash of light, they disappeared as the sun sank down over the horizon, awaiting a new day in Spagonia, a new day that would usher in a new era in their lives, one full of adventure, freedom, and most importantly, one where they finally found peace.

#melissa writes #shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #shadouge #my sonic series otp #Anon i'm so sorry for taking so long #writing these prompts down and getting ideas and whatnot took longer than i wanted #but i hope you like these!#also HI I'M STILL TAKING WRITING PROMPTS!!!!!#ask away!#now back to my regularly scheduled blogging

7 notes · View notes

cutegirlmayra · 4 years

Link

Oh? The first out of 10, you say..?

DA: (x), Wattpad: (x), Archive: (x) Fanfiction link is above.

Fic 1: Back when they were still unfinished, Metal Amy and Metal Sonic when he was constructing her and she turned on unexpectedly, he has a conversation with her that piques his interest in this little robot he's constructing, and that's where the evil fondness first starts... but she is innocent and knows nothing, so he kinda stoically continues and teaches her of her functions along the way Also, the beginning of him admiring his handiwork on her and her alone.

----

I also decided to make some prompts, about 10 maybe? ALL ARE UNEDITED but enjoy :)b

1/10, - - <--will have link to others shortly.

Prompt:

Metal Sonic, still on the old junkyard space shuttle that held the remains of Eggman’s past failures and memories. Salaving through them, Metal Sonic had successfully found useful tools, items, and computer software to build his support systems. Not only would they return to Sonic’s planet with him, but he would also rebuild himself and them to stand against Sonic’s perilous friends that gave his data processing a headache…

Metal Tails’s first prototype was given a stronger brain, a way to calculate and strategize better than the two he would construct later… but with a limit; not to succeed his own programming.

Metal Knuckles was given a sturdy, defensive armor and way to barge through enemy strikes like a battering ram, shock-absorbers and thick, cone-like shovels to dig through their often tough hides… but with a limit to his power; not to succeed his own design.

Lastly… the most trickiest to construct of all.

Metal Sonic scanned the heaps of trash left… he had gathered into piles useful materials vs. trash that would prove unnecessary or too worn to be useful anymore. Some of it had been melted through, shredded by Sonic and his friends in the past, and…

His eyes landed upon an … interesting… power source.

His memories of Rosy the Rascal were limited to a fearful child, one who later could summon a hammer and somehow find the implausible strength and courage to face even the most impossible foe.

And yet… through Sonic’s indirect encouragement and idealized image of a hero, she triumphed.

But how to utilize such a rare and indiscernible talent? Was it even worth replicating? And by his theories, this new Rosy would need the abilities to improve him somehow, along with combating and mimicking the strengths of her mortal counterpart.

He suddenly trembled, growing in rage as he dug through the metal scrap with vigorous swings of his lengthened steel claws, having the ability to reach out far and extend his limps as he continued to track the piece of equipment that had fascinated him so…

Encouragement… bravery… how could that help Sonic?

His eyes then blared red as the light faded while he continued to submerge himself in the chords, slashing through the metal remnants of Eggman’s badniks and old machinery before finally grabbing the square like compartment…

How could it benefit… him?

His eye-lights scanned the object again, checking it’s functionality as he withdrew his long claws and tapped the box with an electrical pulse running down his arm into the box.

The box jolted to life, and shocked him back with an even more powerful electric signal.

The lightning actually caused his finger to sizzle, and he shook it in a very organic way… staring at the box as though an idea had popped into his head.

He checked his energy levels, realizing it had juiced him quite a bit.

There was… fight left in this little package of a square electrical unit.

A battery…. Charged and ready to pulse life again into a form… a form Metal Sonic would provide.

His eye-lights dimmed and he made his way out of the tunnel he had created, blasting the parts away as he swiped his arm out to make sure none of the undeserving debris would even touch him.

He placed the box on the counter he had been working on, which used to be filled with pictures and documented plans all stored on USP drives that were useless to Metal Sonic, already having taken the ones of Tails, Knuckles, and even Rosy to use for later purposes in crafting their metal selves’s brains.

He tapped the box a moment… as though still wondering how to make this function well enough for his needs…

Crafting a Metal Rosy out of scratch… what would he need?

He looked through his memories, blueprinting but scrapping it at every new idea he formed.

Turning over his shoulder, he looked at the finished prototypes of Metal Tails and Metal Knuckles, dangling on chained hooks just barely off the ground.

It took a moment more… before he started on the pile he had already formed, and began to fuze with a fire torch the parts necessary to make the look work.

He thought about Amy Rose… and stopped.

He had almost forgotten how much she had changed… with her pathic Team Rose, he had successfully copied their data too… and was it right not to consider her change?

Change…

He looked at his unchanging metallic hand.

The fire flickered in his sights… lighting up his face as he realized that even with the copied data from her… what good would an Amy Rose serve either?

Was she not the same? Though her appearance changed?

He looked around for more suitable armor that would be light enough for the moves Amy Rose used with her Piko Piko Hammer. She had some strength, so to balance that with possibly an ‘armored form’ would suffice.

Amy wasn’t always violent, and if this Metal Amy’s abilities would mostly be charging and keeping the battle going… then some offensive form would be necessary to preserve herself until the battle was won… and Sonic’s lifeless body and friends littered the battlefield.

He noticed an electric spark down at the end of the long, rectangular space shuttle and began to follow it. Seeing that this was something that helped revive him, he picked up the long chord and looked up, seeing it was connected to the ship’s main power supply.

If he wanted a large battery support unit… he may need to harness that.

That would mean the entire ship would be left drifting without power… and he needed some of that power to engage the systems of himself and his supports when they were ready to become functional.

He tightened his grip on the heavy chord, pretty decently sized, like an elephant’s trunk.

He looked at the box on the counter… quite a distance away now.

Near him lay a large robot’s hide, and Metal Sonic finally had a decent enough set of supplies to craft her now.

Hauling the large robot from it’s resting place, he carried it on his back to drop in front of the counter.

Connecting many other wires he ripped from other sources, he created a long snake-vine that connected the sparking wire to his counter.

Steadily… he brought the chord to the box… It sparked like a firework with electricity sprinkling the dull, steel, long hall of Eggman’s contraptions put to an endless grave…

Metal Sonic’s eyes rested on the beautiful scene, his hand moving over the sparks, almost as though fond of the sight and the embers that flew off of the battery.

It was in perfect condition… and still had so much to give... in the ways of destruction and obliterating resistance to Metal Sonic’s ultimate objectives.

He lowered his head, determined to utilize this new strategy of the only useful thing he could think of for why Sonic kept Amy around.

Light. Energy. A spark of powerful life..!

A few days went by, much longer than Metal Sonic had anticipated. He was being too picky about this and that, too particular about her shape, the range of her electrical charging limits, and realizing the large box could be used so much more than what he was offering it to do.

He wanted to see it’s limits, test it’s abilities…

But with all the experiments, he worried it would drain the battery beyond use… however, it proved him wrong time and time again.

Her brain would need to match its energy outlet… so he made it more uniquely able to take in lots of energy sources… unlike Metal Tails.

Her body would have a surplus of kinetic energy to store, and therefore needed a sturdy, limber enough body to fully mobilize herself in both combat and recharging them while in battle… Also giving her the strength to wield such a large, hammered weapon which he took the hide of the battery to forge with the large metal body he salvaged. She would need to be agile, like her counterpart, able to wield the hammer with ease and not have so much tension in her body, but withstand the heavy blows the hammer would power would whiplash or ricocheted back to her. So not only her brain capabilities to calculate battle moves and adjust her weight accordingly would need to be improved, but so would her sense of gravity, and springs and shock absorbers as well… along with an immense tolerance to electrical burnouts, creating a revolving cycle that would allow her to expel and store an impressive amount of power... Unlike Metal Knuckles.

Such care… into a rather insignificant chess piece.

Almost successfully created, Metal Sonic was working on her jets below her rounded, half-cone of a dress, deciding to capture the look of Amy Rose instead of Rosy the Rascal.

While he did so, his long, slender claw accidentally looped and hooked around a chord that tugged on her interal engine, sparking the jet on as a puff of smoke flooded into Metal Sonic’s eyelines.

He blinked, before seeing a spark and removing his hands, watching the flame flicker out from actually making the jets turn on…

But then he heard a crink, and looked up in amazement to see that the electricity created from the slight, unforeseen engine rotation from her inner-motor actually was sent to her kenketic storage unit… starting up the battery as it sent invisible sparks to activate throughout her whole body… kick starting her up.

And awake.

He looked up to see her head begin to unlock on it’s rotating neck made within the head’s construction, and heard the scraping of her metallic coat against the turning motion of her head to look over her shoulder.

She was locked in position, but that was quickly changing as her arms remained straight out….

She buzzed a moment, but he already set up communication links in her software, and felt the signal translate to him.

His eyes opened slightly wider, registering her for the first time and identifying her within the communication wavelengths, his systems automatically translating her meanings to him.

“What?”

It was the first word her still processing brain could communicate.

His eyes lowered, hoping for a bit more of an intelligent response.

“Metal Amy.”

He knew she wouldn’t remember this moment, having not installed a memory core chip into her yet. It was sitting behind him on a counter, with some functions and objectives already pre-programmed through the functioning computers on Eggman’s junkcraft out in space.

He continued working, expecting her battery to give out since the engine didn’t rotate for that long.

But he forgot… how that battery could take one little shock… and expand it through the power already stored previously from within it.

She tried to twitch an eye down to see him, but there was clearly some glitching going on, and the eye kept wobbling up as though vibrating between up and down.

“No.” she responded, and in a bit of aggravation at his ‘creation’ being sentient for a moment, he glared up at her. “What you?”

He was surprised she wanted to know more about him than her own self. He tilted his head, “What am I?” he gave a low, metallic hum as a laugh. He lowered his head from her and closed his eyes, thinking this quite suitable for a support unit he literally created to care about his functionality than it’s own.

He gave her a snarky look as he met her barely functioning eye again, “Your master.”

She remained unresponsive.

He glared, “Metal Sonic.” he stated more abruptly, as though having figured her systems should immediately respond to that.

But they didn’t.

She looked away from him and towards the dark expanse of the long hallway down the corridor of Eggman’s ship.

“What that?” her communication was evolving, but Metal Sonic was infuriated by her dismissal of his stature.

“What is your objective?” To test how well her brain was actually operating, he began to question her to answer in her most basic of commands. Her module should immediately respond, but instead, she continued to have her shifting, shaking eyes examine the world around her.

“...Useless.” he had spent so long… so many days more of labor that he wasn’t even sure should have been wasted on this metallic folly of a machine!

He rose up, and gripped her head, threateningly. “You will answer to me. What is your objective?”

Her head jolted up and immediately, her attack mode was activated.

“What!?” He released her and watched as the panels on her dress shifted, her soft edges creaked and folded into a hard edge and like a jack-in-the-box, her hammer was deployed out behind her like a spring… shooting Metal Sonic all the way back into the counter…

Her engine was now flaring, and causing her to smoke. Her jets engaged and without proper control over them, she blazed forward and rammed into the walls, destroying her right hand and arm… then shot over to bash the left side of her face, destroying the eye that was there and leaving it to be missing in the rubble below. Her hand grinded quickly against the walls, almost destroying her left arm as well before Metal Sonic blasted after her, his hand looping around her waist from above and behind, and gripping her arm to twirl them both into the center of the lane. Dodging left and right the standing machines, dead badniks, and large obstructions that plagued them in the air.

“Shut down!” he commanded, as her single eye looked up to him, and startled him to his very core.

They were bent… they almost looked… afraid.

There was a sudden feeling in Metal Sonic… as though code that had never before been triggered before.

He turned around and kicked off a robot, skidding his own foot against the steel wall to try and fight against her one-functioning jet.

Like trying to stop a speeding rocket, he gripped her and pushed with his own rockets to the front, and slowly… his determination did slow down her momentum.

‘Her battery is more unlimited than I logically thought possible,’ he determined, though didn’t want to admit he couldn’t imagine, such an organic term, that her power supply would be this complexed to compliment.

He had striven to find suitable power outlets for the battery to fully send it’s power too, but it looked like might have thought it too small… it was proving to him that it was large for a reason… and carried a willful punch.

“Help.” the signal suddenly caught him off guard.

He looked to the struggling robot, unable to comprehend or control itself.

She was still looking at him… for guidance and aid. “Save.” … what did she mean by that..?

He felt them travel further down the corridor, and looked to see they were far passed the sparking chord he had connected through many more abandoned chords previously…

They were going deeper into the graveyard than he had been…

They could bash against the safety lock at the end and end up getting sucked out into space… he’d have to drain her battery to get them back.

Why… did he care about getting her back with him?

Was it all that time spent? Or the fact that she needed him to survive?

He shook his head, ‘Organic! Stop thinking with such foul terminology!’

He wondered if she meant ‘save’ as in to save this new data into memory, but couldn’t. Was she just pointing out her obvious flaws with being half-finished?

“You weren’t meant to awaken.” He didn’t care about terminology, looking behind him, he knew they were at risk if they didn’t slow down enough to brace for an impact that at least wouldn’t rip a hole in the large junkship.

“But since you are…” he was dedicated to saving her… why?

The old data of Organic Sonic’s influence began to spark new life in him, he gained a power he had not before known possible to a being made of oil and steel.

His jets suddenly launched out a flame so bright and big, it shouldn’t calculably be possible for him to transcend his own rusted makeup to be able to pull off.

He held her closer, yanking the now loosened jet off from her under as she tipped up turned him into a spin.

He had the moment in hand, though, and straightened himself out as he and the unfinished Metal Amy bashed into the wall of sealed steel behind them.

They made a dent… but they didn’t destroy the seal.

He fumed with rage as she slid off from him and started trying to toddle along like an organic infant, making her way through the piles of scraps and looking at the figures of older makes of Metal Sonic.

Silver Sonic..? Scrapped into an orb it looked like… but also tossed aside.

“You…” Metal Sonic’s eyes blared red, watching her waddle over and climb through the messes with no hands, but using her one little stick arm to reach the silver model that used to be a before-model to his own.

He jammed an arm out from it’s indent in the wall, raging with how everything turned out.

“You could have ruined everything!!!” still holding her jet, he felt it finally give way, now disconnected from its power source, and blasted towards her, bent on just scrapping the whole idea of a Metal Amy anyway.

But her battle mode disengaged and she looked to him with one that eye… that looked tenderly towards him in innocence.

He halted his assault and stared at her, floating in spot in the air.

She took her little stem of an arm and tried to point it over at him, tilting as she did so in her damage. “M… Master… Master is … in need of… recharging…” she communicated, a little stream of electricity pulsing from her arm that sparked through the air in an attempt to reach him.

He just watched, amazed she wasn’t afraid, but even more so… that with this limited about of potential… her battery kept her functioning for so long… and now her mind seemed to understand her objective.

Unaware of her own existence, she was trying to send a long enough beam of electricity to spark through the air like a lightning rod to reach his metallic frame.

It was a pathetic attempt… but the display of loyalty…

He had only programmed her to obey and fulfill a functionality… this determination of using her entire power, the last strands of her energy,... to recharge him?

“Heal…”

He hadn’t taught her that word.

Wasn’t even in her systems.

His eyes dimmed in their red.

“Thank… you…”

As she fell back, her one eye dulling into a grey, she sent one last shockingly powerful bolt of lightning that did reach him.

“Ah!” he exclaimed as his systems were recharged and the sensation left a permeant impact on his engine…

A small stream of red heat created a shimmer… then some simmering smoke on the affected area…

His eyes shook in wonder, “This… can’t be.” It was more than impressive… his trembling hand turned from aggression to an admiring shaking that he held up in front of him. He gripped the spot she had hit… like his heart.

He watched her continue to fry her systems… but determined then and there he would finish what he could of her.

Though the others thought she was unfinished, to him… he knew she had lost her hands and what have you from the little ‘adventure’ previously.

He knew when she looked and saw the universe that her processing had somehow found some of Metal Sonic’s organic-tendencies… and it bothered him immensely under the surface.

She knew how to use organic-like tendencies to get an idea across… but just didn’t seem to understand the languages implied pretext.

Life.

The one thing he could never fully give to her, craft for her,... create with her.

Unless..?

#metamy #metallic need #metal sonamy #cutegirlmayra #me fanfic #me prompts #metal sonicxamy rose #metal sonic #metal amy rose #sonic fanfictoin #metallic need prompt

9 notes · View notes

mobius-prime · 4 years

Text

253. Sonic the Hedgehog #184

Chaos Angel

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

As Enerjak and Super Sonic take off to begin their epic duel for the fate of the world, their clash causes an explosive beam of light to shine so brightly it's seen as far away as Albion (which, if you'll recall, is located somewhere around the area of modern-day England, whereas we're currently closer to New York), which Nicole barely raises the New Mobotropolis shield in time to deflect. Super Sonic snaps Enerjak's staff, and when Enerjak blasts him with a wave of deadly energy in response, he casually reminds him that in his Super form, he's totally invulnerable, making this essentially a stalemate battle between two living gods. Below, Julie-Su is shocked that Sonic survived the blast, but Locke is grumpy and hopeless, saying again that Sonic should have let him kill Enerjak with the Brotherhood's weapon while they had the chance.

It's amazing how clueless and callous Locke is here. I mean, I expected nothing more from him, really, especially given that he has yet to reach the point of redemption that he did in the M25YL timeline on his deathbed, but still, he doesn't even seem to show a single ounce of remorse that this is what his son has become. As the battle rages on, the Destructix watch from somewhere else on the island, and decide they definitely don't want to get caught up in it (which, really, I can't blame them).

Scourge reveals his supercharged warp ring, with enough energy to warp them to another zone entirely, and when Fiona expresses some doubt about leaving Mobius he merely reminds her that the ongoing battle is a battle for the fate of the world, and it's better for them to take their chances elsewhere. She decides to tag along for some "fun," which is after all the reason she left Sonic for Scourge, while Super Sonic continues to try to beat some sense into Enerjak above. He manages to get a yell of "crunch time" from him, giving him hope that his plan to bring Knuckles back is working, but it's not fast enough, making him worry. Julie-Su and Archimedes teleport to the Master Emerald's shrine, which has mysteriously been transported from the Chaos Chamber to become a small island floating in its own right at the edge of Angel Island (it's literally not explained at all how this happened, but I'm assuming it's Ian's creative license to once again make the world of the comics conform to that of the games a little more). They confront Finitevus, who merely states that even if he wanted to stop this, he couldn't by now, as the hex he put on the Master Emerald totally enslaved Knuckles' mind when he tried to tap into its power. He's uncertain about why the hex didn't affect Sonic when he transformed, but is mostly unconcerned, as his plans are proceeding regardless.

Finitevus, I don't think you understand one bit what actual heroes are like. Julie-Su and Archimedes immediately start arguing over which one of them will die in order to bring Knuckles back, with a baffled Finitevus looking on. Locke then rounds the corner, having arrived unseen, and announces that he, in fact, will sacrifice himself, finally regretting what he has brought on Knuckles with his actions in trying to protect him from the devastated future he foresaw. Finitevus, enraged, leaps forward to attack the three of them in an attempt to stop them, but Archimedes grabs onto him and poofs him away, leaving Julie-Su and Locke momentarily alone. Locke sadly looks down at Julie-Su, and explains that for all their extreme methods, in the end the Brotherhood really did love every single member, and only ever wanted the best for Knuckles. Julie-Su begins to cry as Locke takes his place atop the emerald, and begins reciting Tikal's prayer one last time.

Okay, I'm just gonna say it. As much as I genuinely liked Locke's deathbed scene in M25YL, I think this is a much better version of his death, narratively. It's also ten times more heartbreaking. The last time Knuckles ever spoke to his father, Locke hit him with a thinly-veiled threat to his family's safety, and Knuckles punched the screen and screamed at him in response. And now, without a chance to ever apologize or say goodbye, Locke is gone, having sacrificed his life to save his son. I have never doubted for a moment that Locke truly does love Knuckles and has always done everything with the best of intentions, which is precisely why I always felt he would make a better villain than a hero. The Sonic series, as much as I love it, is sorely lacking in three-dimensional villains, with most being either like Eggman - wanting to conquer the world - or Finitevus - wanting to watch it burn. Locke, as I've gone over before, would have been a fantastic antagonist. I think it very true that the best villains are the ones we can relate to in some way. Loving your child and wanting the best for them is very relatable to many people, and permanently messing up your child because of trying to do the best for them is a very real fear for the majority of parents. And Locke realizing this at the end of his life and then giving up said life for the sole purpose of undoing everything he helped to cause is the logical narrative conclusion of this character arc. Because of this, I think Ian ultimately writes Locke much better than did Kenders, despite Locke being based on Kenders' father (which is why I kind of feel bad even saying this, but eh, I've already made the argument that he should have been a villain, I don't think I can make it much worse from here). And as sad as this is, it just gets worse as Knuckles regains his right mind and returns to the ground, asking Julie-Su where his father is. Julie-Su merely starts sobbing and babbling incoherently about how she couldn't stop him, and just as horrible understanding begins to dawn on Knuckles, Finitevus returns through a warp ring, incensed that Locke stopped his plans after all. He yells that with his luck, Knuckles will even remember his time as Enerjak, to which Knuckles furiously replies that he remembers -

An exit fitting for one such as Finitevus. Julie-Su tentatively says that they should head back down to New Mobotropolis to let everyone know that the day's been saved, but Knuckles curtly cuts him off, refusing and claiming that as the last living Guardian of Angel Island, he's never leaving this island again, and he'll guard the Master Emerald alone for the rest of his life. And thus, we've finally come full circle. Knuckles started out as the lone Guardian of the island with no one else to help him, and now he's become such once again. Come on though, man, for real - your father sacrificed himself so you could have your own life free of the destiny he's forced on you, don't immediately try to isolate yourself!

Anything

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Stingray Grafik Wurks

Well, there's still one loose end we have yet to tie up - namely, the fate of the Dark Legion. While those who were happy to be free of their cybernetic trappings were transported to Albion, those who regret losing them have remained with Lien-Da, who now seeks the help of a mysterious figure to get her people's way of life back. Her speech is actually quite fascinating, because for basically the first time we actually get to see what a lifelong member of the Legion thinks of their own history, without immediately being made out to be a cackling evildoer. Turns out… their position is kind of reasonable.

I mean, I did just go over why Locke, and thus by extension the Brotherhood, are not really good people. I don't think they're evil - misguided, more like - but it's clear that in the end, extremism was the name of the game on both sides of the technology debate, and if anything both sides have only gotten more extreme over the past several hundred years. Ultimately, while the Dark Legion has absolutely employed some really messed up methods in their pursuit of their goals, their actual ideology is not unreasonable at all. In the end, they really were just a group of people who didn't want to tacitly accept being thrown back to the stone age by their government, and rebelled when said government - a literal theocracy, if you'll recall - created an entire goddamn task force operating outside of the normal legal system to try to drag them all into a world without technology regardless. I mean, literally, think about it right now - if your government, after a bad incident with one scientist going nuts and trying to seize power, in response decided to ban all technology and mandate that everyone had to regress back to a medieval lifestyle, how many of you reading this, right now, would just accept it and give everything up? And how many more of you would say "No way in hell is this okay" and join a revolution? Use technology in secret, rebel, fight for your right to live life as a modern human being with modern comforts? The Legion was twisted over time into a force that fought for all the wrong reasons, looking for power instead of freedom, but in the end, they were more wronged than anyone else in this whole debate, and absolutely had a right to be angry over the way they were mistreated.

Lien-Da, treacherous nature aside, clearly does believe in her people's way of life, and so she crafts a deal with her mysterious contact - if he makes her the Grandmaster of the Legion, a title which she feels she deserves after watching her late brother and the decrepit Dimitri take the reins before her, she'll join his cause and have her soldiers act as his new ground forces since his were destroyed by Enerjak. Gee, I wonder who this mysterious figure could be? Ah, what the hell am I acting all coy for, it's Eggman, naturally, and he's more than happy to accept this deal. However, to Lien-Da's incredulous disappointment, the position of Grandmaster has already been filled - by none other than Dimitri! Yeah, Eggman's given him some upgrades, turning his dreadlocks into bizarre tentacle-like appendages sticking out from his head bubble. Aw, yeah, Eggman, no need to give him a proper body or anything like that, just give him hair tentacles, it'll be fiiine!

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 184 #writer: ian flynn #pencils: tracy yardley #colors: jason jensen #colors: aimee r ray #colors: joshua d ray

19 notes · View notes

sovereign-of-shipping · 5 years

Text

@infinadow-week Day 3: Fear/Happiness Word Count: 4750 words Pairing: Infinadow, Shadfinite Summary: After being taken into custody, Infinite contemplates on who and what led him to where he is now. A/N: Hey, I kinda feel like some of us just kinda ignore how canon implies that Shadow might have killed the Jackal Squad, so I just… *soft shoes away awkwardly* There are mentions of death in this, so reader discretion advised. I can’t call this shippy, but I felt like it had to be addressed between these two before I could move onto the other prompts. Also this one is... long, so buckle in.

Infinite awoke in a hospital bed, his wrists bound to the railings. Not that he was much of a threat in his weakened state, but he supposed he couldn’t blame them for being cautious. He had nearly destroyed the world as they knew it, after all.

The room he was in held no windows or other beds, but there was an abundance of monitors and equipment that surrounded his bed. Everything in the room was a sickening shade of white, from the ceiling to the floors to the sheets he was tangled in. The lamp behind his bed was the only thing that illuminated the room.

His aches returned, causing him to wince again. Infinite attempted to bring his hand to his chest, but was cruelly reminded of his restraints. He growled angrily before he leaned towards the right rail where his wrist was bound. Once he was close enough, Infinite used his hand to grip the collar of his hospital gown.

Infinite peered down his gown to gaze at his chest. The Phantom Ruby remained, but it was not glowing as brightly as it once did. He supposed it had to do with his weakened state and lack of power supply to keep it charged. Still, it was a wonder that it glowed at all.

His thoughts were interrupted by another wave of pain and his hand gripped his collar tightly as he let out another cry. Once the pain subsided, Infinite released his hold on his collar and fell back against his bed. Another twinge of pain caused him to suck in air through his teeth sharply, but he didn’t cry out again.

Infinite had grown so used to the unlimited power of the Ruby that he had forgotten what life was like before it. The strength that once coursed through his veins was but a fleeting memory, and some part of him wished he could recall it in its entirety.

Aside from how he was rescued by Shadow and his team, he was having trouble recalling what had led him to back to Dr. Eggman’s Mystic Jungle base. Was it the Phantom Ruby trying to save him? Or was he lulled there by some other, unknown force? He had no clue.

Infinite didn’t like not knowing things.

He may not have been traditionally educated by any means, but even he knew that knowledge was power. He liked to know what he was getting into, what kind of threat he was up against. It was through his study and analysis of Sonic that he was able to defeat him in the first place. Not that it did him much good when Sonic and his companion defeated him, of course.

Infinite clenched his teeth. That was the last thing he could recall before finding himself in the Mystic Jungle base. He still didn’t understand how it happened. Infinite had the Phantom Ruby and just a few months before, he had brought Sonic the Hedgehog down to his knees. Yet, when their final battle was over, Infinite was the one to fall to his.

It just didn’t make sense.

“Your mask can’t hide how sad and lonely you are!”

As much as he hated to admit it, the blue rodent’s words had struck a chord with him. Sonic couldn’t have had any way of knowing who he really was or what had happened to him that fateful night in the Mystic Jungle. He couldn’t have known about what happened to his squad.

Ra, just thinking about it made him seethe.

After hearing of his squad’s defeat, Infinite’s fury had blinded him to the power his opponent held. He knew how strong Shadow was. He knew who he was and just what he was capable of. He just didn’t care.

In the moments after his defeat, Infinite was shaken. He had spent years building himself up, building his squad up. He led raid after raid, stealing and bartering their way through to get better, stronger, fiercer. He was their leader, the ultimate mercenary, and they were proud to follow after him.

When Shadow defeated him, it brought him back to a time before that. Before he was as strong as he was, he had been so incredibly weak. He thought he rid himself of the person he was before. He thought he had gotten better. He thought he had gotten stronger.

That night, he realized he wasn’t even close.

It took a lot for Infinite not to break down at the memory of what came after his defeat. While he was furious at how easily defeated he had been, his anger multiplied when he recalled the swift defeat of his members. However, that anger was undercut almost immediately upon reconvening with Dr. Eggman.

The doctor had been so furious in his call to Infinite. He had called his squad-- his own squad-- worthless. However, when Infinite returned to the lab to meet up with the doctor, his whole tone had changed radically. All of his rage had evaporated into something more somber, almost mournful. When he received the news, Infinite soon understood why.

“When I heard that your squad had been defeated, I wasn’t aware of how serious the damage was,” Dr. Eggman told him, his voice grave, “I sent out a couple of bots to gather them all up, but…”

At first, he was certain the doctor was trying to pull something over him. When Dr. Eggman said his squad had been defeated, he didn’t consider anything beyond what he had been subject to. Instead, he learned that his fate was a luckier one than his squadmates.

When Infinite asked to see his squad, Dr. Eggman had been reluctant. He hadn’t understood why at the time. Then, Dr. Eggman led him towards a section of the lab that hadn’t undergone such serious damage. At their arrival, Infinite immediately took notice of the four forms that laid beneath ghostly white sheets.

“There was… nothing we could do,” Dr. Eggman sighed. He dragged a hand down his face. “I am so sorry, Captain, but not even my medic-bots could save them.”

For a long moment, the world stood still. Infinite was certain his heart had stopped beating along with it. This wasn’t right. It was a trick. It had to be a trick. His entire squad, his pack that he had known for years, were gone, just like that. It felt like an awful joke that he wasn’t in on.

Before Dr. Eggman could stop him, he sprinted towards his squad. Infinite pulled the sheet back, hoping to find a misunderstanding, a mistake, anything that would tell him what he heard wasn’t the truth. He pulled back the sheets that covered the rest of his squadmates and felt his heart sink further and further as he confirmed his worst fears.

Gone. They were all gone.

Infinite closed his eyes to keep the tears back, but all it did was bring the recollection of that night back to the forefront of his mind. When he opened his eyes again, he could still see them, still and lifeless.

The aches in Infinite’s chest were a painful reminder of his failure, not just to the doctor, but to his squad. He wanted to bring them justice, to bring that accursed hedgehog to his knees. He had everything taken from him; Infinite would see to it that the same would be done to him. But he would have never stand a chance against him in a rematch. He barely stood a chance when he had his squad with him and now, he was alone.

Or, so he thought.

“With the power of the Ruby, you can reach strength that no one else has ever known,” Dr. Eggman had told him. “Not even the ultimate lifeform can fathom the power that comes from this.”

Infinite could still recall how shocked he was. “You want me to use the Ruby?”

“Yes,” the doctor replied, “I know you think that you’re weak… but if you take this power, then that weakness will be but a thing of the past. Everyone will know your power.”

“How can you expect me to use that kind of power?” Infinite challenged. He closed his eyes. “I’m… I’m nothing without my squad.

“Perhaps…” Dr. Eggman held the Ruby up to Infinite. “But with this, you’ll be infinite.”

Creeeeak.

Infinite’s ears perked up at the sound. He opened his eyes and he turned to see the door to his prison open. A figure, shrouded in the darkness, stepped inside. Infinite narrowed his eyes in focus on the figure, and, as his eyes registered who he was seeing, his heart froze in his chest.

“You,” Infinite breathed.

His visitor did not give any sign of acknowledgement and stepped over into the pale light. He looked just as he did the last time Infinite saw him, bringing yet another stab of fear. Infinite wanted to act unafraid, but he was helpless in his current state.

“You’re awake,” said Shadow, his arms crossed, “that makes this easier.”

Infinite seethed quietly. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here because I need to ask you some questions,” Shadow replied, his eyes fixed on him. He gazed at Infinite’s wrists. “How do you feel? Are the inhibitor rings working?”

“Don’t pretend that you care about how I feel,” Infinite spat. The fear within him quickly turned to anger. “You just think you can just waltz in here? After everything you’ve done?”

After a brief moment of silence, Shadow stepped towards the side of Infinite’s bed. Infinite steeled himself with his anger, his hands gripping the rails of the bed tightly. He hoped Shadow wouldn’t see them shaking.

“You’re lucky you’re alive,” Shadow said simply, “I’d be acting a little less angry and a little more grateful, considering I saved your life.”

He winced when his aches returned. Shadow’s hand went to grab his wrist, but he jerked it away. “Don’t touch me.”

Shadow’s eyes narrowed. “Take it easy. You’re going to make your condition worse.”

Infinite opened his mouth to shoot back a reply, but the pain took over once more. He clenched his teeth to avoid letting out any sounds of discomfort. It would be a long time before he let anyone see him so weak, let alone Shadow.

“Why are you here?” he managed to grind out.

“I told you,” Shadow replied, “I have a couple of questions and it looks like you’re the only one who can answer them.”

“I’m not telling you anything,” Infinite snarled.

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be making threats, Zero.”

The air left Infinite’s lungs and his eyes went wide. “H-How…?”

“I work for the government,” Shadow snapped, “you think we don’t have access to a worldwide database that could help us find out who you really are?”

Infinite went still, his mouth agape.

“Cut the crap,” Shadow demanded, “I need you to talk, so talk.”

Infinite clenched his teeth. “Go to hell.”

Shadow inhaled sharply. “Zero, look at yourself. You lost. Stop fighting and just talk to us.”

“You want me to talk?” Infinite felt something in him snap. “Fine, then, I’ll talk.” He sat up in his bed, pushing himself forward with his hands on the railings. “Back when you attacked the doctor’s base in the Mystic Jungle, you took on a team with four members of the Jackal Squad.” His eyes narrowed, his gaze intense. “My Jackal Squad.”

Shadow was silent, which only made Infinite angrier.

“Do you remember them, Shadow?” he questioned. When Shadow didn’t respond, Infinite shook his head. “Of course you don’t. You didn’t even remember me, so why would you remember them?”

When Shadow didn’t stop him, he continued. “After our fight - if you can even call it that - I was ordered by the doctor to come inside the hideout. I knew my squad had been defeated, but… I didn’t know just how bad it was.”

The anger inside him stayed strong, and it only grew when Shadow continued to stand there, silent. Infinite shook his head. “You don’t even know what you did, did you? You still think this was just a matter of pride? That I joined the doctor for the fun of it?”

He had been so angry when he saw what had happened to his squad. He had trained them to be the best, and even that hadn’t been enough to save them. He had failed them. And now he was being interrogated by their murderer.

“When I came into the base, Dr. Eggman gave me the news,” he said gravely. Infinite closed his eyes and shook his head.

“What makes you think I was the one responsible?” Shadow asked, finally breaking his silence. When Infinite opened his eyes, he faced Shadow with renewed anger.

“They had been killed in a chaos blast,” Infinite said finally, his voice tight. “It was totally fatal. Overkill, if you ask me.”

Shadow’s eyes widened. “What?”

“My squad,” Infinite said, his voice rising, “died because you killed them with a chaos blast. And now, you have the nerve to just stand there and act surprised about it? How dare you?”

“That…” Shadow tried to say, “that shouldn’t be possible.”

“It was a chaos blast!” Infinite screamed. He raised his arms up, but his restraints cut them short. “You used your chaos powers and you killed all of them!”

“Did Dr. Eggman tell you that?” Shadow questioned. The fact that Shadow was able to remain so calm after being faced with the fact that he committed murder brought forth another wave of anger Infinite didn’t think he was even capable of feeling.

“Tell me about it?” Infinite almost laughed. “I saw it for myself! I walked into the base and I saw their bodies with my own two eyes! It’s a damned miracle I could even tell who was who!”

The walls he had built within himself, the walls he built to keep himself from falling apart, came tumbling down. The anger that he used to build a shield around his heart came burning out of him like an inferno. The pain in his chest felt like a brand, searing and hot, but he didn’t care.

“I saw what you did!” Infinite continued, his voice rising. He raised his arms, but they were bound to the bed. “They weren’t just drones or bots; they were alive and breathing! And you took all of it away!”

He was shaking again, but it wasn’t from fear. There was pure, unadulterated rage bursting from within him, barely contained within his frame. For months, he had pushed down the anger, convinced himself that he was stronger on his own. Now that he was weak and alone, he had nothing left to hold him back. He had no one left to hold him back.

“You took all of it away!” he screamed again. “You didn’t care about who they were or what their lives meant! They were my family, you son of a bitch!”

Once he said it, the room went silent. Shadow stood there, eyes wide, while Infinite sat up in his bed, breathing raggedly. Infinite’s hands were on the railing of his bed, shaking. He gripped onto the railing in a vain attempt to gather himself, but the damage was already done.

“They… were my family…” Infinite whispered. He felt tears start to fall, and for a moment, he wondered if they had been in his eyes the whole time. He wanted to cover his mouth to smother any sounds that might come out, but his restraints prevented it. Instead, he screwed his eyes shut and bit down on his lower lip, trembling like a leaf.

In that moment, Infinite realized just how alone he felt. His squad had been there for him, and without them, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He wasn’t strong enough to protect them; and now they were gone. They never would have died if he hadn’t brought them to the jungle that night. He brought them to the Mystic Jungle, to Shadow, and they died because of it.

His squad… His family… was dead. There was no one there to save Infinite from the hell he had created for himself. He was going to suffer the consequences of his actions alone, and he had no one to blame for it but himself. He wrought destruction upon the world, and all for what? His squad was still dead.

It had all been for nothing.

“Zero.”

Hearing his name -- the name he once called himself -- brought him back to earth. Shadow stood still and watched him for a moment, then took a deep breath.

“I came here because I needed to know what happened that night,” Shadow said finally, “because truth be told, I had a hard time remembering what happened the night we met.”

If Infinite weren’t so tired, he would have started yelling again. But, the look on Shadow’s face left more to be told.

“I knew about your squad before coming in here,” Shadow told him, “they’re listed as affiliates in your file. When we tried locating them to learn more about you… we couldn’t find anything. So, we decided to comb through the Mystic Jungle base and…”

Infinite sat impatiently when Shadow paused.

“...We found the burial site for your squad members,” Shadow admitted.

“So you knew.” Infinite had to swallow the lump in his throat.

Shadow closed his eyes. “When I saw them, I asked myself… Did I do that? Because I didn’t remember. I thought that the doctor lied to you to turn you over to his side, so that you’d hate me, hate Sonic, but...” He shook his head. “I knew I used my chaos powers that night, but I didn’t think it would… It was just supposed to…”

He went silent. Infinite gripped the railings of his bed. Was he trying to say it was an accident? That he didn’t mean to destroy his squad? That Infinite supposed to feel sorry for him?

“When I realized what had happened, I told the Commander about my involvement,” Shadow continued, surprising Infinite, “and they decided to go through the base to investigate.

“If that’s the case…” Infinite said slowly, “then why are you interrogating me? Shouldn’t you be the one being interrogated?”

Shadow closed his eyes. “Here’s where things get complicated… When we looked through the base, we some found security tapes from the video cameras around the hideout.” He opened his eyes to look at Infinite. “Those tapes had audio and visual recordings of you and your squad while you were down at the base.”

“What?” Infinite exclaimed.

“We also found some files on you and your squad members on his computers. The information predates your employment under him.” Shadow crossed his arms. “It would seem he knew a bit more about you and your squad than he let on.”

“What?”

“That’s not all,” Shadow continued, “we decided to review the tapes and we found some rather interesting information in regards to your… employment, under the doctor.”

Infinite was silent, in total disbelief.

“You were planning on betraying him.” Shadow’s gaze seemed to pierce right through him. “After you joined forces with him, you were planning on taking him down and turning him in for the bounty… weren’t you?”

“I… I didn’t think he…” Infinite trailed off.

“He saw the tapes,” Shadow told him, “he had to have.”

Infinite’s mouth remained open. For the longest moment, he couldn’t speak, think, or even breathe properly. Then, finally, he managed to get out one word:

“Why?”

Shadow arched a brow. “Why what?”

“Why… would he offer me the Ruby if he knew that I was…?”

“That’s what we wanted to figure out,” Shadow told him, “and the Commander believed that it called into question of whether or not I was responsible for what happened to your squad.”

Infinite felt like he had been punched in the gut. His squad… the reason why they were… it was all because of…

He gripped the railings of his bed shakily. “Eggman killed my squad.”

Shadow closed his eyes again. “My guess: he decided to get rid of you all before you could get rid of him.”

“But… why keep me alive?”

“That’s the part we had trouble with,” Shadow admitted. He shook his head. “None of us understood it. If he wanted you all dead, he could have done it easily. Instead, he decided to keep you alive, and, most confusing yet, offer you the Phantom Ruby.”

Infinite glanced down at his chest. “But why?”

Shadow looked down. “In order to answer that… we had to find out what really happened to your squad. So…”

“So, what?” Infinite questioned. His patience was growing thin.

Shadow turned back to him. “We… decided to exhume your squad for investigative purposes.”

Infinite seized up. “You dug up my squad?”

“We had to be sure,” Shadow told him, as if that was supposed to make it better.

“You dug up my squad,” Infinite repeated, a growl rising up in his throat, “how dare you?”

“I know how upset you are.” Shadow sighed. “It’s just…”

Infinite growled. “Just what?”

“...We didn’t find anything there.”

Infinite went still. “What?”

“The burial site,” Shadow clarified. He closed his eyes. “There… weren’t any bodies buried there.”

“What?” Infinite shook his head. “N-No, that’s… not right. I… I had to… I was the one who…”

“Zero,” Shadow said, his voice gentle, “when did you bury the squad?”

It hurt to think about it. When he saw them lying there on the ground, lifeless and cold, Infinite couldn’t bear it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I… I carried them outside,” Infinite began.

“Alone?”

He shook his head. “No. Eggman and some of his bots helped me carry them.”

“Did you bury them alone?” Shadow asked.

“No,” Infinite said again, “they stayed and helped me.”

“So Eggman was with you the whole time?” Shadow questioned, his eyes staring intently at Infinite.

Infinite furrowed his brows. “What does it matter? He was with me when I had to bury them, just like he was when I had to identify their bod--”

Infinite’s eyes went wide. A slow, horrifying chill overtook his body as the realization dawned on him. He slowly looked down at his chest, still hidden by his hospital gown. The Phantom Ruby pulsed silently.

“Shadow…” Infinite began. He looked back up at Shadow with terror. “Are you trying to say that…”

Shadow didn’t reply.

“No.” Infinite shook his head. “No, that can’t be… that can’t be right. I saw them. I saw them!”

“Zero,” Shadow said quietly, but Infinite could hardly hear him.

“I-I saw their bodies,” Infinite breathed, his eyes still wide, “I had to bury them! Why would the doctor… why would he trick me? Why? What could he have to gain from it? Why would he do that?”

“Zero,” Shadow repeated, a little firmer than before. Infinite looked at him. “I don’t know why he tricked you, alright? For all we know, it could have just been a sick game for him to play to get back at your for planning to betray him.”

He turned away from Zero, his hand going to his face. Shadow dragged his palm down slowly. “Now we know how he did it…”

The room was silent for a long moment. Infinite was still reeling. How could this be? Why would Eggman trick him? Why would he go through that much trouble to just to trick him into being on his side? And why did he have those files on him and his squad? Had he been planning it from the get-go? Or had he gotten the files to better understand him, to better understand how to manipulate him into working for him?

It was all so much to take in. He had so many questions, and he knew the answers wouldn’t come to him in that moment. However, one question came to the forefront of his mind and pushed all the other ones away.”

“But… if it was a trick…” Infinite began. He swallowed. “Then what really happened to my squad?”

For the longest moment, Shadow didn’t say anything. His back remained turned towards him, so Infinite couldn’t see the look on his face. Finally, he turned around.

“Once we realized what had happened, we started looking into where they could have been taken to,” Shadow answered slowly, “we started by checking some of Dr. Eggman’s known hideouts and bases, then extended the search to cities and towns where he held control until the final battle of the war.”

Infinite almost forgot the war had even happened, that’s how overwhelmed he was. “And? What did you find?”

Shadow’s expression softened. “They were being held captive in one of his bases. By the time we got there, they had already started to tear the place apart.”

“They’re alive?” Infinite whispered. He felt like he was going to choke.

“They’re alive,” Shadow repeated.

“Where are they?” Infinite tried to move, but his restraints prevented him. “I have to see them! Are they alright?”

For the first time since he walked into the room, Shadow smiled. “Why don’t you ask them yourself?”

Before Infinite could fully process what he meant, Shadow brought his fingers to his lips and whistled. “Guys, you can come in now.”

The door to the room burst open and light flooded in from the hallway. As Infinite’s eyes adjusted, a form broke through the light and into the room.

“Boss!”

Right as he heard it, he felt arms swing around his body and squeeze tightly. He looked down and saw short, messy hair tied up in a green bandana.

“Jay?” he whispered, looking down in disbelief.

Jay looked up at him with a wide grin, tears shining in his eyes. “Hiya, boss. Long time no see, huh?”

Then, another pair of arms wrapped around him. Infinite looked to his left and saw a red beret pressed up against his shoulder. “Pierce?”

“You’re alive!” Pierce exclaimed. They looked up, tear stains on their cheeks. “You’re alive!”

A lump rose up in his throat, but Infinite didn’t have to do anything about it when he felt someone climb into the hospital bed with him. He turned. “Lance?”

Lance smiled warmly at him and slung his arm around Infinite and the other around Pierce, who was still crying. He buried his face into Infinite’s neck, his arms enveloping both squadmates tightly.

“We missed you,” he said quietly.

Infinite didn’t get to reply when he felt another person hop onto the right side of the bed. He turned and his heart nearly stopped. “Tempie?”

Tempest didn’t hug him right away, but her expression was soft. Her hair was down from her usual ponytail and hung loosely around her. Her eyes shone. “Hi, Zero. Did you miss us?”

Infinite’s eyes began to burn and he felt his lip begin to quiver. He closed his eyes and felt the tears run, but he clenched his teeth to stifle his cries. Tempest wrapped her arms around him and Jay, who was burrowed into his chest. He didn’t care how much it hurt.

“You’re OK,” Infinite whispered, “you’re all OK.”

Jay pulled away. “Yeah, we are! And it’s all thanks to Shadow!”

Infinite blinked and he turned towards Shadow, who remained standing at the bedside. Shadow merely nodded, as if that was all that needed to be said.

“He brought us here as soon as he found us,” Pierce explained. They wiped their cheek fiercely. “He knew you had to see us.”

Infinite glanced back at Shadow, but saw he was on his way out of the room. He looked down at the squad, who were still snuggling up to him and hugging him fiercely.

“Shadow,” he called out.

Shadow paused at the doorway and turned his head. Infinite swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, then exhaled and opened his eyes.

“Thank you.”

It hurt to say it, not because he didn’t want to, but because of how raw he felt. He spent months shutting himself away from feeling, from grieving. He thought he was alone, and that he was going to have to brave the consequences on his own. Now that he could see that wasn’t the case anymore, he wasn’t afraid.

Shadow merely smiled back at him. “Anytime.”

A/N:

I’ll take this warmth within,

And send it up above.

Goodbye to dark and fear,

Let’s fill this world with light and love.

I’m here surrounded by a family at last,

We’re never going back,

The past is in the past.

...Y’all know I couldn’t leave you guys without a happy ending. Have a nice little two-in-one prompt!

#the queen writes #infinadowweek #infinadow #shadfinite #death mention #jackal squad #infinite the jackal #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #this got... long man #heheh sorry not sorry

51 notes · View notes

105ttt · 6 years

Note

Hey why is Vio a better fit for Shadow than Shadow Link, since Shadow Link is the obvious choice. Hes literally named Shadow. What a missed opportunity.

Okay first off hi Noot

Second off, I used to have a million reasons for why I always thought Vio was a better fit for a Shadow the Hedgehog role instead of Shadow Link, but since that was ages ago and I’m tired, I’ll just sum up my thoughts as best as I can.

Most people would assume that Shadow Link fits Shadow the Hedgehog’s character better than Vio because they think of Shadow the Hedgehog as a stereotype mostly promulgated by Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) that isn’t really true to all of his character: they think he’s an edgelord who loves shooting guns, riding around on motorcycles, and being violent and cranky and mean for no reason. Vio’s thing isn’t really violence, but Shadow Link has been shown on multiple occasions to be easily angered and violent to the point where he acts animalistic. For people who aren’t really invested in the Sonic franchise, they would see Shadow Link as a better fit for Shadow the Hedgehog because of the name similarity, color scheme similarity, and shared grounds for potential violence. They would see Vio as more fitting for someone like Blaze or Espio, calm purple characters who act cool most of the time. And that makes perfect sense! There’s nothing wrong with interpreting those characters in that way. It’s just a silly manga and video game franchise crossover.

However, I feel like people who are more invested in the Sonic franchise such as myself know that Shadow the Hedgehog isn’t just your typical violent edgelord. He’s so much more than that, and it gets overlooked because he hasn’t had a major role where he really got character development since Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). If you look back at the Dreamcast Era games (Sonic Adventure 2 to ShTH, since he wasn’t in Sonic Adventure) and Sonic ‘06, however, you realize that there is so much more to Shadow’s character than just what we see in ShTH. He’s loyal to a fault to those he loves. He’d do anything for his loved ones, even if it puts him in danger. He feels personally responsible for the bad things he did and initially felt guilt over it. He’s very clever and driven by his passion for his loved ones and his desire to protect them. After ShTH, he doesn’t let anyone manipulate him or make him stray from the path he sets for himself (see the famous cutscene from Sonic ‘06 where he tells off Mephiles for trying to get him on his side), and he pursues his goals by any means, even if that means doing morally grey things at times. And he’s a great actor, actually (see the cutscenes in SA2 where Shadow the Hedgehog pretends to be in on Eggman’s plan when first explaining the Eclipse Cannon to him). And if you read all of those and compile them together, it really sounds a lot more like Vio than Shadow Link, doesn’t it?

Yes, I admit Shadow the Hedgehog does have many similarities to Shadow Link: besides what’s obvious, both were misguided and manipulated villains who turned into heroes after some truth about themselves was revealed to them by a wise girl who cares about them that made them release what they had been doing to achieve their goals was wrong the whole time. Both also have some sort of innate power most people don’t have that can be likened to magic (Shadow the Hedgehog has Chaos powers while Shadow Link has dark magic), which makes them powerful (though I’d argue that Shadow the Hedgehog is way more overpowered in his universe than Shadow Link is in his). Both also had an identity crisis where they felt like they had to prove they weren’t mere copies of someone else and got defensive if anyone tried to imply they weren’t who they said they were or otherwise threatened the validity of their identity.

However, the reason I still say that Vio is a better choice for an AU role where he takes the place of Shadow the Hedgehog is because of the part of Shadow the Hedgehog’s personality that is quiet and gentle. He does brood quite a bit (not in a I-hate-everyone way, but he still does it), and that’s simply because he’s not as expressive as other characters. He has a resting frown, and he’s not as outspoken as other characters unless he wants to be. Shadow Link isn’t the type of person to brood and be a loner. He wants attention; it’s literally part of his character arc. He makes sure he’s heard and that everyone knows his thoughts and how he’s feeling. He’s very expressive and quick to get angry, excited, or sad. Vio, on the other hand, is more reserved, but like Shadow the Hedgehog, if he shows his rage or excitement, it really shows and is deeply felt. And Vio had to learn it was okay to show his emotions, just like Shadow the Hedgehog did after SA2 and later in Sonic Heroes. He’s quieter in those games because he doesn’t know who he is and is learning about his place in the grand scheme of things, but after he’s developed bonds with his loved ones, he learns to be himself and not bottle everything up and hide his feelings or thoughts from people. Sound familiar?

And I’d argue that the level of devotion Shadow the Hedgehog has for his loved ones and the lengths he goes to to do things for their sake is a lot like Vio’s devotion to his teammates and princess. Shadow the Hedgehog was literally willing to die for Maria in SA2 if it meant he fulfilled his promise to her, and in both SA2 and later games, we see Shadow the Hedgehog put himself in harm’s way or do drastic things for his loved ones (like jumping in front of Sonic when Silver was beating him up in Sonic ‘06, or catching Rouge as she fell to the ground after being shot down in one cutscene in Sonic ‘06 knowing that he would lose something critical to the mission at hand, or when he pushed Rouge out of the way of Omega’s deadly fire at the beginning of Sonic Heroes even though he didn’t remember her at all). That kind of innate heroism, that desire to protect innocent people, doesn’t seem as easily associated with Shadow Link as it is with Vio. Vio is a literal hero of Hyrule. That kind of kindness and selflessness was always inherent in him, even if he seemed like a jerk at first because he was so full of himself originally. This cockiness is another trait he shares with Shadow the Hedgehog, who often bragged about being the Ultimate Lifeform just as Vio often bragged about being self-sufficient and not needing teammates. Both started as loners, but they eventually became devoted to their loved ones. By that same token, they both were willing to deceive people if it meant helping the ones they loved (though it had different implications for their true characters). Shadow the Hedgehog deceived Eggman in SA2 in order to get the Chaos Emeralds faster and get access to the Eclipse Cannon that could destroy Earth and satisfy his need for revenge for Maria’s death. We all know what Vio did as a double-agent for his teammates that ultimately led to him hurting Shadow Link (and while that wording may tempt you to associate him with Rouge instead of Shadow the Hedgehog, don’t let it). Both Vio and Shadow the Hedgehog felt guilty for the bad things they had to do to accomplish their goals (we see this less with Vio, but there is the infamous panel where he says Shadow Link’s name while looking sad as if he regrets hurting him, so we can assume he feels guilty), but they also try to right their wrongs by doing only heroic deeds after coming to realize that what they did was wrong in some way. They may do morally grey things to accomplish their goals, but they ultimately do them for the greater good (or at least for Shadow the Hedgehog, in games after SA2), and they don’t let anyone lead them astray.

I would also like to quickly note that the way Shadow the Hedgehog saw Maria and the way Vio sees Zelda is very similar. It is clear that Vio is very close to Zelda since Link was close to Zelda, and Shadow the Hedgehog canonically saw Maria like a sister according to ShTH. Both parties felt a deep connection to their sister-figures, and they would do anything to protect them (with Vio going on a journey to save Zelda and Shadow the Hedgehog trying to run away from the G.U.N. soldiers on the ARK with Maria, though unsuccessfully). Their devotion, as well as the way they talk to and act around their cherished sister-figure, are quite similar. In fact, Shadow the Hedgehog almost seems like Maria’s knight despite not formally being so as Vio is to Zelda. In ShTH alone, we see that Maria was always able to call on Shadow the Hedgehog for help with anything, even if it there wasn’t any personal benefit that would come out of it for him, and he talks to her in such a gentle, caring way that lets you know they’re the closest of friends. Vio’s knightly and brotherly devotion to Zelda is similar in the sense that she can always call on him for help if she needs to (both because it’s his job and because he loves her), and he would do anything to keep her safe. It makes for a neat, sad, bittersweet relationship in any Sonic Four Swords AUs where Vio takes Shadow the Hedgehog’s role and Zelda takes Maria’s role.

“But Fanta!” you say. “Rouge is literally a double-agent like Vio!! It’s a perfect role for him!!”

Well, there’s a few good reasons you could choose for Vio to take Rouge’s place instead of Shadow the Hedgehog’s, such as the double-agent thing and their high self-esteem as well as their love of showing off. Both can also be snarky and use their charms to get what they want. But, in a surprising twist, I would actually say Shadow Link fits Rouge better than Vio. Yes, this has many weird implications seeing as this basically swaps the relationship they had in canon, but if you ignore that, I believe that Shadow Link really does fit Rouge better. Rouge is more outspoken and quick to take the lead. She’s a master manipulator when it comes to getting people to work with her, and she really does want it all - just like Shadow Link. I honestly can see the fun-loving and rambunctious Shadow Link acting a lot more like our favorite bat girl than Shadow the Hedgehog, who is known to be reserved. Again, the idea that Shadow the Hedgehog is a violent edgelord is a misconception, and so while it would seem obvious for the two edgiest characters to match each other better, it’s not as simple as it seems. I could write a whole separate post about why Rouge is a better fit for Shadow Link than Shadow the Hedgehog, but this is about Vio right now.

Case and point, I’d argue without hesitation that Vio is best suited for swapping roles with Shadow the Hedgehog in a Sonic Four Swords AU of any kind (my favorites being SA2 and ShTH) instead of someone who is less important in most games such as Blaze or Espio or someone like Rouge. Having Vio as Shadow the Hedgehog and Shadow Link as Rouge allows them to be on the same importance level as the typical matchups for the rest of the Links (which is usually Green as Sonic, Blue as Knuckles, and Red as Tails). That isn’t to say that assigning Vio to Rouge and assigning Shadow Link to Shadow the Hedgehog is wrong or bad, but I personally just have it the other way around. I’m probably missing some other points I’ve thought of over time here, but I hope this is enough to make sense and be convincing for the moment.

#I have to tag this so uh #hey followers if you know about FS and Sonic then read this and validate me #*insert keysmash here*#I'm kidding you don't have to #but it would really make my day because I love both Vio and Shadow so much #okay I can tag now #sonic the hedgehog

6 notes · View notes

mobianstrip · 5 years

Text

sonic forces me to analyze the game

this is by no means a full, in depth review of sonic forces. however, since im working on a Forces au i think its only fitting to talk about my personal gripes with the game. just to be clear, i dont hate sonic forces by any means! there are some really neat concepts about it that i enjoy, which ill include my thoughts on as well! though with that said, theres a lot about it that could have been dealt with better. this post is gonna be a bit long and messy, sorry!

now i cant speak for what the gameplay controls itself are like since i havent actually played it with my own hands, so my primary focus will be the story and general format of the game. everything under the cut!

ill start by saying that in hindsight, i think the general premise of the game is actually really neat (had the war framing of the plot not been so overly glorified and bland. more on that below). eggman taking over most of the world is very reminiscent to the initial circumstance of mobius in the early archie sonic publication. it seems especially reflective of the comic in the fact that sonic forces takes place on a planet setting more akin to that of Mobius than that of Sonic’s World/Earth, the difference being the lack of human beings aside from Eggman. while this does somewhat bother me for the fact that it paints an inconsistency with the setting, im also all for the planet being strictly Mobians + Eggman again tbh. the concept of sonic being on earth populated by humans, complete with a mock version of the united states, never really settled well with me. it always felt like just a means to make sonic more relatable, which is true, but not done because it made anything more interesting. a problem that then arises is that the origins of shadow and silver/blaze would be radically different or at least would need some retcon alterations to make sense...but thats a topic for another day

overall, looking past the inconsistency with the setting and its implications, i enjoy how the premise of the game feels like going back to the basics. but even the premise still has its problems...which is never a good sign, and this point practically sealed forces’s fate of inconsistency: the theme of war and how it frames the story is so, so poorly written

starting with whats presented at the beginning of the game, sonic is captured by eggman as a prisoner. if the writing had just left it at that, fine. however, the exposition goes on to say that sonic has been there for six months being tortured...and that tails has completely lost it. again id be fine with this - the theme of war is a darker one so these two events would make sense in this circumstance. however, that tension is just totally lost in a matter of a few episodes. you rescue sonic who is just as cheery and jokey as ever, somehow able to fight a boss despite being supposedly locked away and tortured for six months

of course i understand that its not like they could give sonic ptsd and make him look tortured and weak and so on - but why even mention the torture thing at all? the same problem is apparent with the first cutscene with tails. tails is hardly given enough time to seem like he has "lost it". i will say though that tails WAS given a bit more of an emotional response to work with than sonic overall. particularly when tails is about to be attacked by chaos, and he ducks his head in fear and calls for sonic to help him even though sonic isnt there - i actually enjoyed this small segment bc it does reflect some of what was said about how he reacted to sonics capture (aside from also being across the planet...for seemingly no reason except bc he "lost it" and to get him away from the main group so that classic sonic can appear)

frankly speaking from these two points alone, the games tone just feels kind of confused. its obvious the writers wanted some parts of the darker theme of war...and its also obvious that going all out wasnt gonna be an option bc of the nature of sonic as a character and franchise being about more lighthearted, easier to relate to stories about sonics heroism. which im fine with that being the case; sonic is a hero and more importantly a mascot that profits off of kids being able to relate and look up to. my issue is simply that the premise of this game makes consistent writing kind of doomed from the start if the writers are trying to appeal to both the kids AND older fans. they cant go to the lengths necessary to adequately build the narrative. cant go too dark, cant go too lighthearted, and not finding a balance between to two gives you a confused and bland story

on that note, i personally find the theme of war to be...uncomfortably glorified and unchecked (adding to the tone confusion and blandness). sonic forces is named so because...yknow. armed forces. armies. the whole point of the game is that theres a war going on and youre on the good guy side. i mean its not as if youre fighting against other living creatures, just infinite and eggmans robots, but still. i think what put me off the most is the first comic with the soldier cat. after they save the day, the last lines are "I'll do better. I'll be better. I'll become a real soldier and a real hero." now slap that as the tagline to a united states army corps commercial and suddenly its really...sour tasting

war is just one of those subjects that i think needs to be handled with a bit more care. i mean think about it: the primary gimmick of forces is that you get to make your own character, to be the sonic version of yourself in this world. the plot of the game is that theres a war, and your character joins the resistance to defeat eggman. this game is pretty blatantly glorifying the idea that joining in on a war can make you a REAL soldier, a REAL hero. to some kids, that might sound pretty cool. but theres no nuance to it whatsoever, nothing thought provoking on the subject. no one steps back to be like ‘its good to do good things but wars are tough and not fun, and being a hero isnt everything’. none-a that

now do i think a sonic game could get it into a childs head that they should join the army for real? no, not necessarily. i think its possible, but i think that would also be due to a larger issue of military glorification present in modern culture in general (especially in america). mostly i just find the implications at play with glorifying the theme of war in conjunction to the avatar gimmick to be in poor taste and also entirely avoidable because...

i dont think the war and army framing even had to be a thing. not only is it just so sloppily done in general, with that fact that the supposed soldier forces on the Resistance side are literally never seen on screen except for some dialogue boxes in one episode and the rest of the time only being mentioned through other characters, but i seriously think never saying the words “war” or “army” and not including literal soldiers would have worked just as well and even been the better route. they could have just been like yeah heres eggman taking over the world, heres the resistance fighters that have come together to stop him, they are opposing forces and you play as your avatar to stop eggman - and just leave it at that. it wouldve made the glorification of war less obvious and the handling of the topics at hand appear less confused, appealing to a more lighthearted tone rather than weighing it down with frankly out of place hints to a darker subject of war

finally i wanna talk about the story as it relates to how its told through the game. the plot itself is fairly standard - eggman starts war, captures sonic, takes over planet. you rescue sonic, and together you fight eggman and infinite and ultimately defeat them. thats all good and well even if its cheesy sometimes. the REAL problem is how its executed. a lot of the exposition is given not through cutscenes, but through spoken dialogue with text box subtitles over the episode select screen. and it just feels so...stiff. it doesnt feel like world building, it just feels like being forcefed information with no substance behind it

i get that fully rendered cutscenes throughout can be expensive and time consuming, but shoot id take in-game rendered cut scenes at least. (like in sa, sa2, shadow 2005...) anything that could have provided the world building with a bit more ground to stand on would have been great. sure, there are levels to traverse which look cool...but they dont provide any sense of scale, they dont tell us what the area is like, and more importantly, you never see the other characters who are supposedly on the battlefield "alongside" you in a couple episodes. the storyline from the exposition along sounds like it could be an epic journey - but the way its told with the given game mechanics (i.e.: stage-based gameplay with no open worlds to explore) leaves a lot to be desired

i feel like the stuff explained in the comics should have just been cutscenes or exposition or something to pad out the game a bit. the comics are so short anyways so why just put it in the game? maybe not the first comic about the rando soldier saving the day or w/e...but the comic with silver and knuckles fighting chaos? the comic about infinites origins? all of that could have easily been included. at LEAST the comic with shadow was part of the DLC...but even thats just so gimmicky. they provide important background to the main plot of this game so i really dont understand why it was sidelined to comics and not just included from the beginning

the tension that the exposition already fails to build up is brought down even worse when coupled with the confusing timing of the stage complete screens, where you get your completion rank and see what new character creation items you unlocked. listen, i know immediate gratification for completing the level is important and all...but i swear, having these screens between the end of a boss fight and the cutscene showing what happens to them after being defeated seriously impairs the flow of the game. maybe having it there allows for the cutscene to load up in the background to improve efficiency, but personally id prefer seeing a loading screen as the break between a boss fight and the following cutscene after it and THEN the stage complete screen to finish the sequence off. the boss fight end cutscenes arent that long anyways for the most part, so its just nonsensical to have the stage complete screen interrupt the action when theres only a two minute scene left to it

i cant stand how streamlined forces is to the point of the main plot. what happened to games that actually take the time to explain stuff, show us extra bits to the story and how they connect? and even when forces' does explain SOME stuff, its through audio/text only dialogue. nothing visually interesting, just...dialogue. and then its off to the next level. forces' feels very bare bones honestly. the story is supposed to feel big and epic but it just wasnt given enough to bring that feeling into fruition. this is probably the only thing that saves forces’ from the war glorification issue because the game simply fails so miserably at telling a compelling story due to poor writing and poor formatting that the war stuff gets lost in the mix - and thats just sad

all of this brings me to my conclusion. fuck i wish sonic forces was a better written and executed game, because i do think it could have been so cool. i really like infinite as a villain, in both his design and personality. yeah hes kind of a whiny, edgy bitch - but he had potential. and its really gonna suck if this game killed off all that potential in one fell swoop

(then again, thats why we have fan content and aus :3)

#text

0 notes