Return to Robotropolis

The End of the World

"Thrust increasing. Engine output at maximum. Course plotted." The Egg Carrier was preparing to depart from Port Mobius. "Gate open. Lifting off."
Red machines holding the Egg Carrier in place detached and receded into the walls. The Egg Carrier proceeded to take off. Just then, Sonic, followed closely by Shadow, were running along a catwalk above the Egg Carrier and jumped onto the craft, landing on the edge of its metal tail before it could accelerate too much and they missed their chance to board and save Sonia and Manic and Eggman. The Egg Carrier zoomed off towards its inevitable demise.
Sonic and Shadow crawled, military-style, towards the main part of the Egg Carrier. Using his G.U.N. blowtorch, Shadow cut a hole in the side that was just big enough for them, which they used to get in. They quickly and quietly made their way through the battleship, watching each other's back.

Events were playing out like before; an alarm was going off while Eggman was frantically typing at the Egg Carrier's interface, trying to save his doomed ship.
"...Why is this happening?! Noooooo!" Eggman exclaimed.
Suddenly, a slightly high-pitched, masculine voice spoke up. "Playtime's over."
Eggman and the Royal Hedgehogs looked towards the voice to find Sonic, accompanied by Shadow, who had his teeth bared aggressively. Eggman was half-astonished and half-furious at seeing Sonic somehow got on the Egg Carrier to save the Prince and Princess from the ship's inevitable destruction. What confused him, however, was that Shadow still seemed to be helping Sonic for some reason.
"Sonic!" Sonia and Manic exclaimed, happy to see their brother. They ran over, hiding behind the two stronger hedgehogs.
"This ship is about to crash," Sonic informed.
"Too bad, Doctor," Shadow sneered. Eggman growled as he threw a childlike tantrum, stomping as he did so.
"I'm not finished yet!" Eggman spat. Sonic protectively threw his arms out and stood in front of his siblings, refusing to let Eggman get near them again and risk them being killed in the Egg Carrier's inevitable crash. Shadow bared his teeth again and got into a fighting stance.

The alarm continued to go off as Sonic, carrying Sonia and Manic in his arms, charged down the corridor, Shadow skating along right behind him. Sonic glanced/glared up towards the alarm, getting sick of the sound. Another part of the Egg Carrier blew up/broke off, causing the floor to shake under their feet. Sonia and Manic clung even tighter to their brother as he and Shadow sped up, knowing that they were running out of time to escape. The front section of the Egg Carrier exploded into flames and broke off, allowing them to get outside quicker.
"Sonic!" Sonia and Manic shouted at the same time, pointing at a large section of the Egg Carrier that had broken off and was in flames. Sonic and Shadow stared in shock and astonishment as it passed them.
"Aren't you guys worried?" Sonic asked, cocking his head slightly.
"'If you have time to worry, then run,' right?" Sonia said, quoting what Sonic told them before. Sonic smiled, glad that they were taking his advice.
The front section of the Egg Carrier exploded in a huge fireball before it even hit the ocean surface below, sending smaller fragments shooting off in all directions like missiles. Sonic gave Manic to Shadow and adjusted his grip.
They got in a starting position, getting their lean, powerful leg muscles ready to run and jump. They took a running start and leapt off. They jumped from one piece of debris of the Egg Carrier to another. They landed on the wing to jump to a cliff and attempted to jump high into the air, only for them to start falling when gravity took over before they could reach the top of the cliff. A large piece of debris of the Egg Carrier's engines collided into the cliff face below and its explosion launched Sonic, Shadow, Sonia, and Manic up to solid ground.
They rolled along the ground before coming to a rest after several tumbles. Sonic, Shadow, and Manic recovered with a groan before checking Sonia, who rolled over onto her back. Sonia laid on the ground while Sonic worriedly walked over to her. He lended his hand for her to get up.
Sonia and Manic suddenly burst into laughter. Sonic and Shadow chuckled softly before giving in and laughing hysterically. They all sighed as they finally calmed down. Sonia and Manic were still sitting on the ground while Sonic and Shadow were still standing.
Sonic looked over at his siblings, his emerald irises shining as usual. "Nice smile!" he complimented, giving a thumbs up. He gave them a playful wink, which they returned. The four hedgehogs turned to stare at the horizon together.

The royal triplets and Shadow were walking through a plain, on their way back to Mobotropolis. Shadow had gone back to his usual frown, deep in thought. Suddenly, they were blinded by the light of the purple Chaos Emerald. Mephiles floated up from the ground behind them, preparing for the kill.
Shadow managed to squint his eyes open and saw Mephiles behind them. His eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was targeting Sonic. Mephiles shot a spear of light at Sonic's back.
"Sonic!" Shadow shouted.
Sonic grunted in pain as Shadow slammed himself into Sonic, shoving him aside. Shadow let out a deep grunt of pain as the spear of light impaled him in the back, slicing through his heart.
"Shadow!" Sonic screamed while Sonia and Manic shrieked in horror. Mephiles retracted the spear of light, not expecting this as it was not his plan.
Shadow slowly collapsed onto his knees. His eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed onto his chest and stomach, dead. Sonic was instantly at Shadow's side.
"Shadow! Shadow!" Sonic cried out as he shook Shadow, trying to revive him. Sonia and Manic stood there helplessly.
Mephiles started cackling, relishing in Sonic's suffering, even though it wasn't what he intended. Sonic finally rolled Shadow over onto his back. Shadow's hand lifelessly fell to the ground.
"Shadow?" Sonic asked, his voice cracking a bit. It was no good. Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform, was dead.
Sonic felt tears welling up in his eyes, which he tried to hold back, but he failed. He and Shadow had grown so close in the past few days. Shadow was like an older brother to him and now he was gone.
"No... No! Noooooooo!" Sonic wailed, his tears escaping. Suddenly, due to his tears, Iblis' seal was broken, releasing him from his chest.
"What?!" Sonia exclaimed, shocked. Iblis was sealed inside her! Wasn't he?
Mephiles laughed again. "Finally, the seal is broken!" he said. "At long last, I'll be able to join with you! Iblis! Now, Chaos Emerald! It's time for the final curtain call!" He used the purple Chaos Emerald to manipulate time and space and fuse with Iblis, restoring Solaris.