When the construction of the newly built White House was complete there was a discrete funeral for the former President Eggman, the robot assistance were shut down and disassembled. The new presidential campaign took place featuring Abraham Towers winning the election, he made Vector of the Chaotix his Vice President and the rest of his team jobs within the house. Shadow was promoted to Commander of G.U.N. He and Rouge with an armed team escorted Scourge to Angel Island where Knuckles used the Master Emerald to open a portal to where ever the might still be convict chose to be. Sonic won against Jet for three laps around a obstacle course, sending the hawk in a raging fit back home to work on upgrades to his boards, he and Tails were again inseparable unless it was his 'dates' with Amy where he realized Tea wasn't so bad, as well as movies, bowling, and having a day at the fare.
On the anniversary of the meteor shower hurling Sonic back to Mobius, Shadow and Sonic met at the indent of where his space rock crashed into the dirt.
"Hey." Shadow stepped up next to him.
"Hi." Sonic smiled. "It's been a whole year now."
"I know, time sure does fly huh?"
"Compared to the four I was gone... I wanna thank you Shadow. For not giving up on me, and everyone I left behind, including yourself. You're... you're amazing to carry all that weight on your shoulders. It wasn't fair, y'know."
"Fair?" Shadow huffed, "Fair never existed to me, I never blamed you for leaving. In fact it's me that should be thanking you. Even your idiotic move of saving my hide in the first place it's what I needed. If things would have gone the way they were intended, I wouldn't be standing here, or holding my current position in G.U.N I'd most likely be dead, and if I survived I'd have no objective of life anymore. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. But now, I know."
Sonic stood silently looking up at the darkening sky as night began to creep as the sun was leaving, then he spoke, "Are you going to rebuild it; The ARK?"
"No..." Shadow answered with a quick shake of his head, "Not even ghosts hold onto it anymore. I've let it go, everything that came from it has fulfilled its purpose. Promises were made and kept, now it's put to rest."
"I'm happy for you Shads." Sonic smiled, "You really did it. Lived life, to its fullest."
"And you? What are you gonna do now? Eggman is gone for good now." Shadow asked with a tilt of his head and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Guess I'll have to move on too." Sonic's smile never dropped as he shrugged, "I'll be some kind of vigilante or something." He laughed, "I dunno I'll figure something out. Maybe leave the planet again..."
"Leave, again?" Shadow's ears dropped.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about it a while. Things are really laid back and easy now. But somewhere else, someone is in need of help."
"Well... I'm sure there's others out there helping them too, maybe five colorful cats when combined can go super or something and come to the underdog's rescue."
Sonic looked confused, "Gosh or I can just spend my time watching films to understand all these references people are making and I have no clue what they mean..."
Shadow laughed, "Well... wherever you decide to go, make sure you remember me alright?"
"I could never really forget Shadow." Sonic nodded happily as a boom was heard in the distance. Both their eyes drifted to the sky as fireworks coming from the skyline of the city was being fired.
"Hey, Happy New Year." Shadow hooked his arm around Sonic's shoulders as they watched the glittering lights in the sky.
"Happy New Year." Sonic agreed wrapping his own arm around Shadow's shoulders as well.
"Happy New Year!!!" Cheers from behind them came as Amy, Tails, Cream, everyone of their friends had hiked their way to find them, flashes of cameras went off as the two hedgehogs were brought in to have a group picture. A picture that has a centerpiece in the room of Shadow's many memories captured in photographs throughout the years.