Like pretty much everything else about the station, what was apparently the “‘Eclipse Cannon’ control and powering room” was impressive (and creepy). It was an enormous circular room (though its enormous size was more regarding its height than its width, though the width was pretty significant too) with a vast array of wires, tubes, and devices only my buddy probably really understood surrounding a central area where it was clear both the main controls and the central powering unit were located…and, well, also Eggman and…Shade..., who it was obvious were in fact both ‘waiting’ for us.

We advanced cautiously until we were only a few yards away.

“Welcome to my home…”

Shade was the first to speak, though I think we all winced at hearing her describe this sad and creepy place like that…especially because, you know...it was the truth.

“...though you shouldn’t have come.”

The edge to her voice and obvious disappointment as she looked at us made it clear she meant that very seriously. However, before we could make any kind of reply, she turned to Eggman:

“Stay here, while I take care of them.”

Not really leaving it as unclear this time, was she?

She then walked towards us, while Eggman hit a button and a forcefield sprang into place covering him and the cannon’s key devices. Honestly, the number of times I had seen something like this when it came to the Eggman….

Meanwhile, Shade studied us all for a moment, angry…and sad.

“I didn’t want to have to fight you again, Sonic…” She looked around at each of us. “...or any of you.” I can see she looked particularly disappointed when she saw Amy and Rouge and Tails.

I sighed.

“Honestly, Shade, none of us really want to fight you either.”

She looked back at me clearly frustrated. Rouge then decided to speak up as well, her words surprisingly…heartfelt.

“Girl…I…I get it, why you would feel that…what some people have done, have taken from you…that it just can’t ever be forgiven…that only making them feel the same pain would ever be enough….But, it won’t work…it will never make that pain you feel go away….Honestly, it just seems to make it worse.”

Shade looked away, that ‘pain’, for a moment, very visible in her eyes before eventually replying:

“That may be true, but what I have to do here, what needs to be done, it’s the only way that Dr. Gerald’s and Maria’s memories can be properly honored.”

Rouge’s disappointment at Shade’s reply was obvious, and it was very much a disappointment I shared myself. The certainty on Shade’s face was absolute. Whatever her earlier hesitations, she was entirely committed to this course now, and it seemed clear that there was no possible way we would be able to convince her to change her mind. Still, we had to at least try.

“Shade…”

Like before, Shade reacted strongly at the sound of Amy’s voice and the entirely unfeigned concern my pink friend displayed.

“...Shade, like Sonic said, none of us here really want to fight you….Is it at all possible that maybe we can just…stop…here?”

Shade gave Amy the most complicated look I had ever seen (angry, wistful, sad, confused…hopeful…) before her face hardened once more, though not without an almost soul-rending look of regret being given towards my pink friend. I had to avoid sighing aloud in disappointment. It was clear what Shade’s response was going to be.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“.......I’m sorry, Amy, not even for you.”

She gave Amy another pain and regret-filled look, which for a moment also seemed to encompass Tails, who was quietly standing by Amy’s side, making it clear that even though the words had been spoken to my hedgehog friend, they included the both of them…as much as it was obviously tearing Shade apart to have to make that kind of commitment.

No further words were added by Knuckles, who had already taken up one of his fighting stances, having clearly decided that there was only one outcome of this encounter that could be expected (not something any of us could really argue with at this point). Reluctantly, I began to ready myself for action, while my friends did the same.

The next words I spoke were mainly because I felt I had to, rather than that I expected them to change anything:

“So, we’re really going to do this, Shade? Even with what might happen as a result?”

I think Shade, probably better than anyone, knew her own strength, and what would be the likely outcome if she fought anywhere near her real power, particularly against less ‘robust opponents’, like Rouge, Amy, and….Tails. Honestly, if I thought the alternative was anything less than the destruction of the planet (or that they’d even listen to me if I tried), I’d be asking (begging) them to run away right now.

For a moment, it seemed her resolve crumbled….before unfortunately hardening again, and she looked at me with the first real anger I’d seen from her directed towards me, as her eyes began to glow with a fierce purple light.

“I tried to keep you, all of you, out of this, Sonic...but it doesn't seem like I have that choice anymore.”

And, without another word, she pulled out her purple Chaos Emerald (which was still attached to a chain around her neck) and, silently, teleported in front of Knuckles, delivering an impossibly fast kick that embedded him into one of the room’s walls, making it clear that, this time, Shade was ‘playing for keeps’.

I only just dodged a similar teleport and kick myself but that was small comfort as Shade immediately teleported in front of a surprised Rouge and threw her across the room. While obviously nowhere near as forceful as what she had done to Knuckles, it still was more than powerful enough to send my bat friend across the distance and slamming into the wall. Rouge fell to the ground immediately afterwards….and didn’t get up.

Shade paused for a moment after that…but then her gaze, her pained, troubled gaze, turned towards Amy and Tails who had just been standing frozen in shock at the recent turn of events….I think it was the only time in my life where I decided I was ‘too slow’. With the same near instant charging time, Shade teleported in between them and suddenly a sphere of blinding black and purple light hid them all from my view.

When the light faded, only Shade was still standing…and from this distance I couldn’t tell if either of my friends were even still alive…but I didn’t have much time to consider that, as, with another ‘blink’, Shade was suddenly back in front of me and lifting me up by my throat. I had been much too shocked by everything that had happened …so …quickly …that I couldn’t even try to dodge or otherwise react.

Shade looked up at me, crying, with large streams of tears rolling down from her still glowing eyes.

“...I didn’t…I didn’t want to have to do anything like this…but you...you forced me.”

For a moment, some of the glow faded from her eyes and I could really see the heartbreaking sorrow she was suffering right now….It truly looked like out of all of us, in a way, what had just happened…what she had just done…it had hurt her the most….And, I don’t know what I would have said, if I had actually even been able to speak….because she had one last thing to say:

“…I didn’t want it to have to be this way, any of it…but…none of us seem to be getting what we want today.”

She paused, her face filled with pain…and regret..., before continuing:

“So……….

…………….

….Goodbye, Sonic.”

And, with that, a very familiar (burning) light enveloped me.