Episode 26: The Black Comet Saga (Part 6):
It's the End of the World!
Maria handed Shadow the yellow Chaos Emerald. Just then, the six other Chaos Emeralds appeared around him. Then they started floating above him.
"Finally... I've got all the Chaos Emeralds!" Shadow said. "Now, I can uncover the truth about my past. All of it..." Then a shadow covered the two hedgehogs. Shadow and Maria looked up.
Maria gasped on who she saw.
"Well done, Shadow..." came Black Doom's voice. Black Doom appeared and hovered in front of the two hedgehogs. "Our ritual can now commence as planned. Give me the Chaos Emeralds."
"Shadow, no," Maria said, facing Shadow. "He'll doom us all. Don't give him the Emeralds."
"Maria Robotnik, is that you?" Black Doom asked, making Maria flinch in fear. Maria looked towards Black Doom. "I recognize those eyes and that face anywhere. It is you. How is it possible that you are still alive?! And as a hedgehog, no less?"
"That's none of your business!" Maria said, getting angry.
"SHADOW!" came the voices of Twilight, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Sally, Rouge, MC, Spike and Eggman.
"Huh?" Shadow said, turning around. He saw the group of heroes coming up to him and Maria.
"Shadow, give me the Chaos Emeralds!" Sonic said.
"Do not give the Emeralds to Black Doom, Shadow!" Doctor Eggman said.
"They're planning to destroy the planet!" Rouge added.
Black Doom chuckled and said, "Ignorant fools. We're here to save the humans from their own demise. We offer... salvation."
"What?" shadow asked.
"I don't believe your lies!" MC said, stepping forward.
"Their greed, thirst for power and affinity for betrayal has them on a path of self-destruction," Black Doom said. "Their actions will lead to extinction of their species. We're here to save them from themselves... with our perfect order... Allowing them to live through their desperate lives in peace. Humans are a great energy source for us... they will be well kept."
"What's he talking about, Maria?" Sally asked.
"I don't know," Maria said. "I'm as confused as you all are." Then the Chaos Emeralds started moving towards Black Doom. "Oh no! The Chaos Emeralds!"
"Let us begin our ritual of prosperity," Black Doom said as the Chaos Emeralds floated over him. "Chaos... Control!" Then a flash of white light started coming, making the heroes and Eggman cover their eyes.
"This can't be happening!" Shadow said as the white light covered him and the others.
At the edge of the atmosphere, the Black Comet was going through it, but then it vanished in a white light. It then ended up above Westopolis. Then four roots emitted from the comet, attaching itself to the surface of the planet, one of them going through a building.
Back inside the comet, the heroes and Eggman were getting back on their feet when the Black Comet moved.
"What was that?" Amy asked. "What just happened?"
MC put his hands on the ground and said, "No way! The Black Comet's connected to the Earth!"
"Those black creatures just warped the comet down to the surface using Chaos Control!" Sonic said.
"No! That's impossible!" Rouge said.
"That's why you needed the Chaos Emeralds," Shadow said.
Black Doom chuckled and said, "Precisely. The comet's velocity isn't powerful enough to pass through another planet's atmosphere. The Emeralds amplify the space-time control powers of Chaos Control. We need them to charge to full power. It's the perfect plan. That's why I needed the professor to help me..."
"What?!" Shadow and Maria asked in unison.
"That's insane!" Doctor Eggman said.
It then flashbacked to the last time the Black Comet came to Earth, where Shadow was in a tube with Professor Gerald Robotnik and Black Doom standing and hovering outside of it. Black Doom's voice was speaking from the present time.
"The professor was in development of the ultimate life force but he needed my help. So we made a deal... I helped him and he promised to deliver me the seven Chaos Emeralds. That's how you were created, Shadow. You would help us do both!"
It then went to the present time.
"Me?! I can't believe it!" Shadow said, kneeling down in shock.
"Shadow! Shadow, no!" Maria said. "Don't believe him! You're not Black Doom's personal weapon!"
"That can't be!" Eggman said. "He betrayed his own people for research!? For Black Doom?" As Eggman was talking, MC looked around as if he heard something. The sound of a gas leak.
"Big deal... we can't just stand here doing nothing!" Sonic said. MC then pulled something from behind him and put it on Twilight's face, surprising her.
"Yeah... let's do this!" Knuckles said. "I'll crush that cosmic rock ball!" Knuckles then struck a pose, but then he stopped in that pose. The others got confused.
"Knuckles, what's wrong?" Sally asked, but then she stopped in the position she was in. Then the others got stuck in the position they were in, except for Twilight and MC.
"What's happening?!" Spike asked.
"A special weapon... this gas, once released is quickly absorbed into your blood stream," Black Doom said. "In a moment, total paralysis will hit your nervous system. The end is near, now." He then laughed. Then a bunch of small Black Aliens started crawling towards the heroes. "Ahhh... my dear offspring... Eat and devour these savory dishes!" The paralyzed heroes and Eggman started screaming in fear.
"Not today, Doom!" MC said. Black Doom looked towards MC and saw that he and Twilight weren't affected. Twilight wasn't due to the mask she was wearing. "I'm not affected by your gas, since it is one of the three stages of matter, that I can manipulate."
"MC, how did you get one of these masks?" Twilight asked.
"Lynol gave it to me before we left the ARK to come here," MC said. "But I know that Shadow will not allow you to take over our planet. Maria is his best friend, and she loves the planet. Shadow will not follow you."
"MC's right!" Maria said, starting to get up, somehow fighting the gas. "Shadow... would never... betray me."
Shadow moved his eyes towards Maria, seeing the hope in her eyes. Shadow then got angry, stood up, and stomped on one of the Black Aliens.
"What?" Black Doom asked.
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog," Shadow said. "I've left the past behind me. No one can tell me what to do now! I will destroy you, Black Doom!!"
"Not alone," MC said, standing next to him. Twilight came in and stood next to MC. Maria stood on Shadow's left side.
Black Doom looked at Shadow, angry. He then said, "I gave you life and this is how you repay me?! The irony of it all is... I gave you life... now I'll take it back!" Black Doom hovered away, taking the Chaos Emeralds with him, and laughing.
"MC, think you can follow his scent?" Twilight asked.
"I got a good enough whiff of him," MC said. "I can easily follow him. Let's do this!" MC then started running ahead. Shadow and Maria followed on foot while Twilight followed while flying.
"Good luck, guys!" Sally called out.
"You're our only hope now!" Sonic called out.
On Space Colony ARK, Espio, Vector and Charmy were at one computer in the computer room. Midpoint and Olive were about to leave the room.
"Okay," Midpoint said. "I'm sending some holographic screens into the Black Comet to follow Shadow to show him what Shadow's true purpose in life is. All you have to do is find that file and transfer it to the drones."
"You got it, Lynol," Espio said. Midpoint then tossed something towards Espio and the chameleon caught it. Espio then attached it to the computer. "We'll get right on it."
"Alright, Olive," Midpoint said. "Let's get to the controls of the Eclipse Cannon." Olive nodded and the two of them headed for the control room.
Back in the Black Comet, MC led Twilight, Shadow and Maria through the ARK, chasing Black Doom. Some Black Aliens tried slowing them down, but the four of them took them out. They then reached a huge door.
MC started speeding up, his left fist glowing in a golden aura, and he called out, "Chaos Dragon Fist!!" MC punched the door and it broke apart into chunks. Twilight, MC, Maria and Shadow went into the room and at the end of the room, there was Black Doom with the Chaos Emeralds.
"Well done, Shadow," Black Doom said. "You and your somehow useful acquaintances made it farther than I expected... I'm impressed." The four heroes walked towards Black Doom, angry at his words. "But you still don't understand, do you? The future we offer is the only option for these humans."
"I've heard enough!" Shadow shouted. "You're boring me to death, Black Doom! You're going down!"
Black Doom laughed and said, "Such bravado for a little hedgehog! I thought you were different from the rest... but maybe not. We are more alike than you think... the same blood runs through our veins."
"What?!" Twilight and MC shouted. But then, Shadow went down, holding his head, shouting in pain.
"Shadow!" Maria said. "Stop it! Stop it!"
"What are you doing to him?!" MC shouted.
"You Earthlings don't get it," Black Doom said. "Shadow was created by my blood."
"You lie!" Twilight debated.
"Oh, it's true," Black Doom said. "Shadow, you are a part of me... do you feel that? I can control you... You cannot escape me... nor can you escape your past!"
"No!" Shadow said. "It can't be!"
Back on the ARK, Midpoint was setting up the Eclipse Cannon with Olive helping out.
"Okay, we're able to aim the Eclipse Cannon but it won't do any good without any of the Chaos Emeralds," Olive said.
"We'll get them," Midpoint said. He then grabbed a walkie-talkie. "Espio, how's it going down there?"
Back with the Chaotix, they were in the computer room and Espio was typing on a computer.
"Espio... are you in yet?" Charmy asked.
Vector grabbed Charmy and said, "Quiet, Charmy! Espio, we need you to focus 'cuz if we don't hurry, we might lose everything to those alien creeps."
"Easier set than done," Espio said. "But I'm having a hard time getting this file transferred. Why would Lynol assign me up to this, anyway?"
"That's it... I'll do it... get out of the way!" Charmy said, going past Vector.
"Get back here you idiot!" Vector said, trying to grab Charmy. But Charmy hit the computer, showing a video on the screen. It was a video of Professor Gerald Robotnik.
"Hey, it's working!" the Chaotix said in unison. Espio then pushed a button on the device that Espio was given to attach to the computer, and the data was being sent to all frequencies across the Earth.
It went back to the Black Comet, where Black Doom was confronting Twilight, MC, Maria and Shadow. That was when a huge holographic screen appeared behind Doom, with the video of Gerald Robotnik's message to Shadow played.
"Shadow... my greatest creation..."
"Professor?" Shadow asked, looking up at the screen.
"Grandfather," Maria said, looking at the video.
"It's a message from the Professor, assigned to Shadow," MC said.
"If you're listening to this then the worst has happened... you need to know the truth. The government plans to shut down this research facility."
The video continued to the Pentagon, where the President, Commander Walters, the rest of the Mane 6, the rest of the Freedom Fighters, and the Crusaders were watching the video as well.
"The government plans to cease all of our research... and imprison all who know about you. I made a terrible mistake, Shadow. It's all my fault... making contact with that comet."
"Professor Gerald?" Commander Walters asked as the video continued.
"Now, listen very carefully..."
It then went to where the other heroes and Eggman were in the Black Comet, still paralized by the gas.
"In 52 years, the Black Comet will return... they plan to harness it's powers to destroy this planet! The only way to stop them... was to develop a way to use the very power they intended to use against them."
"That's it! It's brilliant!" Eggman said.
Then it went back to where Twilight, Shadow, MC and Maria were, in front of Black Doom, all watching the video.
"Shadow... it's up to you and only you can stop them! I developed the Eclipse Cannon... It's the only weapon that can destroy that Black Comet. Shadow, you are the only hope... to save mankind as we know it. The future of this planet depends on... you!"
Then Maria, still a human at the time, entered the video.
"Don't worry, grandfather. Shadow and I will protect this planet. Right, Shadow?"
MC looked at Maria in real life and asked, "You knew about this video?"
"Yeah, I did," Maria said. "Shadow is meant to be the hero Earth needs this year."
"Gerald... you fool!" Black Doom said as the holographic screens vanished. "Shadow is already in my control..." He then saw Shadow starting to get up, resisting the mind control. "What's this?!" Shadow then stood tall, angry towards Black Doom. "Well, well, well... seems like you're immune to my mind control."
"You have no control over me, Black Doom!" Shadow said. "I now understand why I am here... I made a promise and I'm here to keep it! Today, I put my past behind me!"
"That's right, Shadow," Maria said. "Right now, forget about the past and look to the present."
"Time to take Doom down once and for all," MC said.
Twilight took off her mask and said, "My country might have been from beyond the stars, but all of my citizens felt welcome to this world. And as a rightful fellow ruler of the world, I will help defend this world from your evil."
"Have it your way," Black Doom said. "So be it... be prepared to meet your maker! Your past, present and future ends here... TODAY! Prepare to die! Say goodbye you pathetic earthlings as you witness my true wrath!" Black Doom started floating upwards.
"Look! He left the Chaos Emeralds!" Twilight said.
"Then let's use them," MC said. Twilight then used her magic to bring the Chaos Emeralds over to the four of them. MC then put his hand in, Twilight then put her hand on MC's hand, then Maria put hers on top, and Shadow put his hand on Maria's. Then the Chaos Emeralds surrounded the four of them and all of them transformed. Twilight returned to her Rainbow Powered form, MC became Maximum MC, Maria became Meteor Maria, and Shadow became Super Shadow. Then the four of them went up, chasing Black Doom.
The four Chaos Emerald powered heroes went up to the skies above Westopolis and looked around.
"Where'd he go?!" Twilight asked.
"He's got to be around here somewhere," Super Shadow said.
"I think I found him," Maximum MC said, pointing towards somewhere. The others followed his claws and they saw something they never would have expected.
"Whoa!" Meteor Maria said. "And I thought he was creepy before!"
"Shadow, I gave you life, and yet you defy me?!" Black Doom's voice came from the monster. "So be it! You shall pay for your ingraditude with relentless pain!" Black Doom then used damaged debris from below to attack the heroes.
"What's the plan?!" Twilight asked.
"Aim for the eye!" Super Shadow said. "It's his weak spot!"
"Obviously!" Maximum MC said. "I'll take the first move!" Maximum MC charged towards Black Doom and punched Doom in the eye, making him roar in pain.
"Nice shot, fox," Super Shadow said.
Then Black Doom launched all of the debris towards the heroes. Twilight caught the debris and threw it back at Doom hitting him in the face.
"No one's going to bring so much disharmony and destruction on our watch," Twilight said.
"Time for the flames of the phoenix to rise!" Meteor Maria said. Then the feathers from Maria's wings released fire and Maria flew around Doom's head, making him roar in pain. Meteor Maria then appeared next to the other heroes.
"His defenses are too dense," Twilight said. "We gotta defeat him before he gets too powerful."
"We have to focus on taking him out with one shot," Maximum MC said. "We can't use all our power. We need the power of the Chaos Emeralds to get our friends and the ships out of the Comet, then we send the Comet into the sky."
"And then Alex can use the Eclipse Cannon to destroy the Black Comet once and for all," Meteor Maria said.
"Let's do this!" Super Shadow said. Then the four of them charged towards Doom. Doom saw the attack coming as he was recovering and he was surprised to see an oncoming attack from all four of them.
Twilight, Super Shadow, Maximum MC and Meteor Maria collided with Doom's eye, and the pain spread out throughout Doom's body. Doom roared in pain as well.
"Im... Impossible!" Doom called out. "I am the supreme being that rules the universe! I am the immortal life form! I am the ultimate power! Gaaaah!" Doom then blew up.
"Let's do it!" Twilight said. "I'll get our friends!"
"I'll get the ships," Maximum MC said. Then they vanished.
Twilight then appeared in front of the paralyzed heroes and she used her magic to teleport them all out of there with the paralyzation gas out of their systems. Then the ships came with and landed neatly next to the group.
Twilight and Maximum MC flew back towards the Comet. Meteor Maria then asked, "What should we do next?"
"Rip out the roots," Maximum MC said. "Four roots, for super figures. One for each. Let's go!"
Then the four of them split up and each went to a root's end. They then ripped the roots out of the ground and they ended up at the bottom of the comet.
"There's only one thing left to do..." Super Shadow said. Then the four of them put their hands on the bottom of the comet. "To put the past behind me!!"
"Chaos Control!!" the four of them said in unison. Then the entire comet vanished. The comet then reappeared in the sky, heading towards the pathway of the Eclipse Cannon.
On the ground, Twilight and MC appeared next to the other heroes, back to normal.
"What are you guys doing?" Sonic asked.
"Shadow and Maria got this," MC said. "We're just waiting for the Comet to get blown up."
On Space Colony ARK, Midpoint and Olive put six of the Chaos Emeralds into the Eclipse Cannon's power supply.
"Okay," Midpoint said. "It's ready." Midpoint looked towards Shadow and Maria. "Get ready to push the button. 3... 2... 1... Now!"
Shadow pushed the button that activates the Eclipse Cannon. The Eclipse Cannon charged up and fired towards the Black Comet, and it blew up. The heroes from below watched with amazement.
"Yeah! They did it!" Tails said.
"Shadow... that was sweet," Sonic said.
"Sparkles, you can teleport up there, right?" MC asked.
"Sure," Twilight said. "Hang on." She then teleported away.
"That was awesome!" Spike said.
Eggman then started walking away silently, saying, "How about giving me back those Chaos Emeralds now?"
Knuckles noticed Eggman walking away and shouted, "Hey, get back here you creep!" He then started chasing Eggman while the others just watched and laughed. Just then, Twilight reappeared with Midpoint, Olive and the Chaotix.
"Where are Shadow and Maria?" Sally asked.
"They said they wanted some private time on the ARK," Twilight said. "Either to remember old times, or..."
Sonic and MC smirked and looked up into the sky.
Back on the ARK, Shadow and Maria were looking out the window, looking at the planet below.
"It sure is amazing down there, Shadow," Maria said.
"Yeah," Shadow said. "It is. At least now I have all my memories back." He then looked towards Maria and smiled.
Maria noticed it and asked, "What?"
"Maria, you and I have been friends for a long, long time," Shadow said. "After time, I had this feeling that you and I should be more than friends. But... at the time, I knew it wouldn't have worked out because..."
"Oh, Shadow," Maria said. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I've had feelings for you for a while, too."
"Maria?" Shadow asked. "Are you saying we should..." Shadow was cut off when Maria put her lips against Shadow's. Shadow was surprised at this. Shadow then closed his eyes, and embraced her. Shadow and Maria wrapped their arms around each other as they kissed, and the sun was coming over the Earth.
A few days later, the city was getting repaired by the government and construction companies that were around there. And at Arlington National Cemetery, people were paying their respects to the people who passed away during the battle against the Black Arms.
At one area, the Freedom Fighters, the Mane 6, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Young 6, Midpoint, Cozy Glow, Olive, Vanilla, Bruce Lynol, the Chaotix, Spike, the Oracle of Delphius, Shadow and Commander Walters were all standing there as one casket that was about to be lowered into a grave. Before they lowered it, some of them started putting some stuff into the casket, where Queen Sarah Crayton laid in.
Some of the deceased queen's belongings were put in by some of the heroes. A necklace that was put in by Rarity, a ring that was put in by Sally, the Iron Mask helmet that was put in by Spike, a family photo that was put in by Twilight, and the queen's crown put on her head by MC.
Later, the casket was lowered into the grave. And as the cables were lifted from the grave, MC buried the casket with his power. Twilight stood next to MC.
"She would be proud of you," Twilight said. "You've become the prince your parents wanted you to be. Even if it meant removing themselves from the picture."
"It actually made sense that she was the Iron Mask," MC said. "It explains why her body wasn't under the rubble when we went to the castle to get the Chaos Emerald."
"It actually does make sense," Twilight said. "She just wanted to watch over you to see the hero you have become."
"I know," MC said. "Even though it was for a short while... it was nice to see her face. One... last... time." MC then used his power to forge a bunch of bouquets of roses all over the grave. On the tombstone, it read "Queen Sarah Crayton. Queen, Mother, Heroine."
Shadow then started walking away, but Rouge, Olive and Commander Walters stopped him.
"Shadow the Hedgehog, I'm sorry for accusing you for all the bad things that have happened since the 1970s," Commander Walters said. "So, to make up for it, I would like you to join GUN."
"Are you sure?" Shadow asked.
"Your power would be an amazing asset against international criminals that want to threaten the world," Commander Walters said. "You'll be given your own home, a great pay rate, and you won't have to worry about paying your taxes. You'll have your own tax payer paying your bills."
Shadow looked at Maria, who was watching with a smile.
"I'll take the job," Shadow said.
"Alright," Commander Walters said, pulling out a contract. "All you have to do is sign..." He then noticed something on the contract. "Hey. Who crossed out the number 1 rule of GUN?"
"That was me," Olive said. "You have no respect for romance. Never fall in love? That's just weak."
"She's right, commander," Rouge said. "Everyone should have room for love in their hearts. You'll have it eventually."
"Ouch," Commander Walters said. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." He then noticed Maria walking up to Shadow. "Oh, I see. You two..."
Shadow noticed Maria standing next to him as Maria was leaning her head on Shadow's shoulder. Shadow smiled and he wrapped his right arm around her.
"I guess I can't argue with that," Commander Walters said. "You two go on and enjoy yourselves. I better make some changes to the rules of GUN. Obviously, since I'm nonromantic." Commander Walters then pulled out something. "Oh, and Shadow. Why not take her out on a date?"
Shadow took what Commander Walters gave him and inside was a gift card worth 100 dollars. Shadow then looked up and asked, "Olive Garden? Really?"
"Have you ever tried their never ending pasta bowl?" Commander Walters asked. "It never ends."
Shadow smirked and said, "I could eat." He then looked at Maria and asked, "You up for it?"
"Sounds good actually," Maria said. Then the two of them walked away. The Freedom Fighters, the Mane 6 and all the others watched as the two hedgehogs were walking away.
"Way to go, Shadow," Sonic said.
"It's all over," Twilight said. "Now, we've got a city to help repair."