One Final Test
Dawn remembered that she and Shadow were about to examine the pillar of light in the complex before they were attacked by Metal Sonic, so they decided to return to it. They took their time getting there, savoring the normalcy of their home world. No otherworldly monstrosities, no malevolent clones of loved ones, just normal, safe Seaside Island. Seeing Dawn so alive, so happy in her home world, filled Shadow with the joy he was once unfamiliar with.
There was something else as well, and in time, it would become clear for the both of them.
They returned to the cave by late morning. A few hostiles tried to attack them, but they weren't as numerous or aggressive during the day as they were at night, and the pair made quick work of the few enemies that came their way. The complex had a bit of collateral damage from their fight with Metal Sonic, but the robotic doppelganger was nowhere to be seen. The pillar of light was still there, as if it was just waiting for someone to approach it.
Dawn and Shadow proceeded with caution, still unsure of the light's nature or purpose. They stood in front of it for a moment, but nothing happened, so Dawn tentatively reached out to touch it. The moment her hand made contact with the light, it was as if a strong current had picked her up and shot her upwards at an incredible speed. She could see the land below her shrinking as she rocketed higher and higher. She didn't know where the light was taking her, but moving this fast and being this high up was exhilarating.
Dawn gradually slowed to a stop, and the pillar released her in a large, circular room decorated with gold. There were ancient-looking symbols engraved on the floor and taking up most of one wall. On the opposite wall were large stained glass windows and a set of double doors leading to a golden balcony that overlooked the jungle, a beach, and the ocean.
Shadow emerged from the light, having followed Dawn into it, and they both took in the beauty around them, the alluring gold, the curious symbols, the colorful stained glass, the breathtaking view. They went outside and stood on the balcony, observing the island from their incredible height.
Dawn sighed. "Y'know, Shadow, being this high up makes me think of how far I am from home." she said. "But, then again, I can always take a piece of home with me wherever I go." She looked down at the converted Purple Lightning that she got from Tails, the communicator from her mother. "So, I guess, in a way, I'll never truly be far from home, or the ones I care about. Right?"
"That's right, Dawn. Even when they're not physically around, the ones you hold dear will always be close to your heart." Shadow turned away, his face warming up as nervousness rose inside him. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Dawn, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."
"Hmm? What is it, Shadow?"
"When I started watching over you, you showed remarkable prowess, promising abilities, and an absolutely uplifting spirit. And after I joined you, you only continued to amaze me. You faced all of our foes with astounding bravery and strength, you showed me the importance in things that used to mean little to nothing to me, you held your own in the nightmare world until I got to you."
Shadow took Dawn's hand. "You're one of the most wonderful people I've ever known." His gaze lowered. "And...because of that...I've been having these feelings about you that I couldn't describe. But now, being here with you..." He stepped closer to her. "I think I know what those feelings are."
Dawn started to feel warm inside. "Shadow...to tell you the truth...I've been having feelings for you, too. I was just hesitant to tell you because I didn't think you felt the same way. But..." She and Shadow began to lean in to each other. "Now that I know you feel the same way..." Their eyes slowly shut as their lips were about to touch. "I can tell you...that I lo-"
Suddenly, the floor of the room split apart as something massive rose from above it. Dawn and Shadow were broken from their trance and turned to see a giant bipedal robot-bigger than any of the ones they had fought before-emerging from the broken floor, along with a familiar, repulsive face on the Eggmobile.
"Eggman, you again?!" Dawn exclaimed angrily. "Why don't you know when to quit?!"
"Well, well, Dawn," Eggman said, "I must say, I'm impressed. You've fought through everything I threw at you, real or imagined, robot or entity. But I have one last enemy for you to face, one stronger than any of my robots you've faced so far. One that'll give you quite the challenge even with Shadow's help." He chuckled evilly. "Let's see you defeat this enemy, aspiring heroine."
Several long blades extended from the robot's arms, three cannons from its midsection. Dawn and Shadow dove out of the way as it slammed its blades down on them. Dawn attempted to spindash and punch its right arm off, but it was too durable, even for her. She countered the blades it swung at her with her knuckle spikes, but was blasted off her feet by one of its cannons.
Shadow carried Dawn out of range just as the robot was about to crush her with its arms. They both spindashed around it and managed to break off two of its blades, but then its upper body turned in a sharp circle, flinging them away. It grabbed Dawn and squeezed tightly, making it hard for her to breathe. Shadow sped in to help her, but the robot shot him down, and he dropped to the floor in pain. Dawn tried to call out for him, but the robot tightened its grip on her, cutting off her voice. She managed to cut away the heavy metal entrapping her and fell beside Shadow, gasping for air.
Eggman's evil laugh brought them both back to their senses-they weren't about to give up so easily. Dawn helped Shadow to his feet, and the two of them weaved to dodge the consecutive cannon blasts. They split up, and while Shadow kept the robot occupied, Dawn began ripping out the blades in its right arm.
Suddenly, there came a deafening crash and Shadow's cry of pain. The robot had grabbed the dark hedgehog, and Dawn gasped as it roughly shoved him through a wall, tearing it down and burying her ally and friend in debris. The horrible sight combined with Eggman's mocking laughter filled her with rage.
Enough was enough.
With a cry of anger, Dawn pulled off the robot's right arm and used it to bat off its canons and its left arm. She then torn off its remaining blades and spindashed around its midsection, slicing into it until it was cut in half.
Finally, Dawn raised her fist, and with a snarky, "Have a nice trip!" she shattered the floor with a ground pound, sending the heap of scrap metal that was her last enemy falling into the darkness below.
Eggman looked back and forth between Dawn and the hole she created in stunned silence. He was secretly impressed that she managed to defeat a robot of that size and might, but more than that, frightened by the sudden rush of power brought on by her anger. He yelped as her still smoldering eyes turned to him.
"Um, w-well, Dawn..." Eggman said nervously, "Um...heh heh, you've c-certainly proven yourself a strong and c-capable heroine all week. I, um, hope you don't t-take anything I've done to you p-personally. I had to test your s-skill and instincts, you know? Heh heh heh..."
"Oh, don't worry, Egghead. I don't hold that against you at all." Dawn said in a surprisingly calm voice. "In fact, I appreciate all the hurdles you threw at me, they were tests for my abilities as an aspiring hero." Her cool, composed facade started to break, and her voice grew angrier. "But trapping me in a nightmare with twisted, evil versions of my loved ones? And badly hurting Shadow, who's been with me since the start of my journey, who stayed by my side and always had faith in me?"
She jumped up to the Eggmobile and snarled at Eggman's loathsome face, "I don't want to see you or your robots in Hedgehog Village for a long time!"
She gathered as much force as she could into her fist and punched the Eggmobile into the hole after the robot she had defeated. As Dawn stood on the edge and watched her enemy plummet, he called back to her, "I hear ya loud and clear!" as he fell.
"Shadow!" It suddenly occurred to Dawn to tend to her friend. She removed the dusty chunks of the wall covering him and freed him from the remains of the robot's metal claws. She laid his unconscious body on the floor and examined his injuries-he was badly bruised and cut in many places, and the way his left arm was positioned, Dawn suspected he had broken it. But she knew someone who could treat him.
She wrapped Shadow's good arm around her shoulder and lifted him to his feet with a grunt. She looked across Seaside Island from the balcony again and smiled, happy tears forming in her eyes. Her week of training was not quite over, but she knew the time had come.
It was time to go home.
