An old photo "The boy who faced destiny"

Our story begins in the year 2951, the earth has reached a point of advanced development, times of prosperity that seem to have no end in sight, all thanks to different brilliant minds and heroes who have been in charge of keeping the planet safe from countless threats. Today, the planet is inhabited by humans, and the rarely called "Mobians", the latter being anthropomorphic beings of different shapes and sizes whose importance has been vital since records have been kept, the most famous cases being names such as ...

𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒈. "Symbol of hope and justice."

𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔 "𝑻𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔" 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 "Wisdom without limits."

𝑲𝒏𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒂 "The strength of a legacy."

Each of the aforementioned has a majestic statue in the renovated Station Square, a city which is said to have been destroyed hundreds of years ago by a mysterious creature, and then rebuilt some time later to become the capital of the current world. Although the names of some of the heroes who have been immortalized throughout history were given, there is one among them that arouses a particular interest in who will be our protagonist.

𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒈 "Divine flash in the darkest night."

This last statue is located near the port, a point which even today has managed to preserve its peaceful appearance, with a view of the horizon, the point where sea and sky meet. It is here, where we can see the silhouette of a young boy on his knees, with his right hand on the inscription of this monument.

- Shadow ... I really would have liked to know a little about you, you know? The person who takes care of me says that you helped save the world on more than one occasion, even though you had a problematic start. Sometimes, when I sleep, I imagine that I have the opportunity to meet you, to be able to talk to you, there are so many stories I would like to tell you, and I'm sure you would have a thousand and one for me too.

He knows that there is no way to get an answer, and the people who hang around just ignore him, some even look at him strangely, over their shoulders, but this doesn't matter to him, he is already quite used to it.

- It's interesting, isn't it? The earth has changed a lot since you and your friends lived here, at least that's what I've been told, but... while there are things which have clearly evolved for the better, there are others which will never change, I suppose that time doesn't heal everything.

This last part is part of a harsh reality, because although hundreds of advances have been made in areas such as technology, medicine, security, etc., there are things which seem to have been left behind in time, there are still people living desolate on the streets, not everything is rosy, and those who have not had luck in their lives have to, in addition, deal with the fact of being looked upon with disgust.

- Among the little that I know about you, there was a time when you asked yourself "Who am I?" and... now I really would like to know... How did you overcome that moment in your life? How did you leave the past behind to become one of the legendary heroes that people admire so much today?

Thanks to the last rays of the sun coming from the sunset, we can see the boy's appearance and clothing in more detail. The latter has a long coat that covers him down to his knees, the fabric is brown and has a texture very similar to leather, this being a derivative more in keeping with the futuristic era, although much simpler than what is seen in people with money, it is enough to be resistant and warm despite its obvious wear, with long, dark pants with nothing to highlight, somewhat damaged boots that share the color of the aforementioned garment.

As an additional detail, the boy carries with him two accessories that he takes care of as much as his own life, these being a blue scarf, with minimal damage, that covers his neck like an ethereal embrace and a pendant, with an extremely thin but resistant rope, adorned with a strange crystal that shines from time to time in greenish tones.

- I guess that's all for today, I've bothered you enough, don't you think? If I have time I'll try to come back tomorrow, but I make no promises. See you later, Shadow!

It's extremely interesting to see a boy in his situation express himself with a voice full of hope, a mystery boy wrapped in leather clothes who moves through the night like a shadow, undetectable, fast and efficient. It doesn't take him more than a few minutes to leave the port, running and jumping between the roofs of some houses and businesses until he reaches what seems to be a dark alley.

- Home, sweet home!

He exclaims, letting out a small laugh. Does it make him laugh to live among garbage? The truth is that although his life is not "comfortable" compared to the rest of the inhabitants of Station Square, he does not complain at all. He walks through the shadows until he finds a door hidden between fabrics and wooden boards. Upon entering, you can see what he calls "My home", a humble room, with a somewhat battered wooden floor, walls with wallpaper in the color of the night sky, a detail that is precious to him, some furniture and a bed next to a small window that connects to the outside, it is a small place, but hidden from the eyes of the world.

While waiting for his visit, the boy lies down on the mattress, staring at the ceiling with both hands behind his head.

- Why will it take so long? She is not the kind of person who is usually late...

He questions it, but he doesn't seem worried at all, he soon gets lost in his train of thought, reaching the point of almost falling asleep until...

The door to his shelter opens, which brings him back to earth. A smile appears on his face when he hears that familiar female voice.

- Young Lumen, are you here yet?

And this is the name of that mysterious 17-year-old boy, a reserved human, enthusiastic about technology and who clings to the hope of a better tomorrow to face his day to day.

- Miss Sage! Welcome, it's been a while.

He mentions jumping up to go meet his long-awaited visitor, deep down, he is still a little boy.

- We saw each other exactly two days ago...

She answers him in her characteristic serene tone, but the boy's enthusiastic attitude is contagious to say the least, outlining a tiny spark of joy that lights up her face.

Sage is not just any person, from the little that Lumen knows about her, is that she is NOT a human, even though her appearance says otherwise, in reality, she is a highly evolved artificial intelligence that was created in the very distant past by Ivo Robotnik himself, whom she considered her father. The passage of time is inevitable, this being the reason why her creator died, as well as his rival and main objective, Sonic the Hedgehog, leaving her without a clear goal, adrift, now seeing the need to find a new purpose for existing.

Sage's current appearance has not changed much in terms of her original design, mainly because she believes that this is an appropriate way to respect the memory of the already deceased doctor. She has gone from having a somewhat childish stature to that of a young adult, she maintains the shape of her hair, with a few strands in light blue tones, she wears a white dress with long sleeves, and the cybernetic cloak that covers the inside of her sleeves and shoes is now a mix of red and light blue which varies depending on her mood, which by the way, she is a girl who will very rarely be seen showing emotions externally, this does not mean that she cannot have feelings, she simply does not know how to express them correctly.

- Do you always have to be so picky about details? Two days is quite a long time for me.

As they talk, Lumen begins to cough a little, which reminds Sage of one of the reasons why she has come today.

- Hey... Have you been taking your medicine?

To which he responds by nodding, putting his right hand in one of the pockets of his coat to show a tablet with space for ten pills, two empty spaces being already visible.

Once a week, you remind me so often, you don't have to worry so much.

And she, as always, gives him a direct look into his soul as she walks into the center of the room.

- I've told you a thousand times, your condition is something you shouldn't take lightly, you know? People of my time could only dream of a treatment for it. You should be thankful that at least you started showing symptoms just a few months ago.

- I know... Do you have to always remind me?

It's clear that he's not aware of the problems that that disease of the past has brought, one that Sage has in her database under the name of "Neuronal Immunodeficiency Syndrome." Does it sound familiar to any of you?

- Have you just come to give me a reminder? You know that for that you could very well send me a message as a reminder, right?

The boy asked jokingly, he likes to tease who he considers an older sister. Although she finds it difficult to show it, she also enjoys hearing the boy's nonsense.

- I see that your mood has not changed at all, that is a good sign, but no, I have come for something more than just giving you a "reminder."

And without further ado, the silver-haired girl extends her arms in search of providing a well-known affectionate gesture, although her movements are somewhat mechanical, the real intention is still there, connection, friendship and a bond which is much deeper than what our protagonist knows so far. It is a warm hug, she keeps her eyes closed, hands behind Lumen's back, trying to imitate the gesture that she has rehearsed based on her records over and over again.

- Sage ...

- You have forgotten again, right? You are very careless ..

He decides not to respond, he just lets his partner hug him, you can notice some melancholy on his part, like a strange emptiness in his heart that generates an echo every so often.

- Happy birthday, young Lumen...

The starry night of a bright future, the beautiful moon that envelops the scene with an almost angelic mantle, with its light which filters weakly through the window that faces outside, there are moments where the boy trembles slightly, hiding his face in Sage's shoulder.

- 18 years old already, you have grown quite a bit, and you have become a strong boy in more than one way. Even when life has put difficulties in your way, you have clung to your dreams and hopes, guiding yourself under your own light in a world plunged into this pleasant darkness, in the end, I guess you have more of them than I thought...

Amid the emotion of the moment, the boy shows a warm smile, trying to avoid eye contact with Sage in order not to give away that he has already shed some shy tears.

- I see that even today you still wear the necklace I gave you, it may not be easy for me to express it but, you have no idea how happy it makes me to know that you appreciate my gift...

She knows him perfectly, so much so that she is already drying his tears with one of her hands, remembering that at the end of the day, Lumen is an innocent soul who only seeks some peace.

- I need to give you something and, please, I want you to listen to me carefully, okay? Do you think you can do that for me?

It is adorable to see Sage act in a brotherly way with the boy, even knowing that he does not remember exactly how much time has passed since they met. They both sit on the bed, with the youngest posing his eyes looking directly into those of his stranger, after what seems to be an eternity, that enigmatic silence comes to an end.

- Do you remember your parents, Lumen?

The boy then answers negatively shaking his head.

- They died when you were very young, that was when I found you, but this is a story that you already know, and which we have talked about many times but...

How strange, Lumen can count on one hand the number of times that Sage has had difficulty expressing himself with words, this being one of his greatest faculties, which makes one understand the importance of the topic.

- There are certain things, important details that you should know now, and it is not a coincidence that our destinies have crossed. Do I explain myself? Although I never had the opportunity to know your parents in depth, I have carried out different tests over and over again, that is why today I am totally sure of something and that is that you, Lumen...

""𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒏𝒊𝒌 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚""

These words would remain engraved in the young man's memory like an indelible mark. His face expresses surprise, even without fully understanding what all this means, he looks quite stunned, with his mouth half open and an indecipherable thread of thoughts running through his mind.

- You can see it this way, you and I are more related than you could ever believe, since my creator, as you well know, was Doctor Ivo Robotnik.

This last piece of information is rather public knowledge, even more so since Sage is a unit that has lasted for approximately a thousand years on the face of the earth.

- Are we... family?

It is easy to notice in his clumsy speech that he is still processing the words that have reached his ears, but, faced with this, his partner only smiles at him with her calm face, seeking to transmit some calm, placing a hand on his shoulder.

- You can see it that way, although I am not a biological life form, I have always seen Doctor Ivo as my father. I understand that this may seem a bit disturbing at first, but let me tell you, I have a small gift with me, it's not much, but I really hope you'll keep it with the same affection as my previous presents.

In this way, she takes out of her pocket what seems to be a photograph, worn by the passage of the last millennium, and that even so, has been preserved enough to maintain part of its original colors, it's... beautiful.

How is it that a piece of paper can keep so much feeling, so many stories? The trembling fingers slide over that small immortalized memory, an almost desperate gesture of someone who has just found their place in the world, a gesture of someone who has just discovered part of their identity, their past, present, and future.

- ... -

- The young lady in the photo is Maria, granddaughter of Professor Gerald Robotnik, and cousin of my creator, while the one on the right is someone you probably know from legends and his statue located near the port, Shadow the hedgehog.

Once again, not getting a verbal response, she continues with her little speech seeing that the boy can't take his eyes off the photo.

- It's amazing to know that this photo has survived in such good condition for all this time, it's something I found searching through one of the hundreds of thousands of documents my father has left behind..

- It's impressive... I have no words to describe how I'm feeling. Until now, every time I looked at the past I saw nothing but a black mist, absolute darkness, nothing at all, it was very confusing to think about yesterday, I tried not to get too lost in it, I tried not to cry for the parents I never met, for the family life I never had the chance to experience, I clung to the little I had and... You know? I felt happy even with that eternal emptiness in my heart.

- You may find it hard to believe now, but you possess traits beyond blood that connect perfectly with what I saw in my database about these individuals from such a distant past. Maria was considered a being of light, someone who shone in the darkest night, someone who never let herself be defeated despite having an incurable disease for the time, prevailing in a now extinct space colony, being able to only admire the earth from a distance, and always with a smile on her face, just like you.

- Incurable disease?

And before he could draw conclusions, Sage gets ahead of him, confirming what was expected.

- Maria had to suffer from the same condition as you, of course, that back then there was no way to treat her with the effectiveness of today, this being the main reason why she was transferred to the ARK.

Lumen then thinks that the reason why that young woman with golden hair died is because of said disease.

- Unfortunately, there is not much data about Gerald and Maria that can be useful to you, I want you to accept this photo as a small and eternal reminder about your past, your roots, and that no matter how far away they seem now, you have to understand that their legacies will live on in you, you will never be alone...

And as a final gesture, she joins the one she now recognizes as family again in a tender hug, to later whisper a short, but beautiful phrase in his ear.

"𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 .."

During the rest of the night, both spend time between talks, laughs and games with a renewed bond, the past and the future that come together in this, our present.

And this is the end of the prologue of this story that occurred to me when I finished the Sonic X Shadow Generation game. You can take it as a simple "Oneshot" but, if I see that people like what I've proposed, I already have a continuation planned, that's why this chapter has a zero as its number, it's a story that hasn't started yet.

I hope you enjoy it, sayonara.