So Shadow’s loyalty is often forgotten what with the fanon marking him as edgy

 and a lone wolf, but it’s there and it makes me mad that people pass it off 

because it’s a big part of his character. 

 But okay so like. Usually most people interpret Shadow’s purpose was to be 

made for Maria and to help the world right? Right. So when Maria dies he thinks

 his purpose is revenge. WRONG. He gets that epiphany when Amy reminds 

him about it. 

 But that’s not it 

 Because okay, Maria wanted Shadow to protect the world. And for awhile 

maybe Shadow interprets this as “okay I gotta be Mobius’ hero.” But! He realizes

that that place is already taken. Sonic is Mobius’ hero and therefore he is literally

 the world. He’s usually the only one that can fix the world when it goes into peril.

 (The only other person to ever majorly save the world by himself was Shadow) 

so Shadow realizes, it’s not Mobius in general he has to be there for, but Sonic. 

The world can thrive as long as Sonic is their world, their core. 

 In a sense you could say that Shadow sees his new Maria in Sonic. In order for

 his purpose to be fulfilled, Sonic needs to stay kicking. That’s why we see in 06 

that he literally doesn’t look at him when he’s dead!!! Their world is broken 

because Sonic is prematurely gone from it. It’s not until Silver says “we still have

 a chance at saving this world!” That Shadow FINALLY LOOKS TO SONIC 

WITH A BROKEN VOICE AND SAYS “maybe we could’ve..if he were still alive.” 

 AND ITS LITERALLY THE LAST STRING IN HIS PURPOSE BEING SEVERED. 

 Sonic and Shadow were fated to meet for a reason. Shadow was supposed to 

meet Sonic because his purpose was to protect the world like a Shadow. HE’S 

SONIC’S SHADOW. HE’S SUPPOSED TO PROTECT SONIC SO THE WORLD

 MAY REMAIN SAFE. 

 Like I’m sure SEGA didn’t mean to be that deep and only meant to make them 

rivals but SEGAAA oh my god you literally made Maria tell Shadow “you’re to 

watch over this world, like a shadow!” And people mistook Shadow!! for Sonic!! 

Because he’s Sonic’s shadow!! He’s supposed to watch over Sonic!! Girl if that

 ain’t some metaphorical stuff!!

 LIKE IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW. SHADOWS LIKE NO NONSENSE 

RESPONSES TO SONIC ASKING FOR HELP ISNT JUST BECAUSE THEYRE 

ALLIES, ITS BECAUSE HE KNOWS THATS HIS JOB. AND ALSO? ALL THE 

TIMES HE PROTECTS HIM FROM GETTING HURT ISNT THAT BULLSHIT

 THAT PEOPLE SAY LIKE “oh man it’s because he wants to be the one to kill 

him, nobody else can” WRONG. ITS BECAUSE HE HAS TO KEEP SONIC 

SAFE 

 another example of that is him going into hiding upon finding out about Sonic’s 

“death” in Forces. Every time this bitch finds out that Sonic’s dead he literally 

loses himself. Even if people don’t ship this, it doesn’t have to be seen like that. 

Shadow cares deeply for Sonic because Sonic is his purpose. 

 And that’s the tea.