Author's Note: This is a small project I've been working on over the past several days. I have a lot of fanfiction ideas that I want to make into official Sonic the Hedgehog fanfics, but I can't decide which one to work on first and jumping around between them isn't helping my progress much. Sooo I want you, my readers, to read these little snippets and in your reviews vote for the fanfic that you think will be most interesting. May the best fanfiction win. This first one is the prequel to my Black Flame series, which is currently the most advanced out of all of my ideas and quite possibly the most intricate and deceptive. I was going to give an extra preview from one of the sequels, but decided to leave it as it is. So just know that as the story continues it changes in major ways that many of you may not expect. Here we go!!

Prologue to Chaos

Summary: PREQUEL TO THE BLACK FLAME SERIES What starts out as a normal day turns into yet another adventure for Sonic and his friends when a mysterious telepath crash lands on Mobius, seeking their help to save a planet called Isillia. Midway through their mission, things take a turn for the worse, and tragedy strikes.

The sun was perched high above the land of Mobius, glowing brightly in the clear skies. Birds twittered and cawed, soaring high but not quite able to reach the bright ball of fire that gave life to all things. Below, small creatures scurried amongst the feet of their larger relatives, scouring every inch of the land for food. A faint wind rustled the leaves of the tall trees and made the blades of grass shiver. In a clearing surrounded by the massive plants whose branches reached as if to touch the sky, water flowed smoothly over rocks and the river wound its way through the myriad of trees and undergrowth. Outside of the woods, a great meadow stretched past the horizon. Soft, rolling hills and long, lush grass added to the land's beautiful features. Everything was silent, peaceful...

Suddenly, the animals in the grassland perked up, catching the distant sound of fast-approaching footsteps. A cloud of dust, kicked up by red, white-strapped shoes, could be seen as the sound grew louder and nearer. The beasts, big and small, scattered just as a blur of blue tore across the meadow, creating a rush of wind so strong it would've knocked even the largest bear off its paws with ease.

Cream-colored lips parted in an adrenaline-fueled grin, revealing sharp canines. Emerald eyes gleamed with boundless energy and a thirst for adventure and danger. Cobalt quills were flattened by the air rushing past them. All of this, synchronizing with the pounding of gray soles on the smooth terrain.

Sonic loved the feel of the wind in his fur, of the weightlessness running at such speeds brought. His feet were hardly touching the ground, just enough to propel him forward. He was racing across a vast plain - a flight he knew wasn't endless but hoped was enough to satisfy his longing for speed, for that incredible feeling of invincibility.

All too soon, it ended. He slowed to a stop at the edge of the precipice he'd already known would be there. It was a steep cliff that dropped several miles at a near ninety degree angle. At the bottom lay a ravine where a small river cut through the earth, ending somewhere beyond the horizon.

He often came here, darting across the grasslands at speeds close to mach one, and always came to a halt at this crag where the ground fell away at his feet. Though he had never particularly enjoyed sitting still, he usually opted to sit on the edge and simply gaze out at the scenery. It was breathtaking, and he was thankful there were no cities or buildings to disturb its natural splendor.

He allowed his legs to dangle over the side of the cliff and leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky. The rush of adrenaline slowly began to ebb, leaving him feeling relaxed and content. He laid back, folding his arms behind his head, and watched the small wisps of clouds float by through half-lidded eyes that began to close as time passed...

Triangular ears perked up without warning and jade green eyes were suddenly alert. There was movement in the grass behind him. In an instant, he was on his feet.

Unsurprisingly, he found himself face-to-face with Shadow the Hedgehog.

The speedster smirked. "Hey, Shads, long time no see!"

Shadow looked at him with his usual emotionless expression. This time, though, there was a hint of anger in his crimson gaze. He was clearly not in the mood for his rival's immature antics.

"You took my emerald, faker," the ebony furrie growled, low and threatening.

Sonic only grinned wider. "Yeah?"

Shadow's gaze darkened. "Give it back."

"Who's gonna make me?"

That was all it took. Shadow lunged at the speedster, snarling. Sonic dodged the attack easily, along with the ones that followed. He evaded punch after punch, kick after kick, always with a cocky smile on his muzzle that he knew infuriated his opponent.

Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform, but he was the fastest thing alive. Though it was close, he had the advantage of speed.

He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, though. Eventually, Shadow would catch him, and unfortunately it would then be a battle of strength where the black and crimson hedgehog had the upper hand.

'Best to avoid that for as long as possible, then.' Sonic sidestepped as his rival charged at him, then jumped up to avoid having his feet swept out from under him.

"You'll have to be faster than that, Shadow!" Sonic called, landing a little ways away. He dodged another punch. "Too slow!"

The black humanoid snarled, but before he could attack again, Sonic darted off. Shadow gave chase as the blue blur disappeared into the nearby forest.

"Get back here and fight, faker!" He shouted as he swerved through trees and leapt over undergrowth and fallen logs.

But the cobalt hedgehog always stayed several feet in front of him. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Shadow scowled, sharp canines bared in a furious growl. He sped up as much as he could whilst avoiding the many obstacles blocking his path. The forest was growing denser; he knew Sonic had led him here for a reason. The speedster was the more agile of the two, and therefore could move faster through congested areas.

Sonic increased his pace, easily dodging low-hanging braches and swerving around patches of thorn bushes. He was only a few yards away from the edge of the forest now, very close to his home.

He looked over his shoulder and grinned, seeing the red-striped fur a ways behind. "Ha!-OOF."

The hedgehog promptly collided into something hard and furry, the impact knocking both him and the other humanoid to the forest floor. Shadow tried to stop, but he was already tripping over the two before he had the chance. He grunted as he crashed into the ground half on top of them, getting a face full of leaves and dirt.