Okay folks! I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaccckckkkkk! Yeah! It's been YEARS since I've written in this section, and most of my friends have moved on anyways. So maybe I'll touch upon a new fan base? Hmmm?

Nevertheless, my skills have improved since 2009-2010. I think you'll find this rendition of 'Shadow the Hedgehog' much better then my first one, if you ever read it.

So, this entire fic will take place from Shadow's POV. His POV will be hard, I've never handled such a dark POV before. However, like in my first version of this fic, I won't be following the game unless by accident. With no further adue: HERE WE GO!

-Shadow's POV-

My eyelids opened again, and I took in the skyline of the city lying in front of me. Another hard wind blew by, and I glanced down detachedly at a newspaper that wrapped around my leg, and then left with extra exertion from the wind. Raising the gaze from my red eyes back upwards, I observed the humans scurrying about their work.

They all had purpose, drive behind their life. Despite how…uncivilized they could be at times, that is one thing I envied of them. Those things knew who and what they were, and what they were going to go after.

I couldn't say I did. "Who am I?" I asked aloud to the wind as it blew into my face again, carrying the words off and away.

"Shadow the Hedgehog." Was my reply. Every since I had…'awoken' that was what everyone had always called me. Omega, Rouge, Faker, and the others. That was at least a season ago. Summer had taken full hold now. "That name haunts me. And yet, it's the only thing about me I can remember."

That was a lie. I grimaced. "That, and THAT horrid image!"

-Flashback-

Running. Gripping her hand tighter, I had to make sure she stayed with me. The consequences if I let go were unpleasant.

The door ahead was open, and I rushed through it. "Shadow! Wait!" She cried, and I turned to face the girl. I probably came up to her sternum, and she wore a blue dress that matched her eyes and her blonde hair. She turned to shut the door, punching in the code to close it.

Yet when I turned to make sure it closed, the sight of 5 soldiers greeted me. One of them held a pistol, and with one finger muscle flex, the trigger was pulled. The shot rang out, and Maria…that was her name, Maria, turned to look at me in shock. The bullet went right in between two of her middle ribs, and the impact knocked her off of her feet and landing on the floor, blood beginning to stain her dress.

The wound would definitely be fatal.

-End Flashback-

"Who am I? And why can't I remember anything? And who is this Maria?" Without speaking, I asked a fourth question. 'And why am I talking and answering myself?' With that, I crossed my arms, sighing in exasperation with a hint of anger.

Thinking back, considering the possibilities. Rouge seemed to have the idea that I was a robot. Omega was quote 'unable to conclude due to insufficient data'. Sonic had said something about me being alive, as if I had existed before. All the others refused to answer on what their opinions were/are.

But if Sonic's theory was the case, shouldn't I have a memory of it? Or had I been brain-washed. Maybe I had committed some crime that was so horrid that I had to forget it.

But nothing I could of done would have been any more horrid then what that man did to that blonde-headed girl in that single memory.

So maybe, just maybe I was an android. A robot gone rogue. Again, I had no purpose, as no one, not even that fat doctor, had tried to make any type of attempt to bring me back under control. "Ggggrrrr." This didn't make any sense.

I looked again at the skyline as a thick series of dark red clouds floated over it. Funny. I could only remember the last three months of my life, granted, but I'd never seen clouds that looked THAT menacing before.

And these weren't regular Thunderstorm clouds either. These were much thicker and darker. Not to mention, the smell that the wind carried with it was slightly alien and smelt of death.

A single strange vortex formed overtop the city skyline, but unlike Tornados I had heard about, this one just rained what appeared to be life forms down into the city. No doubt about it now, this was un-natural.

With slightly piqued curiosity, I watched the scene, but the only other changes I was able to note was a bunch of fire and smoke pillars rise up while screams rang out from the city's heart. Human screams. The same creatures that brutally killed Maria in cold blood.

"Hmm. Look how pathetic they are!" My remark was plainly directed at the humans and their incompetence to deal with this invasion. "I don't have time for this."

Spinning on my heels, I clicked my shoes together, and they lit up, ready to launch me away.

'Shadow'

The instant before I removed myself from the scene, I turned around, looking for whatever called for me. If my mind wasn't making things up, that is.

A small light about three feet from me suddenly took shape. The creature was tall, maybe 7 or 8 feet. It had three ghastly eyes, and it's head looked like that of a pick-axe head. It wore black and red robes that adorned it's body richly, and it's arms hung out of the gaping holes, ending in two chubby fingers and a thumb. Most noticeably, it floated in the air.

"As you can see Shadow, the day of reckoning will soon be here." It raised it's arms, and plainly I could tell that IT smelt bad. Pointing it's right arm at me, it's uppermost eye narrowed. "Find the SEVEN Chaos emeralds and Bring them to me as promised!" It scratched at the neck of it's robe.

"Huh?" This was a little much a little sudden. "Who are you? And how do you know I'm Shadow?" Throwing my arms up to emphasize my confusion, I accusingly asked the last question. "And what the hell are you talking about?"

Yet all I got in response was it fading away. Now the questions I had earlier were piled on top of with more questions. Following that was…artillery fire?

Explosion shook the ground around me, and I leapt to the side as the very piece of land I had been standing on exploded from a low-yield bomb of some sort.

"If he claims that we had a deal, then he must know something about who, or what, I am. Like it or not, I'll HAVE to get those seven emeralds!" The correct number should have been six. I always carried a green one with me. It just was more convenient, as time and time again it proved to have increased my abilities. "The ONLY way I'm going to get secrets to my past it going to be through those Chaos Emeralds!" My fists clenched. I now had purpose. And like I had back in the spring, I would carry this out with speed and perfection. Kicking my shoes on again, I raced into the city, with no clue of what exactly I'm getting myself into. Surely, without a doubt, any type of Emerald could be found inside a Jewelry store, right?

Hmmm. Yeah. I hope you like this. It's a HUGE improvement over last time. Well, please review, and wait for the next chapter to come out.