Okay, so I really probably shouldn't be getting started on another story- I have enough to do, and I thought I would've progressed more by this time. BUT...I've preached, and ranted, and droned on and on, and preached some more that I would post this by this very date...and I'm so thrilled for this myself that I couldn't let today pass me by, plus I really didn't want to break anymore promises. Thus, here we are...and I finally (and excitedly!) present to you...

I Am All Of Me

Prologue: In the Company of Myself

~This is Just the Beginning~

A city at sunset…usually people would find it romantic, simple, and pleasurable…but I never really saw what made them so special to begin with. The sun dissipates over the horizon only to come right back up again the next morning. It's just another thing that happens, another thing that passes us every day, and there won't be any sunsets in the end anyway…

I watched them nevertheless. During sunset, I was able to think clearly, and in peace, while standing under a tree that looked over Westopolis. I could think clearly, sure, but all I could ponder over were answerless questions…

A gentle wind tossed a newspaper about in the evening air, brushing it right against my leg. I didn't need to read it- I already had earlier in the day. Some "Fire in the Sky Festival" to celebrate the return of a rather insignificant comet that comes every fifty years. I had more important things to deal with than a rock flying around in the sky.

The paper blew off my leg without me moving a muscle, and I continued to maintain my perplexed expression.

"Shadow the Hedgehog…Why does that name haunt me? It's the only thing I can remember," I thought to myself. It was pathetic- one of the very limited things I could remember was merely my name. My name meant nothing if I didn't have the memories to back it up. There was only one other thing I recalled as well…

"That gruesome image…"

I cringed as it replayed in my mind once more.

. . .

A long, dimly-lit metallic hallway set the scene.

I was desperately running for my life, trying to reach the other side, or at least something close to a destination of escape. My panting was heavy, as if the thought of not being able to get away safely was taking a toll on my breathing.

I was not alone. A girl with strikingly blonde hair, a sky-blue dress, and large blue eyes was running alongside me…her wrist was entrapped tightly in my hand, and I had no intentions of ever letting her go.

She had chanced a glance over her shoulder- several men dressed in the clothes of what they would call 'soldiers' appeared in the closest doorway, and nearly all of them had guns in their hands, raised high and ready to fire.

And they were looking dead at us.

One soldier told them all to stop chasing us as I continued to sprint off, far be it from me to allow them the chance to take me alive. But I felt a sense of resistance tugging against my arm, and a stare of silent, frozen horror crossed my face when I turned to look at the girl who was accompanying me. The girl's big blue eyes gifted me with a terrified but eerily reassuring glance as she gave me a light shove out of the way, causing me to stumble into a containment tube of sorts.

I was back on my feet in a flash, but just as I went to remove myself from the tube, I slammed into the glass of the door, which had sealed tightly behind me.

I remembered my head throbbing wildly, my heart beating so hard it rattled against my ribcage, my fist smacking futilely against the glass, but what I recall the most was seeing one of the soldiers cock his gun and aim at the young girl.

No! You can't!

One bullet was all it took to end her life.

A primal scream of "Maria!" escaped from me, but before I had even finished the word, she had hit the ground with a heart-breaking thud. No amount of screaming and thrashing I did would ever undo what would happen, and as she whispered her last words to me, a hope for the world to just be happy, she had managed to drag her limp body to the control panel for the containment tube…

"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog…"

She slid lifelessly back to the floor with a relatively peaceful smile on her face, while I plunged down to the planet below, scarred forever by what had happened.

But now, I no longer had my emotions to accompany the memory.

. . .

"Who am I…and why can't I remember anything? And…who is this Maria?"

I wonder if 'Maria' dying was an accident…I wonder if I was the intended target. The girl seemed so innocent, so I'd doubt they'd have reason to kill her up front…

…but then, why would they have been after me?

The farthest I could remember was waking up in a green liquid, with a white bat's shocked expression looking back at me. I didn't know where I was, what was going on, or why she seemed so surprised…but she rescued me, and in turn, I rescued her from a rampaging robot that had been locked up along with me.

One that had been designed to guard all knowledge of me from prying eyes…

I traveled around with them, and for the longest time, I felt mindless with no direction. My thoughts were empty, my mind devoid of remembrances, yet slowly filling with the things I experienced with the team I had acquired. The fact I could never stray away from the turmoil that filled my mind didn't bewilder me as much as the fact that somehow, everyone we came in contact with seemed to know me.

Especially that blue hedgehog with my likeness…of course, not EXACTLY the same, but there was a little resemblance. If anyone claimed we were the same, they'd have to be more than just colorblind.

That incident happened three months ago…and you'd think in three months, at least some memories would return…I've been at a loss of what to do, but the moment I find a way to get my memories back, I'll do whatever it takes to get them.

During my musings, I felt an odd presence creep up behind me, but I really didn't pay it much mind. I acknowledged its existence by glancing up curiously, but that was all. A blood-red cloud had exploded into existence overhead, and slowly crept up onto the unsuspecting city. A red light shone from the eye of the storm, and it began to rain down with absolutely unsightly creatures.

They stormed the city in a torrent of violence, some with wings swooping around buildings while lumbering hulk monsters crushed cars with a single step or a swipe of their arms. Mayhem wrecked throughout the city, and if I knew this place well enough, the authorities would be all over it.

Which obviously meant they didn't need me to help.

"Hmm…look how pathetic they are! I don't have time for these humans."

I turned to walk away. The sunset was blotted out by the sudden cloud of darkness, and I needed a new place to dwell on things. I would have made it far if it wasn't for a chilling voice that whispered my name into the breeze.

Slightly perturbed, I stopped walking away and turned back around. What looked like an eye with five tentacle appendages came floating up to me, and before I had a chance to comment or kill it, it projected an image of a vaguely humanoid thing garbed in a long robe with gold trimmings. Large chains dangled from its neck, and despite the fact I wanted whoever the guy was to leave me alone, something said that he meant business.

"As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here…" he said in a cryptic voice, as if I was already supposed to know what he was referring to. "Find the seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me as promised…"

I stared into his three blazing eyes and gave him a strange look. Obviously, I didn't remember promising him anything; let alone knowing who he was. I didn't even know me.

"Huh? Who are you, and how do you know I'm Shadow? And what are you talking about?"

I didn't receive a reply- his starfish eye projector took off into the city like a deflated balloon. I reached out my hand and took a few steps forward in an attempt to stop him, but I was suddenly enveloped by several explosions. I wasn't injured or anything- naturally- but it was certainly bizarre. Trailing slowly to a stop, I glanced at the ground and frowned deeply.

"Just what was that all about? If he says he knows the truth about who I am…then like it or not, I have to believe him."

He never said that word for word…but he had somehow known my name, meaning he must have known me from before... The warm thought of getting my memories back seemed to counteract the chill his message gave me.

However, I had seen what the Chaos Emeralds were capable of doing in the past. With one Emerald, I was able to receive small visions that proved to be clues to my past…and with all seven, they were able to grant immense power to Sonic and his friends…

Perhaps…if I was able to get all seven Emeralds, then maybe I could receive all my memories again at once!

"The only way I can get the secrets to my past is to get those Chaos Emeralds!"

Settling that, I activated my shoes and skated down the hill towards the city, ready to take on anything. This was the moment I had been waiting three months for…the chance to find a way to restore what I had lost in my mind.

The tree I had deserted simply had its leaves rustled by the wind…almost as if it was wishing me luck.

. . .

The sounds of police sirens were everywhere, and I knew the military was now involved in the epidemic. One of the hulks picked up a police car and hurled it over his head –with little effort, I might add- while being bombarded by useless bullets. The GUN soldiers had their weapons practically on automatic as they tried fruitlessly to destroy the creatures, but it turns out the creatures greatly outmatched them. By a lot.

More creatures continued to fall from the sky, more ammo was shot, and it was like War of the Worlds in the middle of an intersection. Everything was being licked by wild and out of control flames, and I was slowly wondering how long the city would last before it succumbed to the destruction. I carefully watched the chaos unfold, looking for a time to strike, then without more than a single twitch I teleported into the melee.

I used my ability of Chaos Control cautiously yet diligently, even though I had the advantage in both strength and speed. I ducked under several punches thrown in my direction and returned them strikes of my own, dispatching my ugly foes rather easily. As my latest opponent stumbled to the ground with a misshaped face, I got a closer look at it…and saw that it resembled the ghastly-looking thing that had appeared before me back on the hill.

My mind raced, thoughts stuck between continuing wailing on the descending creatures or to ease up on them, since they clearly had a connection with the guy who knew of my past. I needed to make a decision quickly, and seeing that the creature at my feet was bucking up for another round, I was all ready to act…

Until a bullet whizzed past my ear.

Pupils shrinking and heart pounding, I glanced over my shoulder at an approaching pack of GUN soldiers, and rather than taking aim at one of their creatures defiling their city, they were targeting me.

Just like in my memory.

"They think I'm with them…" I whispered harshly under my breath, kicking the recuperating monster back to the ground as I turned to face the new threat. All of them were in the same crouched position with guns raised, slowly stalking toward me like I was some sort of prey. I moved my hand only slightly, and all the soldiers flinched on instinct, one of them sending off a misfire that had been blessed to miss me. This only further enraged me, and I felt my confused look spontaneously descend into a displeased scowl.

"Don't they know that I've brought down more of these creatures than they have? I've helped these men more than they know and they have the nerve to fire at me…to believe I even considered being on their side, the filthy humans…"

Well, not anymore.

Anger bubbled in my very being beyond my control, and I slowly swaggered forward while hardly being conscious of anything.

"Know better…than to make me angry!"

I lashed forward at the onslaught of soldiers, hate blazing from my eyes and taking the form of a chaotic red aura. A few horrified screams emitted from the soldiers as they started firing, but I braved the assault and slightly crouched, hands clenched into tight fists in front of me. The rain of ammunition abruptly stopped, as all of the soldiers were gaping at me in fear. Unable to control myself and not really caring who I hit anyway, I threw up my hands and released all my pent up anger and confusion in one giant red blast. The radius of the attack was rather large, and all the soldiers that were once shooting at me and any nearby aliens got caught in its range.

I thought I had made up my mind on what I was going to do…I thought I wouldn't feel so lost anymore…

I was slightly weakened from the unexpected Chaos Blast, but I staggered on anyway, heaving cantankerously. I glared down at a cowering soldier, and I felt like I was brimming with pure, unadulterated hatred. It unsettled me a bit, considering I had malice for no reason, but it wouldn't go away, and it felt sickeningly right. The feared look on the soldier's face was enough to get me to back off, but I'd be after some of his comrades soon enough if I chose to.

As I continued tearing down the streets, disturbed by what I was now feeling and without a place to start on my search for the Chaos Emeralds, I happened across another intersection…with the creatures on one side, led by the guy with three eyes, while on the other side were GUN Soldiers, loyally awaiting orders to fire from the GUN Commander.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing on our planet, alien?" the commander spat with distaste, and with my curiosity piqued, I ducked behind an overturned car and awaited more developments in the faceoff.

"I am to be referred to as Black Doom…" the alien's leader growled back with just as much displeasure, his trio of eyes narrowing calculatingly. "My Black Arms will make quick work of this planet and dispose of all you wretched humans as the day of reckoning draws nearer with each passing second…"

"I know nothing of what you speak of, you scum!" was the unimpressive retort, though said with enough vigor to be taken seriously. "But I will defend this city, this country, and this world until I am the last man standing!"

"Well, then," Black Doom chuckled lowly, raising his arm and sending his troops toward the humans. "I'll be seeing your last stand soon enough. Enjoy your last remaining hours if not seconds of life, foolish human!"

"Soldiers, attack!" the Gun Commander yelled over the chaos, and the soldiers marched forward as one, throwing themselves into the throng of alien brutes. I had to pull away from watching; I didn't want to see the massacre that would follow.

"Seems this Black Doom guy has ulterior motives up his sleeves…but how does that involve me?" I murmured to myself, shaking my head. "First I have a flashback that I know nothing about, then aliens attack, and now my identity crisis is going into overdrive. Nothing else could make this day any crazier."

Tempting fate, a quintet of robots thundered past me, engaging themselves in the battle where they really didn't need to be. I gaped for a few seconds before I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, nothing can get crazier than Eggman butting his big pink nose where it doesn't belong…"

Hardly concerned with the sight of Egg Pawns committing suicide, I stood up and jetted away from my hiding place behind the car, sensing that it wouldn't be very safe to stay there for much longer anyway. I had to get moving, because if Eggman was in on this whole mess, then it was only a matter of time before Sonic came running in behind him.

I could already picture it in my mind…he'd round up everyone, ranging from Tails and Knuckles, to even Amy and Cream, and Rouge, my own closest friend…and the Chaotix as well-why not?! They wouldn't fight in the war, they wouldn't fight distinctively with any of the three sides…they would fight for the freedom of everyone, and to cleanse the world of the aliens that had begun to contaminate it.

But me? I was just doing this for myself.

I've been asked countless times how I'm going to do this...and I've only told one person my intentions, though they were rather vague. I've been planning this ever since Live and Learn ended (and mind you, that was over a year ago, if not two) and I'm not straying from my path. By the end, you'll understand, I promise. ^^

Don't expect too quick of updates on this one for awhile, as Speak With Your Heart is still a higher priority than this. But regardless, I'll see you next time, when Shadow makes his way through Westopolis, where his situation becomes a bit more clearer... (By the way, this chapter was just a loose adaptation of the intro and the opening cutscene. This is just the beginning. ;D)