[Chapter One]

I knew my defeat was near as I stood on the ground with pain that was almost unbearable. The sun was shining brightly in my eyes as I began to choke as blood began to pour from my mouth. Why had this happened to our civilization? Why did our leader and my mother, Iris, want to control everyone in the universe?
I guessed it didn't matter anymore as I saw a pile of purple and black bodies began to be stacked in front of me. "Is this enough, Violet? Are you proud of what you are doing to your people by disobeying me? All you have to do is agree to give the chaos emeralds to me and I will stop-I promise!" Iris stated as her large purple and black form towered over the stack of maybe one thousand dead bodies. I coughed up more blood and shook my head. "I refuse to bring them to you. It would mean you controlled the worlds that surround us and I don't want to see that! And besides, I don't even know where to look...please, Mother Iris...stop this madness..." I gasped. Suddenly, her hand swept across my body and barely missed my chest. I coughed and winced in pain as more blood poured from my body. It seemed like death was inevitable "It's useless, child. Obey me or I will send you to hell sooner! Don't forget what I did for you, you persistent hedgehog! I gave you life-I gave you my own blood! Your weak and pathetic parents gave you to me! You were dead soon after you were born and now you are alive and strong! You are a Zenain by bloodline and thus this is your home. Why would you care about the other pathetic planets? Are you a traitor?"

"N-no, o-of course n-not."

"Then do as I say!."

I paused for a moment. She was right. If it wasn't for her, I would be dead. But then again, she killed my birth parents. What was I to do? If I disobeyed her, she would kill me. If I did obey her, she would control the minds of everyone. Maybe there was a way around it...

Of course! I could fool her into believing that I was working for her. It would be tricky but I was sure I could pull it off. Maybe if I used the power of the chaos emeralds I could defeat her but even that would be a long shot. She and I both were powerful immortal beings. How could I bring her down when she was even more powerful than me alone?

"Well? I am waiting for an answer." She stated as she picked up a screaming child.

"P-please stop. I-I'll do it if you will p-please s-stop."

"That's a good girl, Violet. Now get going or I am going to kill you!"

"Y-yes M-Mother Iris, Right away."

A Daharti, the largest bird on Zena, came down and landed beside me. It lowered its body to the ground as I climbed onto its back. "Let's go, Zera. It looks like we have quite an adventure ahead of us." I sighed as the large black Daharti cawed and set off into the air.

Zera was leading the way for once because I really didn't know where to go. I noticed a blue planet coming into view and it felt familiar somehow. I felt as if it was calling to me. As we swooped down closer I saw large green masses which I figured must be their land. Never in my life had I seen green land, I had only heard stories about it but now that I was seeing it, it was beautiful. Much more beautiful than the desert I lived in back home. I recognized the planet as soon as we went through the atmosphere. It was Earth-the planet of green trees and grass and blue water, unlike our water which was red. As we closed in on an area, I could see buildings that the elders of our civilization had been talking about since I was born. I slowly began to remember when the elders brought me in and told me of my parents and my history:

"Your parents were from a planet called Earth. They came here as young hedgehogs and dwelled among us for many years. Then your mother became pregnant with you and when you were born you were a beautiful white hedgehog baby but you were dead so Queen Iris saw their despair and gave you life. Suddenly, your coat turned into a deep black with purple tips, like our skin. She was at peace with them until one day when your mother brought her a chaos emerald. The blue chaos emerald was beautiful and we could all feel power radiating off of the gem. Soon, your Mother Iris became power hungry so she killed your parents. She knew she couldn't get them herself so she is waiting for the day to come when you have found your hidden power. You are immortal child but all of our future leaders are born immortal. We see so much of her in you. And we also see her death is nearing. Someone is going to kill our Queen. Queen Iris is one of the most powerful beings in the universe and her destruction would bring much devastation to our civilization. Please, Princess Violet. You must understand that it may mean the control of the surrounding planets if you give the seven chaos emeralds to her but it will mean our people will be saved from the wrath of Iris." The elder had said.

"I can't. I cannot bring devastation to other civilizations just to bring peace to this one. There must be peace for all or no peace at all." I had said.

"Then be prepared to face Iris, child." She had stated.

I hadn't been ready to face her. She was much stronger than I had thought. We neared the ground when I started to feel faint. The fight had seriously weakened me. I began to sway. For some reason I couldn't heal myself like I usually can. Zera must have felt that something was wrong because he cawed nervously and began to move side to side to keep me from falling but he was too late. I caught a glimpse of a forest before my eyes closed and everything went black.

When I awoke, I was in a dark room. I looked around for a clock. It was midnight. Could it all have been a dream? No, the pain and the cuts were still there and the room was unfamiliar to me. I looked around the room before I threw the blanket off of me and tried to stand. I was very unbalanced and I began to fall but two arms caught me. I looked up and was shocked but what I saw-a black and red hedgehog looking down on me. "You shouldn't be trying to walk. You are too weak." He said as he sat me up on the bed. I looked at him in awe. He was very good looking and seemed to be around my age. "Don't worry, we Zenains heal quickly." I stated. Very slowly, my strength seemed to be come back and the cuts seem to heal.

"How did you do that? Why couldn't you have done that earlier?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Well it will be useful. Now who are you exactly?"

I hesitated. I just couldn't focus on anything besides his body. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"Huh? Oh um my name is Violet, Violet Rain. I am the crowned princess of the planet Zena. Or I was. Once our leader and my mother, Iris finds out that I am a traitor I am probably going to be hunted down."

"What do you mean?"

"Mother Iris wants the chaos emeralds so she can control the minds of all the people in the entire universe! I am different from all of them because I am from earth I just have the blood of Iris flowing through my veins. My parents are-I mean were from Earth. That is, until Iris killed them…she says she wants to control the world for the good of the world but I don't see how anything is good if it is not of their own will. I must stop her by collecting the seven chaos emeralds and using them against her….but I don't think I can do it alone. I may be immortal but I'm not invincible. Please stranger, you must help me bring her down. I'm sure she not only plans to use the chaos emeralds. I feel like she is planning something else…"

"My name is Shadow, Shadow the hedgehog. I will help you but don't think I trust you. If you are only here to bring the destruction of Earth, then I will be sure to get rid off you too."

"Fair enough, we better get moving because whatever she's planning its going to happen soon."

He walked ahead of me and as he did I couldn't help but stare. There was something about him. It was in the way he moved and talked. I could almost feel the energy radiating off of him. Then I knew that he wasn't a normal hedgehog. Somehow, someway he was different. He was special.

He turned around and looked at me. Maybe he sensed it too. He made a gesture with his hand towards the door. "Ladies first," he said as he stood out of the doorway. I never received this kind of treatment by any of the male Zenains at home. I watched him as I passed him and he watched me. It was evident. Both of us knew something about the other but didn't say a word.

The night air was cool and damp as we walked through the forest. I whistled and Zera floated down next to me. "What is that?" Shadow asked as he stared at Zera.

"This is Zera, my Daharti. They are native to our planet. He is very friendly. It will be to our advantage if we fly instead of running. I run pretty fast, faster than anyone else on Zena. This way we can have a bird's eye view of the surrounding areas."

"Sounds like a good idea. Let's go."

We soared through the sky gracefully as I studied the ground. I had never imagined I would ever get to see Earth and now that I had I was amazed. It was so much different than my home world. "It is so beautiful here Shadow. I don't see why my parents wanted to leave a place like this for my planet. All it is is one big desert. I mean the oasis is beautiful but the rest of the planet isn't."

"This planet is beautiful but it is weak. There are hundreds of different civilizations that try to steal it from us but Sonic and I have protected it. That's the only reason the human race still exists."

"Sonic? Who is this Sonic you speak of?"

"He is another hedgehog, but he is really annoying."

"It seems like I remember a Sonic the Hedgehog...But that doesn't matter. He's no match for Iris. I sense that you are very powerful but your heart is broken."

"Huh? How do you know that?"

"Your heart told me. I am empathic. All Zenains were at one point, but after Iris's rage about thirty years ago-when she killed my parents-I am the only one left that is empathic."

"What do you mean 'Iris's rage'?"

"About thirty years ago, Iris was very angry with someone named Black Doom-"

"Black Doom?"

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, very well unfortunately. Please continue."

"Well they fought and Black Doom lost but to show that he was not defeated he killed over half of the Zenains. The Zenains were so depressed they gave up empathy so that maybe they would stop feeling so much pain. But I didn't give up. I had to be strong for my nation so only Iris and I have empathy which will be a problem. She will use your emotions against you."

"Then I will be prepared. Where are we going exactly?"

"I'm not sure. I feel like Zera will guide us. The animals are empathic too."

We flew through the air for what seemed like forever before Zera landed. He lowered his head in fear and barely let out a whistle. "The Metropolis City park-why here?" Shadow asked as we looked around at the children swinging and playing on jungle gym.

"Oh no, look."

I pointed to the sky and he followed my gaze. A large ship was heading in our direction. Worst of all, it was Iris's ship. Terrified screams came from all directions and the people in the park were darting from all sides. But the worst thing wasn't the sight of the Zenain ship heading towards us it was the hate radiating from the ship that worried me.