DARK

CHAPTER ONE: SHADOW

"The past is the past."

That was what Sonic had tried to tell Shadow. It was easy for him to say. It rolled off of his tongue so easily.

Shadow was so tempted to believe it. To believe that letting go of Maria would make all his problems vanish like the emeralds in the last Chaos Control. But Sonic the Hedgehog was the last one Shadow would take advice from. What did he know about loss?! Did he feel the bullets rush passed his head? Did he ever feel his best friend's blood splatter across his skin? Did he have any idea what it was like to lose someone? No...Not a damned thing...

Shadow felt the cold steel on his gun. It was one of the only things he could salvage from Dr. Eggman's lab when he escaped using Chaos Blast. 50 years in a capsule, endlessly seeing Maria die before his eyes...One day it was too much...When Shadow came to, the room was in ruins. The only things he could grab before leaving were the gun, and a flashdrive from a nearby computer.

Shadow learned then to never trust what his eyes told him. Perspectives differed all the time. One may see tragedy where another sees comedy. One may see Heaven where another sees Hell. But what Shadow thought he saw, was something else entirely...

SPACE COLONY ARK- 52 YEARS AGO

"Shadow, please promise me, you'll be my friend forever?" Maria spoke softly. She sounded troubled as she took Shadow's hand. "Of course, Maria. But...what's the matter?" She let go of his hand and whispered. "I think grandfather is doing bad things...I know he's trying to help me...but his work is going to get people hurt...or killed..." Maria sounded certain. She had a wild imagination, but Shadow looked into her shiny blue eyes and saw something he hadn't seen in Maria Robotnik before...fear...

Shadow wondered if Maria had ever known what fear was. How could she? How could this girl before him that always smiled know terror? How could this girl that danced under starlight know horror? How could this girl who looked down on Earth with hopeful eyes now look upon Shadow with dread?

She'd seen something. This was no imagination. This was real darkness, and Shadow was the only one on the ARK that would believe her.

"What, Maria? What have you seen?" Shadow took hold of Maria's hand again. Maria squeezed harder. "They call it the Dark Emerald, Shadow...my grandfather created it from something called "Black Doom". It summons the darkness inside of people and creates power from it...it can destroy us all in a matter of seconds...from the inside out..." Maria whispered. Shadow's blue eye met with Maria's. Maria's frown turned into a smile. "We're not going to stay up here forever. We're going to go down there...to Earth...to help people...Grandpa can't stop us. Nobody can."

Shadow smirked and nodded...but as he looked at Maria now, he sensed something. A ringing in his ears...like two gunshots...an explosion...several voices crying out..."Maria!" Shadow shouted. Maria was startled. She placed a hand on Shadow's back. "Maria...something isn't right...I...there's a dang-" Shadow opened his eyes to reveal that they were red now. "Shadow! Your eyes!" Maria gasped. But Shadow paid it no attention...he focused in on the black jewel lurking over Maria's shoulder...and the black figure that followed it. "Maria, get down!" Shadow ordered.

Suddenly, a tentacle ripped through the wall and grabbed Maria. Shadow gaped at the black and purple tentacle as it strangled Maria, and began tearing part of her skull open. Shadow's wrist flicked forward, and a brilliant light flew from his palm, ripping through the tentacle, and dropping Maria to the floor. Shadow looked at his hand in astonishment, but put it aside. He dashed to Maria and lifted her back to her feet. She was dizzy, and confused, and bloodied. She looked upon Shadow with those fearful eyes. Shadow turned his head away. "What...are we going to do...Shadow...? That thing will...kill everyone..." Maria's blood mixed with her tears as they fell on Shadow's quills. Shadow fell silent. He felt his heart skip beats. Maria's grip tightened. "Shadow?" She repeated.

"We have to leave this place. Now." Shadow hated to say it. He knew as well as Maria what it meant. But to save Maria, and whatever the hell was left of the Ultimate Life Form project inside of him, he had to make this call. He had to leave the ARK to die...

"But Shadow...the inhabitants..." Maria squeezed Shadow's hand. "We can't save them...but we can fulfill their mission. We can create a better Earth for humanity. Hold on. I have to try something," Shadow flashed Maria a smile, and drew a green jewel. "Chaos..." Maria held tightly. "Control!" Shadow roared. Suddenly, a great light enveloped them, and they vanished.

When they reappeared, they were in a long hallway, surrounded by flashing red lights...and GUN soldiers. "Stop, project Shadow! Unhand Ms. Robotnik immediately!" One commanded. "Maria...close your eyes..." Shadow growled. "Please don't hurt them, Shadow. For me."

But it was too late. Shadow felt a surge of dark rage in his fists and feet. He leaped into the air, and kicked a guard down. He dodged an oncoming bullet, and returned with his Chaos Spear, blowing his arm off. Shadow smiled, hearing his scream. He felt disgusted with himself for a moment, but it vanished when he heard Maria scream, and saw a GUN commander with a pistol to Maria's head. "I knew you were evil, Shadow! Now-"

In a blink, Shadow was gone.

The commander spun around, and caught sight of Shadow's shoe slamming into his face. Shadow felt his skull cracking under the heel of his shoe...begging for mercy from the Ultimate Life Form...Shadow almost considered it before revving up the jet on his shoe, burning the man for the sin he'd just committed...threatening his only friend...

Maria was horrified, but she didn't say a word. She knew that Shadow had killed these men to protect her, but still she felt guilty. Had Shadow forgotten his morals for her sake?

Maria took Shadow's hand again, and they headed toward an escape pod. Suddenly though, Shadow felt a weight lighten, and a splash on his back and quills.

Just after he heard a gunshot.

Maria had fallen.

"Shadow..."

"Maria!"

Bang.

Maria was dead...but not before she launched the pod...the last thing Shadow saw was a monster rip through the hall, murdering the remaining soldiers, and tossing away the head of Dr. Gerald Robotnik...The Space Colony ARK...a symbol of man's perseverance...now doomed by its impulses. And Maria paid the price for it.

Thus, so did Shadow the Hedgehog...