This was ridiculous. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing at the Doctor. His western-style outfit just seemed odd on a man his size. He was dressed like a human cowboy, but his proportions made it laughable.

Sonic and Tails were taking him seriously though. Ivo had arrived on horseback (I'm surprised the horse could carry him) a few moments ago. We were at the edge of town and I thought it was going to be a civilized conversation.

Like anything involving Sonic however, it got chaotic. "Ya ain't allowed in town Ivo. No bounty hunters. If someone's breakin' the law I'll deal with 'em myself." Sonic said forcefully. Tails nodded, backing up the sheriff's opinion.

Ivo climbed off his horse and pulled a gun on the duo. "Hedgehog, I only kill people who deserve it." Tails stepped in front of Sonic, surprising him. "Tikal didn't deserve it. Neither did Maria and her old man. Ya kill innocent people. Now get out, or we're gonna make ya."

I didn't know who Tikal was, but I had heard him mention Maria as well. He had killed Maria's parallel? And 'her old man' meant her father, whom I assumed in this world was the Professor. When it came to those two, I wasn't able to control my emotions. "Ivo, you either get out now or I'll kill you myself."

I took a few steps toward the Doctor, ready to take his gun from him, but Sonic pulled me back. "We don't harm people Shads. We don't stoop to his level." I don't know what happened then. Tails had mentioned the two people I cared about most, and Sonic's words had echoed something Maria once told me.

I wanted to push him away and tell him not to call me that, not to say things like that, but I just fell to my knees. I could hear the Doctor laughing and saying, "Aw, the new guy havin' a moment? Well sorry, but I ain't got time for ya'll to be gettin' in my way."

I heard him load the gun, then the familiar sound of Sonic and Tails fighting with Eggman as I stood up and watched. Punches, kicks, Sonic pulled a special wind/miniature tornado move with Tails' help, ect. "Now are gonna have to call in the townsfolk to back us up, or are ya gonna be civilized and leave?" Sonic asked.

Ivo shakily stood up, ignoring the fact that his clothes were now tattered and he had many bruises. "I'll be back. Ya'll can count on it. But first…" There was a gunshot and pain exploded in my leg as I fell. The Doctor laughed and rode off, and I fully expected Sonic to chase him, but no. He stayed.

Tails said something about getting 'the doc' before running back into town. Sonic pulled off one of his gloves and used it to wrap my wound like a bandage. "You're gonna be all right Shads." He said as he threw my arm over his shoulder and helped me stand.

I tried to push him off. "I can walk. Let go." One bullet would only hinder me for a few minutes before my leg healed itself. I did manage to make him let go, but only for a second before he held me again. "I ain't lettin' ya fall."

He helped me back into town, by which time I had managed to get my leg mostly working. I had a slight limp but it was nothing bad. I saw Tails run up to us, and he had Blaze following behind. That cat was a doctor?

"Oh dear." She glanced at my wound and pulled off the bloody glove. "You'll need to sit down. Sheriff, please hold him still. Tails, hand me my kit." Tails gave her what looked like a white toolbox with a red cross printed on it.

As I was watching those two I was caught off guard when Sonic grabbed my torso from behind. "Do as the lady says. Don't move." It was hard not to when he had startled me like that. And now I knew what it felt like to have your heart skip a beat. Though I couldn't tell if had skipped from fright or something else…

No, it wasn't from something else. I had just met him. I did not like him like that. Did I? I felt Blaze poke into my wound to retrieve the bullet and it hurt like hell, but I didn't say anything. When she was done she wrapped the wound and stood back up. She looked happy with her work.

"All right, we're done here. Try not to walk on it." I rolled my eyes. With my advanced healing I would be able to walk within an hour. I noticed that even though Blaze had finished, Sonic didn't let go of me. The cat did a small bow again before walking off, talking to Tails who was following her.

Now I was alone with the sheriff. "Uh, are you gonna let go, Sonic?" He didn't say anything but I saw his hands release me. I was about to stand up when I felt lips pressed against my head. He had kissed me?

"Sonic!" I quickly stood up and spun around to glare at him. If my Sonic had done that he would've been laughing about it because he was teasing. This Sonic's face was turning red. "Sorry, Shads. Was just glad you're okay." I sighed. I couldn't hate him no matter how hard I tried. That was another way he differed from my Sonic. "Let's just get back. You promised you'd help me get home."

He stood up and readjusted his hat, silent for a moment. "How'd ya get here in the first place? Train or horseback? Most folks take the train." He may have been good at messing with my emotions, but he was ignorant when it came to many other things.

"I got here by using Chaos Control. It's a very fast means of transportation, but I can't use it to get back." I explained. It was unusual how this world had no chaos energy. I was very sensitive to it and could feel it in the air normally. I could manipulate it at will. Here, there was none. It was like a void, and it felt strange. Like I was a puzzle with a missing piece.

Sonic scratched his head, confused. "Ain't never heard of that. Well, we'll think of somethin'. Where ya from?" He was only making it harder to explain. "Sonic, I'm from a place you can't get to by normal transportation. It's going to take some very advanced technology to get me back home." That or chaos energy, but I didn't say that aloud.

He was silent again, so I assumed he was thinking. I waited until he finally spoke. "We ain't got much for technology 'round these parts. A few rifles carried by bandits and bounty hunters, the lamps in the buildins and the steam train. I s'pose we could use the train somehow."

Finally a good idea. Given the right materials I could modify the train to travel between dimensions. That would take a while though. That meant I was stuck here for the time being. Sonic smiled at me, as if he knew I had liked his idea. I think I smiled back.

It took a lot to make me smile these days, but that hedgehog had done it. I still had no idea how. He started walking back to the saloon, motioning for me to follow. "In the mean time, ya'll enjoy yourself here. Kay?"

I reluctantly nodded. I would have to make the most of this 'adventure'. As we walked my mind wandered back to my dimension. How were Rouge and Omega doing? Was anyone wondering where I was?

I sat at a table in the corner while Sonic chatted with his friends. I noticed Tails and Blaze were talking with each other near the counter. I watched the familiar scene of Sonic denying Amy a date as I listened to the fox and the cat in the background.

"The sheriff's certainly taken to the newcomer, hasn't he?" Blaze asked. Tails replied with, "Newcomer's named Shadow. And yeah, Sonic's really taken to him. Dunno why." Blaze sounded confused when she said, "I thought he liked Amy. I know she certainly likes him."

Amy hung her head and managed a weak smile as Sonic left her to go to the counter. I got up and went over the piano to talk to the girl. "Hey." She looked up at me, her face a mixture of sadness and annoyance. "Stay away from him. I've been tryin' to win him over since I met him, and I ain't gonna lose him. 'specially not to a man. It ain't right."

Well, she was just as possessive as the Amy I knew. I gave her a disapproving look as I crossed my arms. "Doesn't matter the gender, Amy. And I'm not trying to take him. He can choose whoever he wants. It's not my fault, so don't go blaming me."

She just looked at me, her expression unreadable. I went back to my table just as Sonic came to me with drinks. He set one on my side of the table with a smirk. "Money's on me. Enjoy." When he looked at me with those emerald green eyes of his, I knew the meaning of the expression 'butterflies in your stomach'.

Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad after all…