Right after the defeat of Black Doom a remarkable phenomenon occurred between the words of humans and mobians. As soon as the comet had been destroyed and the emeralds left the falling hero's (Shadow the Hedgehog) body the Chaos Emeralds had seemed to summon the Master Emerald as it appeared floating in the middle of the glowing jewels.

All around the world people everywhere felt a large rumbling, as a massive earthquake seemed to shake the entire planet. Witnesses say at the peak of the shaking the emeralds grew brighter and brighter before creating a blinding flash across the sky and shortly after that the rumbling stopped.

It was chaos and confusion right after the light faded, for there was just as many mobians as there where humans among Earth. Humans and mobians alike where not used to each other and ran in terror, panicked as they looked upon unfamiliar species. After a few days the world leaders and the mobian King Acorn met up to discuss this wide spread dilemma and launched both their research teams out into the field.

Scientists knew that since the first trip between the realms that Sonic and friends had taken, that the Chaos Emeralds had opened a portal between the two worlds that constantly leaked mobians and their homes alike into the human dimension, but never at such a large scale as on the day the Black Comet was destroyed.

This was when everyone realized the emeralds had morphed the dimensions as one. Scientists conducted many experiments and found that the world has doubled in size, new stars and planets have appeared in sky, and not to mention added land marks that were all found to originate from Mobius. They concluded that the bridge that had been opened for Sonic and friends had brought the worlds together once the Chaos Emeralds left their host of the Ultimate Life Form. The reason why is still unknown.

With this new knowledge the World Leaders and Mobius King decided that laws of equal rights must be put in place in order for all inhabitants to live in harmony together. When these laws were put in place several things changed, such as mobians required to wear clothes just as humans had too and no discrimination between species. Both simple and major laws and regulations where made noticed all over the world, which the leaders had decided to name Mobius Earth, and the whole population was given a year to settle down before the laws where cracked down on hard.

It has been four years since the defeat of Black Doom, a very harmonious and peaceful four years as mobians and humans rebuilt their lives together. No wars or attacks from the notorious Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who mysteriously disappeared after the

Comet was destroyed, caused an era of peace to settle over the great new world.

This is where our story begins.

*Midnight – Shadow's Cottage*

(Shadow's Prov.)

I awoke in a cold sweat, both my head and my heart pounding. The sound of my own screams had awoken me yet again, all due to the same nightmare that has haunted me for years…

Maria's Death…

I shuttered and shook my head; as if the action could erase the memory for good, but of course it failed. I let a sigh escape, sleep was out of the question now. Silently I pulled on my sweats and ventured out of the dark room. I placed a hand on the barren walls of the stairway, trying to steady myself since my head was still dizzy.

Strange enough my cottage was a gift from the Fox Boy, who had rebuilt it the first time I "died", when I had crash-landed back down to earth after I helped Faker defeat Bio Hazard. Apparently he was one of the few who believed in my return and since I helped his Big Brother in the fight I must've became some sort of hero in the young fox's mind.

He has told me before that he found it abandoned in the woods, and knowing I like my solitude, he renovated it just for me. A very surprising gesture I was not expecting from the Faker's sidekick.

It was quite a beautiful cottage I must admit. It was a two-story house, all having white walls with black trim and dark wood floors in every room except black tile in the kitchen and bathrooms with carpeted shaggy black floors in the bedrooms.

The first floor had a living room with a fireplace, family room, dining room, a kitchen with a pantry, and a bathroom. The top floor had a master bedroom that was built in with its own personal bath and sitting room, two other guest rooms, and another additional bathroom for the guest's rooms to share. A very big house for one, but I didn't mind.

The house was also equipped with a cloaking devise, making it look old and worn-down from the outside so I wouldn't be bothered, and had a high tech security that was modeled after the ARK's, I guess so it would be simple for me to figure out.

Not only this but underneath the staircase hidden behind the walls was another staircase leading to the underground bunker that I used as a lab and weapon chamber. All designed by a 12 year old fox at the time; I had to admit the kid is a genius.

I have a lot to owe to the young kit, not only did he make me this cottage but he also kept my secret from the world; that I was still alive… I didn't want anyone to know of my survival just in case G.U.N. was still hunting me down. Then no one could get hurt either.

After defeating my biological father, Black Doom, and the rest of my brothers I passed out into a month long coma. It was then I awoke in my humble abode, having been nursed back by the two tailed fox. I have grown somewhat attached to the child to be honest; well, he isn't annoying to me as most people are. I guess you can say he is the closest thing I got to a friend now.

*12:36 A.M. – Shadow's Cottage*

I leaned back into the plush white couch taking a sip of my coco, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. The flat screen T.V. mounted just above was turned off, since the only times I bother with it is to watch the news and keep in touch with the outside world. I placed the black mug down on the glass table in front of me as I felt my eyes getting heavier.

I zoned out a little before my ears twitched, I could hear something…and this something was coming straight towards my home. I listened and could hear the pounding of metal, the electric whirl of lasers, and the pitter patter of quick feet …

Then a sudden boom echoed along my walls as something hit my roof; acting fast I ran out the door to face a surprising scene in front of me.

An Egg Bot stood there with something underneath its foot with about 50 others starting to surround it. I couldn't exactly get a good view of what the Bot was crushing and was about to step closer when a sickening familiar sound of braking bones rang out across the pines.

Than everything went white in a brilliant flash of light.

I hid my eyes in my arm until the light was gone and got a slight glimpse of what looked like a green glowing force field fading out From in front of me. Demolished metal bodies and flames were scattered about and the smell of oil began to hit my nose as they melted. My mouth dropped, for I had just witnessed a Chaos Blast. A move till now only I could perform.

I looked around for at least one sign of the creator of the blast, but found none; at least that's what I thought till I saw movement on the ground, near the area the single Bot had something trapped under its foot.

A girl, a female hedgehog with long messy quills and charred fur laid crumpled in a broken heap upon the floor. I stood there for a moment like a fool as I gazed wide-eyed at the nearly naked mobian, for it seemed almost every inch of her body was covered in mud and blood.

I ran to her and lifted her upper body close to mine to check her injuries, evidently causing her pain as she flinched away. She then revealed her emerald orbs, looking up at me like an innocent child would; her entire muzzle was caked with dirt and blood.

"Are you Alright?" A very stupid question, seeing how she was scarred up and down with blood drizzling out her mouth warning me of internal damage, but I couldn't think of anything else to ask. Her ears twitched at my voice, her eyes where dilated as she stared up at me. I couldn't stop but stare back.

"Sh-Shadow…"

I raised my eyebrows, She knew me? Yes a lot of people knew of me but no one knew I was alive. I built up my walls and glared at the injured she-hog.

"How do you know my name?" I growled. I had to be on guard, for all I know this girl could now be a spy, I knew G.U.N. would have no problem taking drastic measures as this to seriously injure their own to stage this tragic scene and gain my trust. I saw her eyes grow softer, not a usual characteristic of an agent, she seemed to try and speak again, but it was gurgled due to the blood…

"P-p-please he-e-lp…"

I faltered a little. I only heard a voice that weak and sweet once before... Flashbacks of that dreaded night burned behind my eyelids as I closed them shut tightly.

I re-opened them again to see her eyes fluttering closed. That's when I noticed something glowing in her hands. The she-hog held it loosely in her left hand as it pulsed full of energy; it was a Chaos Emerald, the violet one in fact.

I meant to grab for the jewel but as soon as my fingertips brushed the smooth surface I felt what I could describe as electricity coursing up though my arm. I closed my eyes in shock at the sudden sensation only to be greeted with my old friend's face. Her blue eyes sparkled with urgency as her gorgeous blonde hair and the blue silky dress that she had worn upon ARK swayed in the imaginable breeze. "Maria?!"

"Shadow please remember your promise, save her... Give her a chance at happiness too…"

The coo of her voice echoed through my ears. I tried to stretch out an arm and touch her hand but by the end of her sentence she had already started to fade out. I felt myself open my eyes yet again only to find myself right back in the front of my house with destroyed Bots and a dying unconscious girl.

"Yes Maria, I will keep my promise to you..." I whispered to myself as I looked upon the female hedgehog's face, brushing her bangs out of her face subconsciously.

I don't know why the emerald triggered a vision of Maria, or why this girl was so important for Maria to even remind me of my promise to her, but that's something I have to ponder about later.

Because right now this girl needs my help, and she needs it now…