CHAPTER VIII

Shadow was awakened by a shrill ringing. Muttering a few curses, he went over and pressed the ANSWER button on the teleconference machine. "Yes?"

"Shadow? Is that you?"

Shadow recognized the high voice of Tails immediately, and remembered the prior conversation. "Who else would it be? Metal Overlord?"

Tails sighed and responded with a "No."

"So why did you call me?"

"Well," Tails perked up instantly, "We got Blaze through…"

"For some reason, I'm assuming something went wrong."

Tails whistled slightly, "You bet your stripes it did! We failed to pull through her precious Sol Emeralds."

Shadow literally took a step back, "You failed to do WHAT?"

Tails sighed again, "Yeah, and she's pretty PO'd about it too…"

"So should I forget about Blaze helping me?"

"Actually, no. She said she'd be delighted to help, seeing as she didn't get to meet you last time she was here."

Shadow remembered the tale Sonic had spun for him, and admitted that until now, he had barely believed half of it. "Fine. How soon can she be up?"

"She'll be up later this afternoon, okay?"

Shadow looked over to see that Pandora was still safely in his playpen. He was. "Alright, I've got some issues up here of my own. Incidentally…"

"Yeah?"

"…can you give Tikal my thanks? For helping me get the Chao, I mean…"

"Will do. See you around, Shadow."

The link was cut, and Shadow turned back to Pandora, who was giving him a knowing look.

"What?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

Pandora blew a raspberry at him, and then smiled cheekily at him. Shadow merely gave the Chao a glare, which didn't bother it at all, and walked into the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, looking back at Pandora, who cooed happily.

"I'll take that as a yes…" he took a pear out of the refrigeration unit and handed it to his new Chao. Pandora took a bite, and then motioned Shadow closer. Not seeing the trap until it was too late, Shadow recoiled as the remains of the pear was hurled in his face with a loud splat.

He wiped the fruit from his face, wondering if Chao Abuse was justified, when the teleconference machine rang again.

"What now?" he asked himself, pressing the ANSWER button again.

"Shadow?" it was Amy.

"Hello Amy. How are you today?" he asked, making an extra effort to be civil and not let slip that he had been thinking about infanticide.

"You sound strained, but I have a request from Blaze."

Shadow made certain all the pear was off his face before he answered, "What is it."

"She needs you to come get her. She doesn't know how to get to the ARK."

Shadow tugged absently at his white chest fur. What was he, a chauffer? "Fine, where will I meet her?"

"She'll be at the Station Square Train Station, okay? Great, bye."

Shadow had been about to interject something, but was greeted by the dull dial tone of the machine as Amy hung up on him.

What did I do to incur your wrath, God?

He turned to his Chao, smiling forcedly, and began to speak. "Today, Pandora, a friend will visit…" the Chao stopped crawling and looked over at him, "If you misbehave, I will jettison you into space. It is NOT," he put extra emphasis on the word, "Fun out there. Is that clear?"

"Chao!"

"That better have been a yes."

He placed another pear in the playpen, and turned to leave. It was time to get help.