don't lose important objects fellas
especially when they save your life

When Shadow caught Sonic's wrist and practically dragged him to a stop, the poor blue hedgehog had the brief thought of his own death. Why else would the dark mobian randomly bring them screeching to a halt? The speedster was so convinced of his demise, he was caught off guard by the sounds of footsteps and the bustle of the city. Relief flooded the blue blur's system. He wouldn't be murdered in public, Shadow had common sense. Sonic rubbed his sore arm.

"Why the rough stop?" He complained. The adult merely huffed. The fierce grip returned to Sonic's small arm, and the hedgehog found himself being dragged into the crowd. What in the world was he thinking? Shadow had refused to enter the last group of people the two had encountered, why was this one any different?

"Woah woah woah, what's going on?" Sonic inquired, trying to combat the squeezing sensations with a series of pathetic smacks. Shadow only adjusted the grip. Some human accidentally brushed against the small speedster's sharp quills. A quiet cuss hissed through the air as Sonic turned to apologize for the small injury. The adult merely yanked him away, pace quickening ever so slightly.

"Shadow, what are we doing?" Sonic squeaked, arm momentarily tangled in some woman's purse. "Where are we going?"

"Be quiet." Shadow hissed. He tugged the blue kid along further.

Central city was known for its tourism. The city specialized in museums, parks, shops, and really anything you could possibly want for spending a day or two to see the sights. Downtown was the main center for all tourist related activities. Stalls and vendors lined the streets, selling their wares and playing music. Restaurants and stores also shared the space, with their open windows and beautiful gardens bringing additional life to the early morning bustle. Plant life was important in Central City. Nearly every street had pots filled to the brim with flowers and various other vegetation. Although the city was technologically sophisticated, the locals still made sure the city had plenty of green.

Sonic had been to Central City various times. In fact, he had walked this very street countless times before. The only difference between then and now, was the fact that a strange and very strong hedgehog was locked onto his wrist to keep him from running off. Sonic hated it. He hated everything. He hated being restrained. He hated his situation. He hated Shadow. He hated himself. He hated himself for releasing this guy. Everything could have been avoided if he had simply minded his own business like Eggman told him to so many times before. Perhaps there was some wisdom in the mad scientist's words. Perhaps he could have lived a normal life.

Sonic's life was far from normal, unfortunately. A jarring reminder of it clamped around his wrist. In that moment, jostled around in the crowd, Sonic the Hedgehog wished he had just lived a normal life. A happy laugh sounded through the air. A human child pushed through the crowd into their mother's arms. The two stood there for a moment, pressed in the embrace before running into a shop. A normal happy life. Sonic sighed deeply.

"What are we doing? Why are we here?" He asked again. Shadow growled in annoyance.

"I thought I told you to zip it." He snapped. Sonic puffed himself out a bit on instinct.

"It would be helpful to know what's goin' on you know." He retorted, placing his free hand on his hip. Shadow pinched his brow.

"I will shut up if you tell me." Sonic bargained. "If you tell me and stop twisting my hand off."

"..."

"Fine."

The grip on the small hedgehog released, allowing the small gloved hand to go free. Sonic contemplated making a run for it, however the densely packed area around him changed his mind.

"You didn't hold up your end of the bargain." Sonic pressed. Shadow stopped and turned to face the hedgehog.

"I said zip it." He whispered aggressively. He grabbed the hedgehog's hand and continued to drag him through the crowd. Sonic noticed, however, that the hold on his fingers wasn't as tight as before.

"I feel a Chaos Emerald nearby." Shadow finally answered. Sonic's eyes dilated slightly. This guy can sense the emeralds?

"You can feel them? Like Knuckles?" He asked, slightly shocked. Shadow merely nodded. Sonic was reminded once again that Shadow probably didn't know who the current Guardian of the Master Emerald was. Heck, this was the guy who didn't know who Eggman was. Who even is this guy?

The two continued on for a bit. Shadow used his small stature, in comparison to the humans of course, to maneuver through the crowd. Sonic, even smaller than Shadow, could see through the legs of the packed square. The occasional mobian build would come into view, but for the most part, all the blue speedster could see were pant legs. Sonic started counting socks. Some humans wore black socks, others wore white. Sometimes brown socks would peek over the edge of a shoe. Someone wore one black sock and one white sock. Gosh was the young hedgehog bored.

Then, at the worst time possible, Sonic felt it. The horrible feeling that the blue blur had been dreading this whole time. The feeling that would potentially wreck his chances of retrieval. The feeling that could possibly end his career. The feeling that would sever the only link between him and his friends. The feeling that comes when one usually eats the wrong kind of breakfast in the morning.

Sonic inhaled sharply. He reached up and tugged on the adult's red cuff. When there was no response, he tugged harder.

"Shadow…" He started.

No response.

"Shadoww..." He whined, the feeling pulling harder on his guts.

"Shadow!"

"I thought I told you to shut up!" Shadow stopped short and whirled around to look the blue blur in the eyes. His intense glare made the hedgehog shrink slightly underneath it. Sonic gulped slightly.

"But I gotta go!" He whimpered. The look of pure and absolute disbelief that crossed Shadow's face made Sonic smile slightly. The smile faded when Shadow face-palmed. The inconvenience of the whole situation clearly upset the adult.

"Can you… hold it?" He asked quietly, the other arm releasing the blue blur to cross over his body.

"No…" Came the small reply. The almighty sigh that escaped the black furred mobian was enough to make Sonic feel equally dissatisfied.

"Just.. hang on." Shadow grumbled. Sharp eyes surveyed the area before landing on a place where the young hedgehog could do his business.

"Don't take too long." Shadow instructed, allowing the cobalt kid to enter the small box. Sonic nodded and shut the door tight behind him, locking the adult out of sight. Heaving another sigh, Shadow leaned his back against the structure. The sounds of the kid moving around in there unsettled him. After around thirty seconds, the movements continued. Shadow tried the door.

The loud shouts and angry movements that followed was enough to make the adult back off. Clearly he wasn't done. Scarlet eyes swept across the landscape once again. Shadow felt the emerald close by. It was closer than earlier.

"Are you done yet?" He asked, knocking slightly on the flimsy plastic.

"No."

Shadow groaned silently. He continued his watch. A lot of people passed by the dark hedgehog. The diversity of the group astonished the mobian. Who knew there could be so many types of humans. There were more kinds than he was accustomed to… More stumbling and other movements could be heard inside.

"What in the name of Chaos are you doing in there?" Shadow asked, annoyance layered heavily on his voice.

"I'm almost done okay! Just let a guy do his stuff for once!" The muffled voice of the child shouted. After a few more seconds of shuffling, Sonic finally emerged.

"I'm done now." He mumbled, slightly irritated by the elder's presence. This guy did not seem to know or care about personal space.

"The emerald is closer now, it's somewhere in the square." Shadow announced, grabbing Sonic's hand once again. The blue speedster found himself pulled into the crowd once again.

An empty feeling emerged in the small hedgehog's soul. He had lost the tracker. He had lost his connection with Tails. His situation now looked grim. The hedgehog hadn't planned on losing the tracker. Heck, the blue blur didn't even think about the eventual time that nature would call. His plan was flawed. But at least it was a plan. A plan that he would need to at least try and continue.

Shadow continued to drag the hedgehog through the area. One moment, Sonic would find himself in front of a fancy store, and the other he would be nearby a cafe. The hedgehog couldn't help but wonder if the Chaos Emerald was even around here. There was also the possibility that someone else had it. Sonic shuddered. He didn't want to fight anyone. Shadow would most definitely stop at nothing to get the powerful gems. Sonic didn't doubt the adult's ability to murder.

Minute after minute passed, each one wearing on the small speedster's mind. The longer he spent looking for a way out, the less likely he was to get it. Shadow was intent on not letting him go. What was he even planning to do with him? Shove him into small spaces? Send him climbing up flimsy structures? Was he a failsafe? Would Shadow use him as a hostage if situations got sticky? Was he already a hostage? Sonic didn't know. Shadow was a complete mystery to the small hedgehog. A true puzzle.

Sonic liked puzzles. If he was going to be dragged along on this adventure, he might as well try to understand the strange adult. Shadow didn't talk very much, that was certainly clear. But what did he intend to do with the Chaos Emeralds? Why was the Eclipse Cannon part of the scheme?

A leaf brushed against Sonic's face, followed by another and a bunch of sticks. Sonic hadn't even been aware that he had zoned out. He needed to be aware of his surroundings or he would end up like he was now. Face first in a bush. A rough, but now painfully familiar hand pulled him out.

"Watch where you're going."

Sonic huffed. He was getting tired of Shadow's attitude. He was behaving like he was in charge of a...of a… oh, right. The blue blur remembered what was actually going on. Sonic had always been treated with respect and praise. He had saved the world a few times after all. With so many adults making him seem like a hero in the view of the world, it was easy for the speedster to forget who he actually was. A child.

Another bush came into view, snapping the daydreaming hedgehog out of his fantasy world. Red sneakers slid to the right just in time to avoid the last incident. Perhaps there was a reason for all of this zoning. Sonic though hard. Why was he being tugged around the Central City main square in a daze. Sonic bumped into someone. Dang it. Zoned out again. He hadn't noticed that Shadow had stopped. The adult's ears swiveled around, looking for a sound he may have heard. Scarlet eyes peered around the square in search of something. He began walking again.

What was the purpose of this whole adventure? There is always a reason for someone to leave the comfort of their home in pursuit of a goal. Sometimes it is to save captured animals. Sometimes it is to retrieve a family heirloom. Sometimes it is in search of a friend. Sometimes a lover. Everyone has a reason to pursue a goal, but what was Shadow's?

A pleasant smell wafted through the air, catching in Sonic's nose. The hedgehog closed his eyes, breathing in the heavenly aroma. In a few short seconds, the small hedgehog had forgotten every worry in the world and everything else seemed to fade away. All that was left was the rumble in his stomach and the intoxicating scent of baked goods.