CHAPTER 2

When Tails and Shadow arrived at Station Square it was already dark. Tails was utterly exhausted trying to keep up with the black hedgehog. Shadow had to slow down for Tails to keep up. But they made it to Station Square.

"Shadow?" Tails landed and sat on a bench.

"Yeah? What's up?" Shadow walked over to the little fox that was trying to catch his breath.

Tails looked up at Shadow, "we have to find a place to stay for the night."

"So it seems." Shadow said.

"Where though?" Tails asked looking at his feet. He began tapping them together as he thought. There was only silence between the fox and the hedgehog.

"Excuse me." a voice said. They looked at the direction of the voice and saw an old lady standing there. "I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you need a place to stay." She walked up to Shadow. "You and your umm." She looks at Tails, "friend can stay with me for the night."

"Oh no, we don't want to be rude." Tails said politely.

"No-no, I insist. You look like you have been traveling and need food and a nice hot shower. My husband and I would love to have you over. You can use my son's old room." She laughed all teary eyed, "Funny, he was called to fight when he was just about your age," she motioned to Shadow, "and we haven't seen him since." she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, "But my husband and I love to have company. So please, follow me." She handed a tissue to little Tails, who had silent tears running into his fur. Shadow and Tails then followed the woman, depending on the kindness that she offered.

****

"Tadaima." The old woman said as she opened the door.

"Okarinasai." The old man said looking up. "Oh, who are these people."

"They needed a place to stay. They have been traveling." The old man got up and walked to Tails.

"What's your name, son?" he asked the youth.

"I'm Tails." He said shyly.

"And you?" The old woman asked. "What's this handsome young man's name?"

Shadow blushed. He never had been called handsome before. The old lady giggled. "Shadow. My name is Shadow." He said.

"So, Tails, would you like a bath?" The old lady asked.

"Oh yes. That would be nice. Thank you!" Tails said.

The old man cleared his throat. "Please if you don't mind me asking, why do you have two tails?"

The old lady glared at him and he sweat-dropped. Tails blushed. "Really it is okay. That's the way I was born. Would you like to see something really cool?" The old man nodded. The old woman continued to glare at her husband. Tails got up and went outside. The three others followed. Tails spun up his tails and said, "Ready? Here we go!" Tails pushed off the ground and let his tails fly. He flew up high and looked down.

The old man and old woman were stunned. "Well," the old man said, "I didn't expect that."

"Yeah," Shadow said, "He is something, huh?"

"Is he your son? Or maybe he's your brother?" The old woman asked.

"No, I'm too young to have a son and I have no family. I'm his bodyguard."

"Oh? Why?" The old woman asked.

"Until we can locate his best friend, I have to protect him. Someone is trying to hurt him."

"Oh I see." Said the old man.

"Tails, lets get you into a bath!" Shouted the old woman.

"Alright!" Tails landed beside Shadow. "See ya Shadow."

"Yeah." They all went inside and the old man and Shadow sat down while Tails went upstairs with the old woman.

****

"Okay, you two," the old woman led the two boys up the stairs and opened a door, "This is your room." She stepped inside and flicked the light switch on.

"Oh." Tails said. Shadow just stared. The room was a little bigger than a walk in closet. The bed took up almost half of the room and there was only enough space for walking. There was a small chest in the very back of the room.

"Sorry that it is so small. We don't have much room in the house. In fact, the room my husband and I have is not much bigger than this."

"That's okay. It is the thought that counts! You're doing this out of the kindness of your hearts so it's fine." Tails said.

"I've been in smaller places. This will be fine." Shadow said. He and Tails both bowed to the old lady.

"Thank you." The old lady said. "If you need anything, you may be aloud downstairs to the kitchen. And two doors to your right is the bathroom. In case of an emergency, you can come to my bedroom down on the first floor right on your left. Sweet dreams, boys. I'll have breakfast ready at nine. Oyasuminasai." She left and closed the door behind her.

"Well," Tails said, looking around.

"I will sleep on the floor." Shadow said.

"Oh, you don't have to. I don't mind." Tails said. They both looked at the solid hardwood floor and sweat-dropped.

"Ahem. Well, I guess now neither of us want to sleep on the floor." Shadow commented.

"Well," Tails sat on the bed, "We can both. sleep on the bed. 'cause I don't take too much room and stuff. and." Tails looked at his feet and began to tap them together. He had been blushing heavily. Shadow began to blush a little.

"Well, It won't be a little awkward for you?" Shadow asked Tails.

"Um. no. But only 'cause I have slept in the same bed as a hedgehog before so the spikes won't bother me."

"No, I meant sleeping in the same bed as a boy." Shadow blushed. "And, I've never. shared a bed before."

"That's okay. Until I met Sonic, neither had I. Sonic is like my older brother. We do everything together. well, almost everything." Tails said. "When you were growing up, did you have someone like that?" Tails asked shyly.

Shadow tensed up. "Well, before they. froze me. yes. Growing up I had a best friend."

"What was his name?" Tails asked.

"It wasn't a boy. It was a girl. I really don't want to talk about it." Shadow said, taking his shoes off. Tails began to do the same. When Shadow was done, he got up and turned the light switch off. The room was very dark except the little light that came in through the small window. Tails and Shadow crawled into bed.

"Shadow?" Tails asked a few minutes later, "Are you asleep yet?"

"No." He replied.

"Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? I'll tell you something about me if you'd like."

"Okay. How did you meet Sonic?"

"I was all alone for as long as I could remember and I had no friends. All the other people would make fun of my two tails. Until one day when Sonic found me and told off all of them. We have been friends ever since." Tails said, turning over in bed.

"Tails isn't your real name, is it?" Shadow asked.

"No. That is only a nickname. My real name is Miles Prower. But I hate it. So Sonic nicknamed me Tails and it stuck." Tails smiled.

"I like Tails better anyway." Shadow said.

"Well, Shadow, how about you?"

"Okay. I never had parents. I was created in a lab, basically." The teen confessed.

"Who created you?" Tails asked.

"His name was Doctor Gerald. He was Eggman's Grandfather." Shadow trembled in anger.

"Oh. Well, who was your best friend? Sorry to ask again, but if it is too sad, you don't have to tell me."

"I guess I can tell you. Her name was Maria and she was like my big sister. I had known her for as long as I can remember. He had created me for her. She was ill and I was given to her on the ARK so that she wouldn't be alone while her Grandfather did experiments. The government found out about Gerald's projects and ordered to dispose of them all. Maria wanted me to go to earth and save all the creatures there. I was in the capsule to go and she was killed protecting me. She risked her life to save me. That's when I was captured and frozen."

"How long were you frozen for?" Tails asked.

"Too long. over 50 years as far as I know." Tails eyes widened. "It could be less or more." Shadow stared into the darkness.

(A.N.: Tee hee! On July 27 we got SA2:Battle. And four days later we beat it! Ha! I was very, very close!! But I will continue while I listen to "Believe in Myself")

"Oh. so you. are like a stranger in a new world?" Tails asked.

"Yes, putting it simply." Shadow said.

"Do you have any friends now?" Tails asked bashfully.

"No. I don't really know anyone. That is unless you can count Rouge and Eggman as 'friends'. The closest thing I have to a friend right now is you, Tails."

"I'm flattered really. My closest friend in the world is a hedgehog and another considers me his only friend. I must be one lucky fox!" Tails giggles.

"I guess." Shadow replied. Tails stopped giggling. There was a moment of silence.

"Shadow?" Tails asked.

"Mmm?" Shadow mumbled.

"Are you asleep?"

"No, Tails."

There was another long pause.

"Are you even tired?" whispered Tails

"Not really." Shadow whispered back, "But I think we should try to sleep anyway. wait, what's that noise?"

Tails listened carefully. The noise was like a low mechanical humming coming from outside. Tails got out of bed, went to the window and peeked out. There was a tall, cloaked figure in the street meeting another shorter one.

"The humming must be an engine nearby. Man, I wish Knuckles was here so he could hear what they are saying and tell us." Tails said to Shadow, who had joined him at the window.

"Don't forget that I am the ultimate life, Tails." Shadow opened the window and closed his eyes. He looked to be focused in on them. There was silence.

"Shadow?" Tails asked.

Shadow's eyes popped open, glazed over and empty. His face was expressionless.

". did you bring it, Kilashandra?" He said. Tails looked at Shadow strangely when he heard a feminine voice.

"Yes, Lexxon. It was very hard to acquire. But here it is, the first chaos emerald we need to complete the plan." Tails saw the glowing gem handed to the tall figure. The figure stashed it away in one of the folds in his robe.

Shadow spoke again, "The master needs the other six, you know. He won't be happy with just one."

"Yes, I know that. The master also wants that other thing taken care of. Have you done that?"

"No. There seems to be a glitch in the plan. I took care of one of them but that other one keeps eluding me. A black hedgehog with red stripes keeps interfering." Shadow seemed to reply.

"A black hedgehog? Wait let me look it up. Ahh yes. Shadow the Hedgehog, the ultimate life. Didn't he die?" The woman questioned.

"Apparently not. Somehow he survived and is getting in our way. But something tells me that he is not at full power and will be easy to get rid of." Shadow spoke.

"And the runt?" Kilashandra asked, crossing her arms.

"Good as gone."

"By the way, where is the older one? The blue hedgehog, I think. Sonic?"

"Sonic." Tails gasped.

"He is in the dungeon at Gigitanko Castle. He and the fox will be at the ceremony, I promise. They will become one of the brotherhood or die." Shadow said in a menacing way. The figures saluted each other and parted.

Shadow blinked his eyes a couple of times and fell back onto the bed. He opened his eyes and looked at Tails.

"What are they planning?" Shadow asked weakly. He put his hand to his head.

"What do you mean? You just told me!" Tails said.

"I don't know what I said. I went in and let his thoughts be my own."

"Oh." Tails said. "So you acted like a connection speaker for me. I heard what the girl said, too."

"So what's going on?" Shadow sat up on the bed.

"They have some sort of plan in store for Sonic and I. They are collecting the Chaos Emeralds for some 'master plan' that the leader of their 'brotherhood' has. It seems that they already have captured Sonic and have imprisoned him in Gigitanko Castle." Tails informed. "Do you know where that is?"

"Sorry, I couldn't tell you, Tails. Looks like were going to have to find the emeralds and then save Sonic at the same time." Shadow said. He looked at his little fox companion. "But first, we need sleep. I used quite a lot of energy just doing something like that. I am not at full power. Anyway, it would be very good to recharge my batteries." Shadow lay down in the bed. Tails sat on the bed and flopped down. They closed their eyes and went to sleep.