This is a fanfiction, and as such, most of the characters in the story are not mine. Most characters are © Sega, and are not used with permission.

Summation of "The Darkness of Chaos"

Shadow the Hedgehog; a dark and twisted creature arrives in the Great Forest, looking for the famous Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow wants to prove that he is the fastest thing alive and challenges Sonic to a race. He narrowly loses, but before Shadow can challenge him to a rematch, Sonic splits, saying he's got other business to attend to. Shadow tries to find him, but on the way runs into a local farm girl named Bunnie. The two talk for a minute, revealing that Shadow isn't quite as warped as he originally appeared, but he heads out to find Sonic again.

He tracks Sonic down at a river where he finds the blue one in a battle with some of Robotnik's drones. He challenges Sonic again, but leaves when some of Sonic colleagues come too close. Realizing that Shadow will only cause trouble, Sonic goes after him. Along the way, he runs into a troop of Robotnik's robots and charges into battle. Soon the battle gets a bit too hot and Sonic tries to make a break for it. But he gets pinned in by reinforcements, and is shot.

Shadow senses something wrong and heads out, finding the spot where Sonic met his end. Enraged, the black one attacks and destroys the remaining robots. Eventually a scouting party from Knothole finds the body and brings it back. Shadow follows them to see the despair Sonic's death has brought to Knothole, especially princess Sally. After the funeral, Shadow has a few words for his nemesis, and leaves after a brief exchange with Geoffrey.

Shadow heads out, ready to leave the Great Forest when he ends up back in Bunnie's carrot patch; but this time, it's under siege by robots. He destroys the robots and looks for Bunnie, only to discover that one of the robots bears a very close resemblance to the rabbit. The emptiness left with having his rival stolen from him, combined with the sight before him was enough to drive him to despair. In the process, a Chaos Emerald, which he was unknowingly in possession of, shatters, giving him the Chaos Control power. The Chaos Control reverses Bunnie's roboticization, but she's very weak, so Shadow takes her to Knothole. After getting some help for her, Shadow finds out about Robotnik's army, and heads out for revenge.

En Route to collecting some Power Rings to energize his Chaos Control, Shadow has a brief encounter with a treasure hunter named Rouge. After a few words, Shadow heads off to battle. He eventually finds Geoffrey and a group from Knothole engaging the robots, and losing badly. Using his Chaos Control, Shadow charges in and lays ruin to the lot of them. Geoffrey and Shadow have a brief argument, but soon, Shadow agrees to help them.

Shadow returns to Knothole with Geoffrey and is formally introduced to Sally. He soon heads out to check on Bunnie who is resting well in the hospital. With the recent influx of wounded, Shadow has to take Bunnie to the barracks where they can get some sleep. Sally comes in to talk with Shadow, and they talk about recent events, eventually coming to how despondent Sally was over Sonic's loss.

After the first battle, Sally, Shadow and Geoffrey meet to discuss the war, but a problem is revealed, Shadow requires Power Rings to use his Chaos Control, lots of them. Realizing that there is no way to get the necessary power supply on their own, Shadow heads out to find Rouge, hoping that she'll help. Although she listens to his plead, she isn't overly interested, and demands a huge payment for her services.

Shadow returns to Knothole to ask Sally about paying Rouge; eventually, they work out a possible offer, and a solution to the current housing situation. Shadow returns to Rouge to tell her the offer, and she agrees to meet with Sally. After Shadow leaves, Rouge reveals that she is already under the employ of Dr. Robotnik, and is setting up a trap for the two.

Rouge and Sally meet, and the princess has a test for the bat to perform. She does well, but Sally isn't impressed. The two argue and Rouge decides to spring the trap, catching Sally and Shadow. While gloating, she discovers that the princess and Shadow are fakes, and it's Rouge who is now in the trap. Displeased with her failure, Robotnik orders his robots to throw Rouge in the roboticizer, but Shadow arrives to destroy the robots and free Rouge.

Sally and a troop from Knothole salvage parts from the roboticizer and Shadow again requests Rouge to help them. Now wanting revenge against Robotnik, Rouge joins, but her interest is keenly focused on the hedgehog.

Rotor uses the parts from the roboticizer to create a deroboticizer. Once finished, Shadow goes out to find one of Dr. Robotnik's victims to test it on. He tracks down some robots and eventually defeats them, unknowing that he is being watched. Before he can collect one, he is approached by Knuckles.

Knuckles tells Shadow that he wants his Chaos Emerald, and when he refuses, Knuckles challenges Shadow. Shadow tries to use his Chaos Control, only to find that Knuckles possesses a similar power that is more powerful. Realizing that he can't win, Shadow makes a break for it and barely escapes with his life.

Shadow returns to Knothole hoping to get some rest, but gets none when he encounters one of Sonic's biggest fans, Amy Rose. Amy doesn't know about Sonic's death and thinks that Shadow is Sonic. After a commotion between her, Shadow and Rouge leave the hedgehog more injured than before, he takes Amy to see Sonic's grave, leaving her heart broken.

Amy recovers and decides there's only one thing to do: start a Shadow the Hedgehog fan club. Shadow is not pleased and finds Amy more annoying than before. Tails eventually breaks up the routine when he tells Shadow of a strange sight. The two set out with Rouge in tow and eventually find themselves looking up at a flying island. Shadow believes that Knuckles is behind it, and activates his Chaos Control to lure him out.

On cue, Knuckles arrives to fight Shadow again. This time the battle goes a little better, but Shadow is no closer to winning. Amy soon arrives to find the two in battle and tries to help Shadow, but ends up interfering instead. Shadow takes Amy and retreats again, and Knuckles takes after him. Shadow gets an idea and pulls a quick turn on Knuckles, throwing Amy and her Pico Pico Hammer straight at him, scoring a direct hit. Shadow goes to deal a finishing blow to the echidna, but he is stopped by another, Tikal.

Shadow struggles with a message that Tikal leaves him, purveying of ultimate doom. Eventually, Tikal comes to Knothole and requests that Shadow follow her. She takes him to the floating island where he meets with the echidna elders, who tell him that they will be leaving the Great Forest, with Shadow. Shadow refuses, but Tikal makes him stay.

Not sitting idly by, Rouge heads for the floating island to find Shadow, while Bunnie gathers a rescue party. Back on the island, Shadow is getting acquainted with his new "home" and is being shown around by Tikal; a brief confrontation with Knuckles reveals that the island's power source, the Master Emerald can seal or release Shadow's Chaos Control. When Tikal leads Shadow to a house that has been reserved for him, he finds Rouge, who is also a prisoner.

Realizing there is little to do without a plan, Shadow and Rouge abide their time on the island, looking around, getting to know the town and it's inhabitants. While on a park bench, the two discuss their past, and their potential futures. Little do they know that prying eyes are watching them, Knuckles is still sore from his previous defeat, and high in the sky, Robotnik's drones have located the island.

The party from Knothole finally arrive, just in time to see Robotnik's air force descending on the island. With no way to get to the island, Geoffrey sends Tails up to find Shadow and Rouge. The echidnas have already spotted the attackers and ready themselves for battle while Shadow and Rouge look for cover, eventually finding Tails and Tikal. The four are stuck in the middle of a war zone when they discover Robotnik's robots are trying to drill into the island, in order to reach the Master Emerald. Rouge and Tails make a break for it while Tikal takes Shadow into the island.

On the way, Tikal and Shadow run into the chief elder, who tells them the story of how the echidnas came to be the protectors of the Master Emerald, then lets Shadow go on to the Master Emerald, which he is destined to destroy. A battle ensues between Shadow, Knuckles and one of Robotnik's robots; the robot is destroyed when Shadow takes the power of the Master Emerald for himself.

After the island crashes to the ground, some of the echidnas come to Knothole to explain what happened to Sally. Tikal tells her that Shadow has been taken away from the forest by a dark force that wants the power of the Master Emerald. In a distant realm, Shadow confronts a dark entity that claims that he created Shadow as revenge against Sonic, Void.

Shadow denies Void's demand to hand over the Master Emerald's power and tries to fight the creature, but finds himself totally outmatched in the alien word. At his wits end, Shadow wishes for a way to defeat the stranger, and he is given one, along with a mysterious voice in the darkness giving him a needed boost of hope. With newfound strength, Shadow fights Void, and eventually defeats him; the darkness fades, and Shadow finds himself in a paradise. The stranger that beckoned him before, Lumina reveals that this is Maginaryworld, the land of dreams that Void tried to conquer. She reveals that Shadow can stay with the family that Void created, or return to Knothole and the family he found.

Shadow returns, and with the power of the Master Emerald at his disposal, charges Robotropolis to finish Dr. Robotnik, once and for all. On the way to Robotnik, Shadow breaks into his main tower, and battles a Roboticizer gun and a robotic duplicate of his predecessor, Metal Sonic. Finally, he faces Robotnik and a terrifying machine, but soon comes out on top.

Shadow deals out the final blow to the menace with his bare hands, and unleashes the power of the Master Emerald to destroy Robotropolis and restore Mobotropolis.