Chapter five
When he appeared in his hut he scared Amy half to death. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his left
arm he picked Sonic up and layed him on his bed. After he had put Sonic down he pulled his left arm
close to him and held it with his right. Amy got over her shock well and tried to see what was wrong
with Shadow's arm. " I'm fine Amy. Leave it alone." " No You're not! " " Yes I am. Would you look
after him for me? I'm gonna be in the library, see you later. " Shadow took off via Chaos Control
leaving a very exasperated Amy behind. Shadow still had not shown up when Sonic came to.
Amy looked on her first love with disgust. He had disappeared ten years ago, and didn't look a day
older. " Is he an ultimate life too? How else would he look the same? He could've told the truth, not
gave Shadow that rediculous lie to tell us. " " Wha? Where am I ? " " Knothole Village. " A
curt female voice answered his question. Sonic opened his dull green eyes and met a pair of emerald
green ones. " Amy? " " What do you want Sonic? " " What happened? " " How should I know?
Shadow came by, dropped your lazy butt off here for me to look after, then took off. " " Why are
you so mad? " Sonic sensed that that was not a good question to ask so he quickly changed the
subject. " Those are nice clothes Amy. " " Don't you even try to change the subject Sonic Hedgehog!
You used to get away with that all the time but not anymore. Not after you just leave for ten years and
then come waltzing back like it never happened. " " Ten years? What are you talking about Amy? "
Sonic was getting nervous, Amy looked older, acted older and seemed to think he'd been gone for ten
years. He was completely thrown by her next question. " Are you an ultimate life Sonic? " " What?
No! If I was I think Shadow would have done away with his competition. Why do you ask? " " Was I
not clear? You've been gone ten fricken years Sonic! " Amy stopped to breathe and the sinking
feeling in Sonic's stomache told him this wasn't a dream... Shadow slammed his fist down on the
desk he'd covered with maps. None of the other underground villages he'd contacted had noticed any
glitches in their electronics. Glitches in electronics usually indicated a Chaos Emerald was near. He'd
contacted villages in startegic locations all across Mobius where Chaos Emeralds were likely to be. " I
need to find the purple emerald! Me and Daemon both know I can't beat him like this. . ." Shadow
glanced down at his roboticized left arm. It hurt just to move it, no other partly roboticized mobians
complained of pain. What happened to my arm? Why does it hurt? If it didn't hurt I could beat
Daemon. Shadow continued contacting villages in search of the purple emerald. He spent three days
straight locked up in the library working without sleep. Then an idea struck him. The Master Emerald.
It could control all Chaos Emeralds. " I may be able to draw out the frequency of the purple emerald.
Better tell Amy." Amy made Shadow eat something before he took off. As he was walking away Sonic
came up behind Shadow and made some comment about him moving in on his girl. Before Sonic could
even blink Shadow was holding him up off the ground with his right hand and his left was ready to
introduce itself to Sonic's face. Amy started yelling. " Shadow! You know it hurts you to use that arm.
Don't do it. Sonic's not worth it. " " You're right. See you later. Chaos Control! "
Knuckles and the rest of the Chaotix had been hearing reports of a red and black figure terrorizing
villages all across Mobius. The Chaotix wanted to go hunt down Shadow but Knuckles was skeptical. "
Those are Shadow's colors, but if he did anything like that Amy would've clobbered him by now. . .
Right? " While he sat leaning against the Master Emerald thinking Knuckles dozed off. He woke
sensing another presence. He glaced around, he didn't see anybody, nor could he see a slight shimmer
of air to indicate Espio. He walked around to the other side of the Master Emerald to find Shadow
unconcious on the steps. Knuckles was about to punch Shadow to make sure he stayed that way when a
glowing orange ball of light danced around his fist. " Tikal?" A young female echidna appeared. She
was orange in color and semi transparent. She didn't respond to Knuckles but instead knelt down by
Shadow. " He must not be hindered Knuckles. If he fails there will be no life on Mobius save Eggman.
" "What do you mean Tikal? " Knuckles asked worriedly, Tikal only showed herself in time of great
need. Tikal gently picked up Shadow's left arm. "The bone in his arm is grinding against the metal. If
he cannot find a way to heal this and use his arm all will be lost." " Who is attacking? " " They call it
Daemon. A clone made from Shadow's blood. " " A clone! How is that possible? " " That is not for
you to know gaurdian. Do not hinder Shadow. " With that Tikal became an orange ball of light again
and disappeared into the Master Emerald. . . Shadow woke feeling a little stiff from sleeping on
those stone steps. " Okay, the Master Emerald automatically seals off chaos energy. . ." Shadow
thought and tried a few different things but didn't get anywhere so he talked with Knuckles well into
the night. The next two days Shadow spent listening to the different humming tones made by the
Emerald. He found seven slightly varied tones. He spent the whole night talking with Tikal. Finally sun
rise came and Shadow had a last ditch plan. " I hope I have enough Chaos Energy to hold out. . ."
Shadow began pumping out Chaos Energy and finally got ahold of the frequency used to control the
purple emerald. He had a hard time making purple Chaos Energy from that but finally suceeded, after
he made it he had to pull it out of the Master Emerald into his left arm. When it was done Shadow had
no Chaos Energy left. He cried out in pain before passing out due to his effort. Knuckles came running
at Shadow's cry and found Tikal massaging Shadow's shoulders. " He has suceeded in this. He must
not miss the duel. He has to be taken back to Amy. Knuckles, you must do this. Shadow must not fail. "
With that Tikal became part of the emerald again. Knuckles picked up Shadow and jumped off Angel
Island. His gliding was a little erratic with Shadow in one arm but he made it to Knothole okay. Amy
looked pretty tired when she answered the door at Shadow's hut. " Knuckles? What are?" Amy cut her
questions short when she saw Shadow. " Get him in here. Is he okay!" " Calm down Amy. He's just
tired. Anybody would be after what he pulled. " Knuckles explained as he laid Shadow down on his
bed. " What do you mean he pulled?" " Come here. " Amy walked slowly towards Shadow's bed,
afraid of what she might find. " His arm! What did he do! " " As far as I can tell he put out Chaos
Energy until he found the frequency for controlling purple then made purple chaos from that and used
it to heal. " " Huh?" " Sonic? Who invited you! " Amy yelled, annoyed. Knuckles paled a little. "S-
Sonic?" " Knux, is that you? " "THAT'S KNUCKLES TO YOU!" " Okay have we finished establishing
the fact that this is Sonic? " Amy asked sarcastically. " It is Sonic! " Knuckles yelled. Sonic whistled
as he walked around Knuckles. " Man, you been working out or something? "Knucklessmiled widely
flexing his muscles. Then Knuckles did something no one expected. He hugged Sonic. Sonic and Amy
both winced as loud cracking sounds were heard. Sonic and Knuckles went outside to talk while Amy
stayed with Shadow and tended him as best she could. Sonic's p.o.v.- flash back to Tails. Sonic
looked on at the orange two tailed fox that used to follow him around. " He is as tall as me now. . . "
Sonic thought. He was unsure how to feel until Tails turned around. His face went pale and his hands
shook. He had asked if Sonic was actually there. When Sonic had got it into Tail's head that he wasn't
some son of Sonic or something Tails landed a punch square on Sonic's jaw. " Why did you leave me
Sonic? " Tails had asked, tears flowing down his face. " We've always worked things out before. You
didn't have to leave, and not for so long. " Tails continued shakily. Sonic picked himself up off the
ground and tried to comfort Tails. "Tails, I-" " It's Miles. I'm Miles Prower now. Tails is gone. " "
What happened to you? " " Everything. You weren't around to protect me. I found my real family
Sonic. You always said we'd find them together. I had to watch them be roboticized. Every single one
of them, I couldn't do a thing. Shadow didn't get there in time. Only I made it out. My best friend and
brother, you, weren't there for me when I got married. . . Why did you leave Sonic? " Tails broke
down and leaned against Sonic's chest and cried. Sonic cried too. " Tails, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I
never meant to leave. The last thing I remember is me and Shadow fighting this guy. then I wake up
and everybody looks older and they tell me I've been gone for ten years. " Tails and Sonic had talked
for hours. " What's wrong with Shadow? " " He hasn't been the same since you left. When he came
back he was all pale and he said you were gone. He locked himself in his room for five days. After that
he just got worse. He won't speak to anybody but Amy and Knuckles now. " " Why won't he talk to
you? " Tails' face fell. " My daughter Tirza was kiddnapped and Shadow went to find her. He
brought her home halfway roboticized and I freaked out on him. He gave his left arm to save her
Sonic. It's roboticized and he can't use it. My wife Keira, she went to Knothole and took Tirza with
her. " Sonic had brought Tails to Knothole with him and was introduced to Tirza as Uncle Sonic.
end flashback.