"Just what the hell is this!" Vector laid the paper down angrily on the table, folded his arms and proceeded to pace the length of his apartment. Espio glanced up at the paper's mail title. Printed in big black letters were the words "DRAGON HOAX"

"Hoax?" Vector demanded out of the air around him still fuming. "How the hell can they say it was a hoax? Even the cops saw it!"

Espio ignored the crocodile's ravings and took up the paper. According to the story, what people saw on the road that day had not been the fire breathing legend but rather an elaborate hoax pulled off by an obscure special effects company. They didn't even mention the fact that it had been a corpse before trying to fly away, that it had torn its way out of the back of an ambulance spitting fire everywhere or that a military ambulance with men in bio-containment suits had arrived to take the body away after Chaotix had done the cops job for them. The chameleon wasn't even sure he was reading about the same event that he and the others had witnessed. This was a blatant and poor attempt at a cover-up and anyone who had seen it for themselves could tell that. What amazed Espio was that the media was buying it! Clearly someone on the production team was having their strings pulled by the military.

"Great, just great." Espio muttered with a flat expression. "Cover ups, people turning into Dragons. I feel like I've just stepped into a low budget horror flic."

"And all you got is this ID card?" Beck asked bringing the card they had found in the clothes discarded by the creature up to eye level. "Doesn't have too much personal information and we can't expect Hexagon to hand over their employee registry." He squinted at the card. "Especially for those with level ten clearance."

"There could be hundreds of 'Henry Pattersons' in this state alone." Rei remarked looking at the name on the card.

"He was in our apartment building when it all started." Vector pointed out. "That narrows it down quite a bit." Espio glanced up at their leader with an expression of alarm.

"You can't possible be serious? You're investigating all this?"

"What sort of detective would I be if I didn't?" The crocodile asked him folding his arms. "Look, a guy dies in our building, mutates and turns into a dragon. I don't care much if they don't want the public ta know, for me that spells bad karma." Espio looked like he was about to argue, but shut his mouth thinking better of it. By now he had learned trying to persuade Vector not to do anything he had set himself on was a complete waste of time. Best thing to do was simply make sure the crocodile didn't get himself into too much trouble.

"It's…not really our kinda gig is it?" He found himself saying anyway. It differed from their usual detective work that was certain.

"Neither was going up into space briefly, fighting the Egg Fleet or helping save the world on several occasions." Vector replied in a callous remark. "But we ended up doing it anyway."

"Under your insistence." Rei laughed from across the room.

"Trying to impress Vanilla, get her to go out to dinner. Although I think rabbit gives people indigestion." Beck announced putting a hand across his mouth immediately afterwards to silence a chuckle. Vector blushed even under his green scales.

"Knock it off!" He hissed at them. Charmee, who had been sitting on the roof rafter that lanced across the top of their flat's living room couldn't contain his giggling anymore and broke out laughing with the other two.

"Yeah, he was so desperate to date her I bet he would have jumped the grand canyon on a pogo stick." Rei added in. "Vector and Vanilla, sitting in a tree…" Tickled by the intense childish humour, Charmee rolled over in fits of laughter, fell off the rafter and landed with a soft thud on the sofa. "K…I…S,"

"Alright that's it!" Vector proclaimed hurling himself after them. Both Beck and Rei dropped what they were saying in mid sentence and bolted for the relative safety of the kitchen. Espio shook his head and retrieved the card they had nearly trampled into the floor. Apart from name, age and the fact he was employed by Hexagon the card wasn't telling them much at all. What really bothered him now was that paper report. If someone was censoring what they reported on, they clearly they knew more about what was going on then Chaotix did. It would probably be a good idea to find out who this someone was. Besides, being an avid believer in free press, Espio would have a few things to say to someone who thought they could use control like that.

"Now if you're quite finished playing." He remarked as Vector paused to catch his breath. "I think we should divide our efforts. We can check whoever's pulling the strings in the news." He cast Beck and Rei peeking their heads out from around the kitchen door a glance. "And the children over there can follow what they can on this 'Henry Patterson' guy."

"What I getta do?" Charmee asked, peeling himself off the sofa and buzzing in the air. Something had to be found to keep him busy or he'd follow one of them around all day.

"Why you go with Beck and Rei." Espio asked, before glancing past the bee to the frantic negative signs in the air Beck was making. "And before we head off, see what kinda vibe you can get from this thing Rei." The flying squirrel reached over and was handed the ID card.

As soon as the card was in his hand, Rei's eyes were opened once more. But the vision running through his head was not as pleasant and fleeting as the others had been. This one lingered painfully, burning his mind like fire. No…not just any fire…Dragon fire.

Flames danced around him, burning without end; their searing heat forcing him to cover his face with his arms. Out of their midst it came, an armoured and horned head on a end of a long scaly neck, a fleshy sail of skin passing underneath from the end of the chin to the centre of the chest. On all fours it crawled through the flames, it's red and brown scales immune to the searing touch. All of a sudden the colossal form arched back on its hind legs, the forelimbs spreading out to reveal the claws tapered off long into a pair of colossal bat like wings. Into the air it emitted a screech, the mouth lined with two rows of shark like teeth.

From amidst the armoured scales a pair of blood red eyes glared down at Rei, a reptile like silt for a pupil slowly rotating around to lock directly onto him before narrowly horizontally. Then, the vision ended and Rei found himself back standing before the others, his face bearing the instantly recognisable expression of utter shock.

"Rei… you in there?" Beck asked. The flying squirrel blinked and shuddered involuntarily.

"Whoa…" Was all he could manage.

-

Spreading out before them was a wide oval shaped chamber that dipped down in the middle like an arena. The colossal ceiling above was curved concave as well, a large stone spike lancing down like a stalactite towards the centre of the floor. Everything was swallowed by darkness that hadn't been disturbed for over fifty years. Whatever details the room had been obscured by tall unending shadows. What grabbed their attention at once was the floor just before them; each slab of stone that made the floor up had been painstakingly engraved with mosaic like patterns, runes and other glyph like symbols.

"What… what is this place?" Eggman asked with wide confused eyes. He'd been expecting a laboratory his grandfather had hidden from the military. If this was a lab it did not match his imaginings. Shadow stared off into the darkness hoping to catch something with a glare, anything that might pick out anything distinctive. He took a step forward and as he did, his foot touched one of the stone panels on the floor. Instantly the engraved symbols on the surface began to glow bright neon blue, beams of light lancing upwards through his foot.

The sound of churning devices echoed through the arena and one by one, the panels on the floor began lighting up blue, each one in succession away from him until they looped once around the entire chamber. Then with a loud shunting, the stone spike that stood out on the ceiling began to glow, its luminescence revealing the entire arena. Now bathed in light they could see it completely. Everything, the walls, the ceiling and the floor were engraved with those same strange patterns and now he could see them completely, Shadow recognised a few. He had observed them on the Battle Station Armageddon. Various places on the place had been ridden with these markings. Was it some sort of Fesonian language?

"Doctor, look down there!" Bocoe announced, pointing off to the centre of the arena. Directly below the glowing spike was a ring like pit that dropped down into the ground almost at a ninety degree angle. Wrapped around its edge was a collection of wires, cables and metallic pipes that fed into various pieces of equipment stacked around it. All of these looked completely out of place amongst the stone architecture. Eggman darted down the slope towards it as fast as his physique would allow, his two robots lackeys close behind.

Shadow and Tikal remained perfectly still, gazing down at the centre in complete silence. The black hedgehog finally turned to give her a sharp gaze. Tikal returned it with a smile and then the two of them followed after Eggman together.

The stacked equipment around the centre was defiantly that unique to Prof. Robotnik, an almost complete match for that which could be found on the ARK space colony. For years it had remain inactive and lifeless but as soon as Eggman approached, it just seemed to spontaneously come back to life. Holographic displays buzzed on and off in a chaotic pattern around in a circle in the air above. The words; rebooting system appeared briefly before disappearing, other displays taking their one second to exist. By the time Shadow and Tikal reached the bottom, the machinery had finished warming itself up.

There was a brief flash of light that shot up from a projector inside the machine and Eggman found himself staring upon the face of his grandfather and Shadow that of his creator.

"Since the only one capable of reaching this place without destroying it is the end result of Project Shadow, then it is safe to assume this is who this message will address." Eggman had obviously inherited his facial features from the man. A short round face with hooked nose, balding and a short flap of fat under the chin. Even the moustache appeared to be a greyer version of the doctor's.

The holographic Gerald was floating there before them with his arms behind his back and a smile over his face. It appeared just as Shadow remembered him; a white laboratory coat, starched pale pants and polished black shoes. "Also, I can assume that if you are watching then you were successful and the evil that had cast a shadow over my entire life has been defeated." A thicker smile spread over his face. "I'm am not so arrogant than to assume my efforts and manipulations to prevent it's rise will prevail but, in the event they do, I leave this recording behind to explain a few things that even I myself by perplexing at times."

The long dead scientist hesitated as if unsure of where to begin. "It's not easy to put into words what I've discovered and investigated during the past year and it would take far too long to explain it all, so I'll just have to limit myself to the important things." He gestured upwards with his arms spread wide. "This place, as I suspect you've already guessed, is not of my own creation.

It is the remains of a settlement constructed eons ago on Earth by the descendants of the marooned crew of the battle station I discovered beneath Station Square. This was partly the reason I bought the house above as it sits almost directly on top of it. Here I conducted research on the people who created it and found them to be quite fascinating a species. Lizard like, at least in design and skin texture. Warm bloodied, bi-pedal and exceptionally intelligent; the best way I can describe them from finding one of their skeletal remains is an evolved raptor. Like us, they had individuality and genetic diversity. No one of their kind is actually the same as another.

As you can expect, I didn't share these finds of mine with anyone. I can't be sure who I can trust at this stage. Foundation agents have infiltrated all levels of Government. I can't even trust the CIA anymore." Shadow hissed angrily out through his nose. The Foundation and their dark master had cast a strode of darkness over the whole of his life. If they had never been around, both Gerald and Maria might still be alive.

What is done, can not be undone; a voice in the back of his head told him. He scolded it quietly. He knew that already, but he was still entitled to wish it wasn't all the same. "But that isn't important right now." Gerald managed back recovering his smile. "As I was saying, these aliens are from a planet in an entirely different spiral arm to our own. It's an unthinkable distance away; an ocean world or at least a wet environment, if I read their physiology correctly. They are divided into two factions, one called the Confederate Army and the other the Black Arms sect; or at least that's what I translated from their scriptures at any rate.

It was the Black Arms who were in control of the battle station below the city when it crashed and it was their interaction with primitive humans that lead to the rise of man. Their influence helped shape civilisation throughout the earliest half of history. Regarded as gods they helped found some of the most famous religions and empires on the planet. That little nugget of information you had best keep to yourself." Gerald chuckled lightly. "Most people will take offence if you tell them their god or collection of gods are aliens long since dead." The brief image of him marching into a church and announcing to the congregation that god was an alien from outer space danced across Shadow's mind and he banished it. "Around 500BC, I believe they died out on this planet and mankind was left to fend for itself. Their legacy remained behind, buried beneath the earth for centuries.

Technology the likes of which makes anything I could invent look pitiful. I have no doubt that the dark master of the Foundation and these aliens are connected in some way but I do not believe these beings to be evil. It is a shame I will not have time to dedicate to this mystery." His face bore a brief moment of realization before he scratched the back of his head absently. "Ah yes; before I forget, I have to show you what you undoubtedly came here to see." His other hand came out and typed away at some panel outside the range of the holographic recorder. A moment later, a ring of white light shot up from the pit behind him; shooting up out of the void to strike the stone spike above them. Eggman and his two robots staggered back in utter surprise as lightning began sparking along the width of the equipment, several angry bolts threatening to strike them. Slowly Shadow watched in silence as a golden ring about the size of a car began rising upwards.

It was emitting the light and its glow swallowing even the pillar above. It looked like a giant version of those energy rings Sonic used occasional to give himself a power boost. Dark mixtures of gold and black swirled like oil and water on its curved surface. It had no solid substance; its entire form was created out of nothing but energy. "Impressive I hope." Gerald stated with a smug smile as they all stood there dumfounded, Tikal included. "I call it, a Mobius Ring; named after the alternate world I discovered through it."

"So this is the dimensional warp gate he created." Eggman breathed, his face undisguised awe. "Incredible."

"I wish I really could take credit for its creation." Gerald began again as if anticipating the statement years before hand. "But sadly, even I can't create something like this on purpose." He sighed, removed his glasses and cleaned them with a piece of clothe from his pocket. "Like many great things, this was discovered completely by accident, a bi-product of my earliest experiments into Chaos Control.

It was through this ring I discovered the planet Mobius in a separate reality and experiments conducted upon its soil revealed dimension properties similar to our own." He replaced his glasses and turned in mid air to look directly at the ring. "So similar in fact it brings me to the conclusion that Mobius and Earth were once one planet."

"Of course!" Eggman declared looking up startled slapping his own forehead. "That's what made the merging of the worlds so easily! I'd have expected clashes in landmass and sea, but the merger was so flawless I should have suspected something like that!" Shadow stood there was silent as ever, contemplating within his own mind. The notion that the two worlds had once been one was not as difficult to accept as he supposed it should have been.

Like Eggman, he to was impressed with how utterly perfect the union of Earth and Mobius was. The odds of that happening coincidentally were astronomically low but if this was indeed the case, what force could be possibly been strong enough to tear reality itself in two in the first place? Even Krish hadn't displayed that kind of power. Anything like that would have had the ability to snuff out suns.

"It does make sense." Tikal ventured putting a forefinger and thumb to her chin. "I often wondered why Mobius and Earth were so alike. Half the mobian species half counterparts in the animal kingdom."

"I have little time left." Gerald added interrupting their thoughts. "I leave for ARK tomorrow where I will play out my facade for as long as I am able. Perhaps I will have time to stop the Foundation though I doubt it. As such, I think these will by final words." He hesitated pausing briefly, before he smiled gently. "I created you on the request of powerful evil people for a purpose not to the benefit of mankind, but when I wrote out your D.N.A sequence my intention was far different from theirs. But all of this is irrelevant now. Your life is your own.

There are many mysteries that even I don't fully understand for you to uncover which I'm sure will keep you busy for some time. Or you can find your own life, I'll not hold it against you if you do." He paused to push his glasses back up his nose. "Whatever you decide you can be sure that both Maria and I are proud of you." The message was over and the professor's form began to fade away. Shadow reached out trying to stop him from going but forced himself still. Gerald was already gone, long since dead and buried. Finally this letter from beyond the grave was gone not a single trace of Professor Robotnik left…accept for this. The black and red hedgehog looked up towards the golden ring floating in the centre of the chamber. A dimensional warping entity, made completely out of energy made solid. Those who unlocked its secrets would have the power to travel every universe at will. Who could be trusted with such power? Who would not misuse it?

No one on this planet that was for certain, especially not a certain scientist in the room with him; he would use it for conquest at the earliest possible opportunity. Gerald had been wise to conceal it from the Foundation all those years ago. With this in their possession they could have revived Krish far sooner. It was just too risky to keep it for himself.

No, the only thing Shadow could do with this burden Gerald had landed him was hide it somewhere so that no one, not Eggman, not G.U.N not even Sonic himself could ever use it. He started forwards towards the ring.

"Not so fast Hedgehog." Eggman began. Shadow froze. "This ring belonged to my grandfather and as his only surviving kin, by right of possession it is now my property." The black and red hedgehog chuckled once in his throat amused by the doctor's threat.

"Over my dead body." Shadow stated flatly before continuing forward. Eggman shrugged once.

"If you insist." He replied with a large evil smirk before pushing his sleeve up his arm and pressing a button on his wrist watch. The air around them shimmered as if intense heat was rising in thick waves.

"Shadow, look out!" Tikal shouted. The black hedgehog looked alert as he suddenly recognised it as a teleportation in progress. Sliding back over the floor the hedgehog game face to face with three of The Eggman Empire's strongest robots as they dropped out of warp space and landed before him weapons held ready. He had encountered them all before. There to his left was Metal Knuckles, the two metallic razors on each hand held up in a fighting stance. A gun cocked itself and Shadow's eyes darted to the middle robot, a round ball with thin pole like arms with the occasional piece of armour; a large laser rifle held in both hands. This was Egg Robo, one of the robots Eggman had deputed at the Emerald Grand Prix.

Last but not least on the far right was one of the E1000 series, E1004: Theta. Rebuild after its defeat in battle, this model had two flame throwers instead of two. Two of the flamethrowers for forearms stood out and another pair on each shoulder; along with several missile launching platforms on the legs and an armoured chest plate. The piece of glass they used for optics were all glowing blood red. "Kill him." Eggman sneered.

Metal Knuckles took a lunge as Shadow, who simply slid to the side with speed greatly exceeding that of the robotic Echidna. Swinging back in mid slide the hedgehog fired a Chaos Spear attack at his attacker. Metal Knuckles turned to face the oncoming energy blast before parrying it away with the back of his large forelimbs. Theta raised his arms and fired all four flames throwers at once straight at the black hedgehog.

A spiralling pillar of flames shot forth, twisting through the air like a cyclone. Shadow looked up just in time and an instant before his fur was scorched he teleported away, remerging out of Chaos Control behind Theta with a fist held ready .his blow was stopped as he had to back-flip through the air to avoid a barrage of bullets as Egg Robo had the black hedgehog in his crosshairs. Metal Knuckles slammed a metal shoulder into Shadow's side forcing him back before Theta fired several missiles through the air. Shadow fired small Chaos Spear attacks to detonate them before any reached him but one exploded too close and the inertia slammed him hard against the stony ground.

Tikal muttered incantations under her breath, making signs in the air with two fingers and out of her shadow a being made completely out of water emerged; spreading out wide arms as it took form; a pair of green eyes snapping open. Chaos finally swept out like a tidal wave, taking Metal Knuckles by surprise grabbing the robotic echidna by the shoulders and tossing it backwards. Theta fired both barrels of the flame throwers on his shoulders at Chaos while keeping the ones on his arms towards Shadow. The flames simply turned into a thick cloud of steam when they impacted on Chaos' body. In the confusion Doctor Eggman and his two robotic henchman made for the golden ring.

"Attach the teleport device." The Doctor directed and Decoe reached up and placed a small mechanical apparatus to the outside edge of the glowing ring, several wires lancing out of it and wrapping around it.

Egg Robo switched his rifle from automatic mode to laser fire and a focused beam struck Chaos on the side. This attack carved through the water demon's body like a knife and he was forced back into a pure liquid form, collapsing into a puddle on the floor spreading out wide.

Sliding back through the barrage of physical swings, pillars of flame and bullets Shadow could plainly see Eggman had upgraded them since their participation in the tournament. Well, they weren't the only ones who'd learned a thing or do since then.

"Chaos…" He began, coming to a sudden stop and crossing his arms in front of himself. Without warning his entire body was surrounded by a pulsating red glow that spread down from the tallest quill to the soles of his feet. He thrust one hand up, the energy culminating inside it and the glow increasing tenfold. "BLAST!" He slammed the fist down into the stone below and shockwave so strong that it knocked all three robots off their feet shot outwards.

Metal Knuckles and throw back so far he impacted the wall sinking into the stone. Being heavier Theta was forced back across the ground, parts of his armour being torn away by the main body and paint peeled off. It tried to anchor itself down but eventually the sheer force of it was too much and he was tossed backwards to land directly on top of Egg Robo. Tikal hit the deck just before it struck her and using her fingers to hang onto the floor was only pushed back a few feet.

"Too little too late, Shadow my boy." Eggman stated and before the shockwave could hit either him or Decoe and Becoe, he pressed the button on his wrist watch once more. The air around him and his robots shimmered and they transported away. In that same instant the device attached to the gold ring bleeped loudly and activated, synchronized with the teleport device transported its cargo away as well. The giant golden ring shimmered as if caught in a blast of intense heat before vanishing into nothing.

One by one the robots around them disappeared as well, shimmering briefly before vanishing as if they had never even been there,

High above the estate the Egg Carrier 4 was floating there waiting for its master to return, a colossal vessel with armoured plated wings on both sides; a hyper matter cannon up front and a large row of rockets at the back; thrusters out either side to aid the ship's passage too and from a planet's atmosphere. Once its internal sensors registered that the Doctor was back onboard; the initial escape program kicked in and the rockets roared to life forcing the vessel forward.

"As soon as I get this figured out, I'll be unstoppable." Eggman stated, his left hand gently running over the giant ring. "Take us back to the Eggmoon so I can get this into my lab."

"We'll reach gravity escape velocity in ten minutes Doctor." Becoe replied from the bridge. The ship roared on, all sensors and security cameras unaware they had a couple of unwanted passengers. Clinging onto the back of the vessel with both hands was Shadow, his face a pit of utter darkness. Now Eggman had really made him mad. The Chaos Blast attack had used up a lot of his energy as he was unused to its drain and making the jump from the underground chamber to Eggman's ship had been even harder. Glancing to his left he saw Chaos clinging on beside him, Tikal with her arms hanging on around his shoulder. The water demon gave Shadow a glare before carrying on. The black hedgehog grunted loudly before pulling himself up after him.

-

Getting the Blue Typhoon back into America was something they never considered they would have to do so soon. With Hexagon and G.U.N concentrating its efforts for control and fleet assembly in the States it had seemed a good idea to get the outlaw ship away from the American coastline. Yet deliberately they brought the ship to almost within radar distance of the shore. This was as far as they could go without being detected. They could try silent running, but that strategy would only work in space for a ship that flew. Chuck was working on an adaptation of Tails' holographic camouflage that would render them completely invisible to radar but it wouldn't be ready for another week or two. Until then, they came within range of immediate television and radio transmissions. When whatever 'Blaze' was struck again, they wanted to hear about it without the satellite delay.

Okida frowned as he listened to the radio, hearing one subtle attempt after another by G.U.N to discredit mobians. Probably a decision made by someone with rank trying to earn a bigger pay check from Hexagon with this, there was no other word for it, propaganda. It disgusted the major. He'd joined G.U.N to help defend what he considered to be right, only to find that those he had pledged his alliance to weren't interested in what was right at all.

Then again he supposed, briefly, that everyone had their own interpretations of what was right. Deep down he was willing to beep even the Hexagon board of directors thought they were acting in the best interests of the world. Whatever the reason, he found he couldn't follow G.U.N while on the path it was on. Interrupted from his thoughts by a hand placing itself on his arm, he looked up to see Topaz standing next to the captain's seat on the bridge of the ship.

"You looked like you were in a state of torpor." She told him with a faint smile. "Only with more frowning."

"Can you blame me?" He asked, turning up the radio next to him.

"These mobians; obviously have different morals to humankind if they feel they can justify these attacks." A voice that probably belonged to some head of state announced. "In the light of impending threats from many fronts, these acts of terrorism can not be tolerated. If they are, the result would be cultural chaos." Sick of hearing this political propaganda Okida pressed a button on the side and cut out the transmission.

"Ah." Topaz remarked finding all other words in the English language deserting her. Okida was the kind of person to be patriotic about just about anything. From her observations of the vampire bat she had learned he was someone bound by a strong moral code. But strangely that moral code could change and adapt. Evolve, was the best word that came to mind. That acted as both an asset and a weakness. "I'd have thought they'd have stopped all that by now?" Okida shook his head in response.

"Nope, still going strong. Stronger even." His frown deepened. For him, all this left a more bitter a taste in his mouth then it did the others. He was a mobian who thought G.U.N stood for everything he expected to be noble. Now not only had they stabbed him and his friends in the back they had seemingly turned on his entire kind. Topaz felt betrayal because of her past career as an officer devoting a good five years of her life to the military, for the Major it was far more resentful.

"I don't get it Topaz, one minute Mobians are their heroes and the next we're being demonised." He ran a hand through the long fur on his head. "It's like they forget everything we ever did for them." Topaz was silent for a moment.

"I'm sure it's not that bad." She found was all she could say. Okida chuckled deep in his throat.

"You haven't heard what they're saying about 'The traitorous crew of the Blue Typhoon' yet." He added with a short and sly smile, a fang descending over his bottom lip.

"Traitorous what?" Topaz demanded suddenly looked irritated. "Now that's just the pits."

"I never had much of a social life." Okida stated suddenly. "So I've not much to loose by being an outlaw." He gave Topaz a side glance. "But a few people on this ship have families, friends who they can't see because if they try they'll be arrested."

"Emotional baggage." Topaz stated with a soft smile. "Believe me, Major, not even my own mother could keep me from being on this ship. Gently he kissed him on the cheek.

-

Knuckles had been sitting in solemn contemplation for over five hours now, completely unapproachable and immobile. Rouge had tried getting his attention but he ignored her. He simply sat there with his legs and arms crossed in front of himself on top of the ruined pillar, his eyes closed and every sense bloating out the world around him. The sun was beginning to fade and stars were peeking through the dusk when he finally began moving, ending his meditation. Knuckles rarely meditated, but he found that occasionally it helped clear his mind; though his contemplating had done little to reveal to him the exact cause for the Master Emerald's disturbing behaviour yesterday. It had turned blood red for a moment and show the Echidna a vision, a vision of a dragon breathing fire consuming everything before it in flames. Mostly, he was not sure if he could entirely trust the Master Emerald anymore. It did, after all, have half of the Destroyer's soul trapped inside it. The idea that perhaps this vision was being orchestrated by him in some way had passed across the Echidna's mind. Still, the Master Emerald had only ever given him visions when a terrible danger was about to rear it's head. It had warned him of the coming of Krish but was it trying to inform him of coming evil now? Could the Echidna take the risk and ignore it on the off chance it was wrong?

During meditation he had come to a decision. Sighing out load he slid down off the top of the pillar and landed without a sound on the leaf strewn ground below. The trees around were turning brown with the coming of fall. Soon Angel Island would descend to a lower altitude and take on rains and would stay there for the duration of the winter, only rising towards the sun to shed some of the snow it would often collect. Rouge was asleep at the bottom of the pillar, leaning back against it with one arm balanced on top of her knee. Knuckles reached over to wake her up, shook his head thinking better of it and turned away. He trusted her enough to be sure she wouldn't take the Master Emerald while he was gone, besides; if his intuition was right this was a danger he would do better without having to concern himself with her safety.

"And just where do you think you're going?" She asked out load, opening one emerald green eye and fixing him with a stare. The Echidna froze in mid stride. Rouge hoisted herself up, stretching out her arms and wings until she heard and bones click. "I didn't wait here all day so you could go off without me."

"I won't be gone that long." He lied looking back. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd even be coming back to the island this mouth or even at all.

"Sure buddy, then you won't mind a little company for the trip." The she-bat leaned on his shoulders. "You think I was born yesterday?"

"Er.."

"There's another adventure in the works isn't there?" The expression she gave him was one that told him she had already worked out mostly everything he had. And Rouge being Rouge she wasn't going to be left out of the action. "Not that hanging out with that Giant gem stone all day isn't tempting but you count me in for this little enterprise." Knuckles knew he could warn her of the danger he sensed in the near future but in the end he guessed that wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference. They had faced overwhelming danger together before. He supposed that in her view, this would be no different.

"Alright." He sighed finally. "Let's get going."

"To just where?" She asked. Knuckles hesitated, realizing he hadn't thought that far ahead yet.

"Sonic." He stated suddenly. "If anyone's at the heart of the action it'll be that guy." Even without trying the blue hedgehog found himself in some 'save the world' situation.

"You know where he is?" Rouge asked. Knuckles smiled. He placed a large hand on his head and began reading the currents of the air around him, feeling the soft vibrations against his skin; the distant howl as it twisted this way and that.

"This way." He stated suddenly before breaking intoa run, darting through the undergrowth with Rouge following close behind him. Every sense telling him where to go the Echidna soon reached the edge of the island, a good two mile drop was falling out in front of him. He paused looking back towards the centre of the Island, where the Master Emerald sat alone and unguarded. This wasn't like him, leaving the emerald completely undefended.

"You coming or what?" Rouge asked jumping past him and spreading her wings somersaulting into the air. Knuckles glanced after her, before a smile spread over his face. Spread his arms he jumped over the edge and using the rushing air under his thick dreadlocks began gliding.

-

Blaze's eyes snapped wide open and the next instant, the red jewel in the centre of her forehead began to glow blood red, a scarlet star that pulsated brightly in the darkness of the collapsed warehouse. One of Jack's eyes opened lazily as the light fell upon his sleeping body, before he bolted up in an instant despite his large size. Blaze held a paw up as several of her warriors rushed over, silencing their questions before they even left their mouths. Gently she laid two fingers on the stone and closed her eyes again. It had glowed in response to the Arcanum, the two were connected. One could sense the other. A connection had been made and if Blaze was quick enough, she could read that connection to find…yes! Her eyes snapped open, a thick smile spreading across her lips. Barley contained excitement buzzing on her features.

"We leave in half an hour." She stated flatly rising from her sitting position, telekinetically wrenching the claymore out of the sheath on her back. The hilt flew to her hand and she began examining the blade for any chips and scratches. Jack nodded once and leapt down to the ground floor, shouting orders to the other felines to gather their weapons. Bows and quivers, swords and shields along with loosened armour were gathered and equipped. This was the moment they have been preparing for.

"At least we'll be able to leave this insane world." Blaze's first officer muttered once all the warriors were ready to go. Jack himself needed no weapon, his large bulk did not have much use for a sword or axe. He fought with his bare claws.

"Our home is ravaged by the Dragon Blood, about to die and us facing incredible odds." Blaze began, using a leather strap to pin a silver bracer to her left arm. "And yet you call this world insane?"

"Better an honourable death than this stagnation." Jack replied with a wide smile that showed all his teeth.

"Spoken like a true feline." Blaze laughed, putting her claymore long sword back into its sheath. "They'll be telling stories about this quest for generations." Jack levelled his eyes forcing his smile away.

"They'd bloody better for the trouble we've had to endure."