-Sonic-

For a while after Shadow's finished recounting his recollections, I just stare at him. I knew things were bad, but not that it had been like this! Why couldn't I have been there? I could have done something, stopped Eggman, and none of this would have happened! I want to tell Shadow I'm sorry, but I don't know what to say. It wouldn't do any good, I suppose - I wasn't there when they needed me, and… and this is what's become of it. I look back to Shadow, see that mechanical arm - and just for a second I'm looking into a very different pair of red eyes, in a very different face…

Shocked, I jerk back, and as I do I see Shadow again, as though nothing else had ever been there, expression suddenly concerned.

"Sonic, what is it?"

I look down, hand to my head. "I… I don't know." It's true, I don't know. I suppose I could have told him what I saw, but… No. That's in my past, and in the past is where it belongs. Shadow stands, the old vitality, the energy I remember so well, now back in his face. He looks almost like his old self again.

"Sonic, we need you in the maps room." Amy's announcement over the little walkie-talkie in the corner cuts through my thoughts. She continues, saying "Shadow, you too. We need to finalise our plans."

I glance at Shadow, and with an expression that must be similar to my own, he heads for the door. We leave together, me in the lead because he doesn't know his way around here yet - couldn't know, he's been asleep for all the time we've been here, after all. I want to talk to him, but something holds me back. Perhaps it's that so much time has passed since what I remember, perhaps it's the knowledge that all this might not have happened if I had been there. And so we walk in an uncomfortable silence, for Shadow doesn't appear to have anything to say to me - unless it's just that he's not sure what to say, either. But no, that's silly. Why wouldn't he be?

I'm relieved when we get to the maps room. Tails is there, sitting on the floor, tinkering with something; he looks up and acknowledges me with a sort of half-nod before returning his attention to his work. Tails has done that many a time before, absorbed in what he's doing, but for some reason it feels different, as if he's not paying attention because he doesn't think I'm worth it any more… I laugh inwardly at myself and try to throw such doubts aside, yet I can't still a small flicker of worry that he, that they, will blame me for not being there. I look about the little room; everybody's here now. Blaze has an attentive expression. Crossfire leans against the wall, looking as if he thinks this meeting is a total waste of time. He seems so pessimistic, acts as if he thinks we're going to lose no matter what we do. Chess, Trick, and Gaze all look at Amy as she begins to speak.

"Right. You know Sonic's got a plan to try and defeat Robotnik, and it involves getting all the Chaos Emeralds - and he thinks the lost one still exists."

I hear a low mutter from Crossfire, something like "Stupid…" but ignore it. Amy continues as though she didn't hear him.

"Until Tails finishes work on his device for detecting the Emeralds, we're going to have to lay low for a while. All planned raids are cancelled; we'll stay out of the way as much as we can. However, Tails doesn't have all the parts he needs, and we still need to repair some of our other equipment, too. Blaze, Crossfire, I need you two to go find what we need. Sonic, Shadow, you stay here. We can't afford to let Robotnik know Sonic's awake, and we'll be needing you both at full strength. Trick and Gaze, you'll keep a guard on the hideout, turn and turn about; if you get tired, let me know and I can take over. Tails, of course, is carrying on with the mechanical work, and Chess will be helping him. Anything else?"

Most of the others shake their heads and leave, until only Blaze, Crossfire, Shadow, and I are left. Blaze speaks up first.

"We'll search over here. There's plenty of junk just lying around." He points to a map on the screen behind Amy. She turns to look, seeing his projected search location, worryingly close to a heavily-reinforced base.

"All right. But be careful, and try not to get noticed. That base could have robots down on you before you even know about them."

"No, I'd know if they were going to see us." Blaze's eyes seem to hold that truth deep within their young-ancient depths. His strange gaze looks as though he can see through the concrete, through the metal, glass, and plastic, maybe even through time itself. He sounds so certain that it doesn't occur to anyone to question him until he and Crossfire are already gone. I turn to Amy.

"So what am I going to do while all this is going on?" I ask. She seems to have everything planned, but I want to do something to help. After everything that's happened because I wasn't there, I have to do something!

"You'll be recovering your old strength. We both know you still aren't as strong as you used to be. Shadow will go with you - there are some disused old tunnels around, ones even Robotnik doesn't patrol. Work together, and take care."

She hands me a printout, a little map showing the entrance to the tunnels. They were streets once, before Eggman built over the top of them. I want to go right now, just so I can be doing something, anything, so I don't have to think too much. All of this… No, I won't think like that. It's in the past now, it doesn't matter any more. There's nothing I can do about it. But that doesn't make it any better…