"Sonic!" Tails ran out of his workshop and towards the blue hedgehog. The GUN jet had dropped the trio off in The Mystic Ruins and headed back to GUN base.

Sonic smiled and waved, "Hey little bro!"

"What brings you three here?" Tails spotted Knuckles looking at the ground and grumbling, "Something bad happen?"

Sonic nodded, " Did you here about Robotnik's attacks?"

"Yeah! But I haven't got many details about them. I was about to head out and take a look around."

"Angel Island has been destroyed."

"Oh no!"

Knuckles growled, "I will kill them. I will kill all who are responsible for the destruction of my home."

"Calm down!" Shadow walked towards the workshop, "We won't get anywhere without cool heads."

Knuckles walked towards the cliff edge of Tails's home, "I'll be in the area. I need sometime to think." He glided into the forest.

"I'll go make some drinks." Tails ran into his workshop.

Sonic sighed and walked to the edge of cliff that faced the ocean, "Robotnik! I wonder what your up too. You've had some pretty messed up plans, but this takes the cake."

"And it will just get worst."

Sonic spun around and saw a ball of white light floating in front of him, "Tikal!"

"What you have faced so far is just a small sample of what he is planning. If he succeeds in his ambitions, he will be unstoppable." The ball floated towards the workshop, "I will explain inside."

After Sonic had rounded up Knuckles, the four mammals sat in the living room of Tails's workshop as Tikal floated in the center of the room. The glowing orb dimmed and brightened as she talked, "Robotnik is attempting to make himself a new body."

"What?" Tails nearly jumped up, "How can he do that?"

"I am not sure, but after observing all that has happened, it is the only conclusion I could come up with. He is slowly perfecting his cloning technique to create something dangerous.

"So everything he has been throwing at us has been nothing but a distraction as he tests his creations."

"To a point. He is using each breakthrough he comes across to create a new weapon to use against you. He has managed to create new technologies and create a powerful army at his command. All while getting closer to his true goal."

Shadow rolled his shoulders, "So! Is he planning on making himself a perfect clone of us?"

"No! He is attempting to create a Chaos clone for himself."

"Chaos! How?"

"He has acquired a small sample of Chaos's life energy. He is using it a base to create his new body."

Knuckles scraped his knuckles along the arm of the chair he was sitting in, "I thought Chaos was sealed in the emerald. So where did he get this sample?"

"It is true Chaos is sleeping in the emerald, but there was a small sample hidden elsewhere. Sealed in the descendant of one of my best friends."

1000 years ago

"Where are we going, Tikal!" A pink echidna dressed in a cloth dress chased after a running orange echidna in a similar outfit.

"You'll see!" Tikal disappeared through a set of bushes.

The pink echidna sighed and followed her. Her red eyes widened and mouth dropped open at the sight she saw, "What is this?" A large staircase shaped pyramid altar was in the middle of a clearing. Water flowed down the altar like several waterfalls. A large green emerald slowly spun around at the top of the altar. Several blue creatures were walking and crawling about. The pink echidna slowly stepped out of the forest, "Tikal! Where have you brought me?"

"This is my secret place." She walked over to one of the creatures that was having trouble standing. She held it up so it could walk on its two tiny feet. Tikal smiled as the little creature walked away from her and towards another group, who seemed to be cheering for it, "Come on! They don't bite."

Her friend slowly joined her and both sat on the grass, "What are those things?"

"Chao! I'm not sure exactly what they are, but they are very playful and peace loving." A small blue Chao crawled up to her friend and sat down in front of her. His large eyes blink at her. Tikal laughed, "This is my friend Rena!" Tikal picked up the Chao and held it towards Rena, "Go on!" The echidna gulped slightly and took the Chao. She held him in her arms like a baby. The Chao purred and smiled. Tikal smile grew as Rena put the Chao down and watched it crawl off, "See!"

"This place is wonderful. I wonder why the rest of the tribe doesn't know about it?"

"My father does! But luckily he doesn't dare come here."

"Why?"

"The..!" A loud scream from a Chao interrupted her. Tikal jumped to her feet, "Where did the baby Chao go?"

Rena looked around, "I don't know!" She stood up, "I thought he crawled to others." Tikal ran into the forest with Rena close on her heels. Behind them, the water around the altar started to bubble.

"Chao!" Tikal ran into the woods and spotted a large black wolf. The baby Chao was hiding in a thicket as the wolf attempted to get at him. "Hey! Get away from him!" The wolf slowly turned and growled at the sight of an easier meal. Tikal slowly backed away as the wolf growled louder. A large branch smacked it in the face and the wolf backed away with a yelp.

Rena swung the branch again and the wolf growled, "Get the Chao!" Tikal reached in to the thicket and managed to get the Chao out unharmed. She did managed to scratch her arm up in the process.

"Got him!" The echidna's started to back away, but the wolf lunged forward and knocked Rena down. The echidna did her best to defend herself, but the wolf managed to lock his jaws onto her. As Tikal set the Chao down to help, a jet of water shot through the forest and rammed into the wolf. The jet carried the wolf into the air and the wolf was sent flying into the distance. The water floated over the ground and turned to a humanoid shaped creature. Made of water, it had glowing green orbs for eyes. Tikal set the Chao down and ran to her friend, "Rena!" The echidna didn't move, "Oh no!" The water creature stepped over the fallen echidna. Tikal looked up at it, "Please, Chaos! Help her!" The water god seemed to think for several moments and set its hand on Rena's forehead. A soft blue glow flowed from her hand and into her friend. Chaos stepped back and flew back to the altar. Rena's injury healed and she opened her eyes. They had changed from red to green. "Rena!"

"Did I miss something?"

Tikal shook her head, "No! Come on!" The two returned the Chao to the clearing and went home.

Present

"The girl that was with Sperk." Shadow drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch, "Why would he use something so valuable in such a dangerous situation? She was powerful, but not enough to make much a difference."

"There is more going on here than we know." Tails stood up and went to his computer, "He has plots within his plots."

Sonic yawned, "Well, let's see. He sent that stupid echidna cyborg after us. Metal and Sperk kept challenging us, but never tried to finish us. He steals GUN's super robot. And lastly he steals the Master Emerald." Sonic shrugged, "I got nothing!"

Shadow shook his head and stood up, "The only way we are going to get any answers is by me beating them out of Sperk."

"Shadow!" Knuckles stood up, "I want Sperk. He destroyed my home."

"Doubt it! That was Robotnik's doing." Shadow walked towards the door, "I will get some answers. You guys stay out of my way." Shadow left the workshop.

Sonic sighed and put his feet up, "He is walking into a trap. I wonder if it will be fun."

Relic City was an appropriate name for the place. But after a meteor strike, the once prosperous city, the once towering skyscrapers now stood in ruins. Buildings collapsed or near collapse. The roads were broken and bridges caved in. Shadow waited for seven days and had made sure the others had stayed out of it. This was his fight and his fight alone. He only took his guns and Chaos Emerald with him. It was all he needed. He found Sperk standing alone in what was the city's Central Park. The once beautiful park was full of dead plants and trees. The green hedgehog smiled as Shadow approached him, "Finally!"