Chapter 3

Sonic ran with break-neck speed toward Tails' house.

"I sure hope he's in a better mood." Sonic said to himself," I can't blame him for acting

the way he did. He's been through a lot."

Sonic saw the familiar outline of Tails' house rushing toward him, and he skidded to a

stop. As he looked around, he was surprised to see Amy sitting on tails' front porch, with

a crying Cream in her arms. Cream's upper arm was bandaged up.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Sonic asked.

Amy, looking very angry, said" Well, your little pal Tails has been causing lots of trouble

lately!"

"Tails!" Sonic exclaimed, "What did he do?"

"Well, I haven't gotten the whole story out of Cream," Amy replied," but apparently

Tails wanted one of her toys, and when Cream wouldn't give it to Tails, he bit her."

"This…doesn't make any sense!" said Sonic. He knocked on the door. "Tails, let me in!"

"He's not here." said Amy, "The garage is open and the X Tornado is gone."

"So that's why you're just waiting here." said Sonic. He stooped down to Cream, "Is

there anything else you want to tell us?"

Cream whipped tears from her eyes. "Yes... that big meanie Shadow came too!"

Amy and Sonic gasped. "Shadow!"

"Uh huh… he and Tails fought over my toy, and shadow took it away. Then Tails flew

away in his plane." Cream explained.

"Fought over your toy? What kind of toy was it?" Sonic asked.
"It was Mr. Emerald. I found him one day in the bushes." Cream replied.

"It was a…Chaos Emerald!" exclaimed Sonic, "But what would Tails want with that?

And even worse, what would Shadow want with that!"

"But Tails was still mourning over Cosmo." said Amy," Why would he suddenly leave

and go look for the emeralds?"

" I don't know…" said Sonic," ..this is so unlike Tails. I don't know what's gotten into

him."

"Well, is there some way we could find out?" Amy asked.

Sonic thought for a moment, " Well..I think I know who could help."

Tails sat in the cockpit of the X Tornado, as the sudden realization of what he had

just done sunk in.

How could I have done that to Cream? I…I don't know what came over me…

It was his growl that suprised him the most. Tails had never growled like that

before. It sounded so unlike him. So…canine. What was he becoming?

Tails looked down at his radar, trying to get his mind on track, and to

focus on the task at hand. Shadow appeared to be still on the move. Still,

he was nowhere near the other Chaos Emeralds. Tails wondered what

Shadow was doing. He wasn't even headed toward any of them. Tails

nodded with determination. He steered the X Tornado toward the nearest

emerald.

"I'm getting a very dark energy reading from over there." Espio said,

pointing toward Tails' bed. Sonic had called the Chaotix Detective

Agency, and they were now inspecting Tails' house for clues.

"Well is that any sort of clue?" Sonic asked.

"It could be." Espio replied.

Espio and Vector examined the spot where the dark energy was eminating

from, as Charmy played around with all of Tails' equipment.

"Well what does it mean Espio?" Vector asked.

" Well, it seems that some manifest of darkness appeared here not long

ago. Perhaps…an evil spirit." said Espio.

" Evil spirit? Could that be the cause of all this?" asked Sonic.

"It could very well be." Espio said.

"What's this?" Charmy asked, butting in as he held up a plant in a pot

that had the word 'Cosmo" written on it.

"Put that down!" yelled Sonic, afraid Charmy would break it. Not a far

fetched concern with Charmy. "Tails planted that, with the white seed. It

was all that was left…of Cosmo."

Charmy carefully put it back on the table.

"I think we need to come up with some sort of a plan, to capture Tails

somehow and get him to explain what's going on." said Amy, still

comforting Cream.

Vector folded his arms and smirked.' Well it just so happens that I've

come up with one Amy!"

"You have! Spit it out!" Sonic said.

" Well, if it's the Chaos Emeralds he's after, then why not give him what

he wants?" Vector explained," I say we find one and lure him into a trap,

using the Chaos Emerald as bait! Then, we'll question him."

"Sounds good!" Sonic exclaimed, and he raced out of the lab in a blur, to

find a Chaos Emerald.

"He's so cool!" said Charmy with a grin.

No sooner had he said that, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll answer it." Said Amy. As she opened the door, she gasped. Standing at the door, panting, beaten and bloodied, was Knuckles!

Knuckles limped through the doorway. As he tried desperately to take

another step, he collapsed. Amy rushed down to him and lifted his head up

in her arms as Cream and the Chaotix gathered around.

"Shadow…."Knuckles said slowly."…Shadow…he….he took

the…Master…Emerald….."