Author's note: The great thing about four-day weekends is all the time for writing; the worst thing is the dreadful return to work on the following Monday (whimper). Thanks to E-Rank and CVGWJames for the reviews! Always appreciated.

Also, we're totally going with the notion that Shadow hasn't visited Angel Island. I don't *think* he has in the games (up to "Shadow the Hedgehog", anyways), but if he has ... well ... we'll go with selective amnesia!

Chapter 2: Cracks in the Plan

"Tails! Do a loop-de-loop!"

Shadow, standing along the lower wing of the Tornado and gripping one of the interplane struts, let out a much louder sigh, if only because he knew the sound of wind around him would wash it away before anyone actually heard it.

"Sonic, I don't think Shadow is used to—"

"Do not let me stop you," he interrupted impassively. He certainly wasn't going to let the blue faker think he couldn't handle it.

There was a short pause, and a brief glance back showed Tails shaking his head to himself. "Okay then..." he finally responded. Without further ado, the fox piloting the biplane pulled up swiftly, the g-forces pressing both hedgehogs into their respective footholds. Shadow reflexively held tight to the struts and briefly wondered what his rival would hold on to.

A trailing, "Who-hooo!" from overhead told Shadow that Sonic would, indeed, hold on to nothing.

The plane successfully went upside-down and back around, with Tails nosediving shortly afterwards, accelerating to get under the falling hedgehog. With one last, smooth arc, the plane was levelled again and Sonic was atop the upper wing, hands out like he'd just performed the perfect gymnastics routine.

Showoff.

"Good piloting," Shadow simply responded. Tails absolutely beamed at the compliment, while Sonic's arms in the air somehow went from celebratory to incensed with a barely-heard grumble.

"It'll be about another hour, before we're there," Tails piped up, smartly changing the subject.

The bright blue sky of mid-morning was hard to not enjoy, the air crisp at this altitude but nevertheless pleasant, with the warm sunrays beaming and reflecting off the polished metal of the biplane.

Thick morning clouds were just below them, blocking a majority of the view beneath, but farther ahead mountain peaks poked through their faux barrier, telling Shadow that they were still flying over land. The sun was to their left, which meant they were heading south. It wouldn't be long before they reached the ocean, if his memory of the local geography was accurate.

"So, Shads—can I call you Shads?—"

"No."

"—Care to tell us what's going on?"

Sonic's upside-down head peered from the edge of the upper wing to look down at Shadow, causing the latter to inwardly groan.

"Rouge is missing."

Somehow, eye-rolling looked a lot more absurd when one's head dangled the wrong direction. "We got that part, dude. But can you elaborate on, y'know, what she was doing, or why she had your emerald?"

"It would help us understand the situation better," Tails added more eloquently.

The darker hedgehog gazed back out towards the horizon, debating on his next words carefully. "G.U.N. was looking for more Chaos Emeralds."

"Well, duh," Sonic replied. "Isn't that on everyone's to-do list?"

"Not everyone has the means to do so."

"Are we talking money or gizmos here, 'cause G.U.N. ain't lacking in either."

"Wait," Tails said, "did Rouge need your emerald to find the others?"

"Aw, you shouldn't have," she grinned, teal eyes sparkling nearly green with the yellow hue of his Chaos Emerald.

"It's not to keep, Rouge." Despite his sharp words, Shadow let her take the jewel from his outstretched hand.

She did not look at him, however, gaze still locked on her newest possession.

"Twenty-four hours," he added sternly.

That earned him a facetious pout. "You're no fun."

"You need to find it before they do."

"Of course, hon, and you know I will."

The flash of memory dissipated as suddenly as it had formed, and Shadow mentally shook away those last feelings of uncertainty. He kept his eyes averted when he finally answered, "Yes."

Sonic's upside-down face quickly righted itself, as he flipped over and deftly landed on the lower wing, next to Shadow. His expression was slightly more serious when he looked to Tails. "They got a doohickey like you, then?" he asked.

"I guess it shouldn't be surprising," Tails passively agreed and shrugged. "I mean, Eggman had his own version of an emerald-finder years ago too, remember? They might've picked up data or parts from his wreckage."

"Hmm," Sonic replied, one hand pressed flat against the upper wing above him, the other curled below his chin in thought. "I'm not exactly a big fan of this iffy military group having a way of finding Chaos Emeralds." He blinked and his expression changed, seemingly remembering something before glancing at Shadow. "No offense."

"Nor am I," the black hedgehog concurred to Sonic's earlier statement.

That awarded him a rather baffled expression. "Wait; what?"

"I do not trust them," Shadow clarified.

Sonic frowned. "But you work for them."

"Yes."

"What is this, the X-Files?"

"Was Rouge helping you find the emerald then, not G.U.N.?" Tails asked, his brow furrowing in clear curiosity.

Shadow paused again before nodding once.

"I'm confused," Sonic said to no one.

"They were working rogue, Sonic," Tails explained, eyeing Shadow to ensure he understood correctly. "I guess you found out about their new tech and wanted to make sure they didn't get their hands on an emerald?"

"...Something like that."

"Wait, you stole their new emerald-finder?" Sonic laughed. "That's awesome. Did G.U.N. even know they had an emerald-finder?"

"It is called a Chaos Tracker."

"Tomayto, tomahto." Sonic snickered while shaking his head, then added, "You're full of surprises, Shads."

"Do not call me that."

"Have you tried getting in contact with Knuckles again?" Tails interjected, his question directed towards Sonic to change the subject once more.

Similar to the attention-span of a goldfish, it somehow worked. Sonic opened his communicator and typed a few commands, presumably to contact the echidna. There were a few beeps, but no other noises. "No dice," he finally declared.

"I'm worried. He usually answers within an hour or two, even if he does take the communicator off."

"Don't worry li'l bro; knowing Knux, he's probably napping!"

Tails hummed noncommittally and did not comment further. Shadow glared at Sonic, waiting a moment for the blue faker to notice.

"What?" he defiantly asked when he did.

"I was offered the lower wing."

There was an uncharacteristic snort from Tails behind them, but upon observation his face was completely neutral, as if he had not heard the comment. Sonic smiled nonetheless, winking at Shadow before grabbing the upper wing and flipping himself up and over.

Shadow's expression was emotionless, but he turned towards the horizon again, enjoying the scenic view in some thankful, albeit most likely brief, solitude.

He wasn't entirely sure what he expected. A floating island in the clouds sounded like something out of a dream, and of course he had heard of it, but to actually set sight on it was—for lack of a better term—breathtaking.

Their altitude rose as they neared their destination, the clouds fading and replaced with land where land should not be. There were ice-capped mountains at the center of it all, flowing down into green meadowlands, crystalline rivers, and dense woodlands. Everything was sitting pure and unsoiled upon … nothing. It was an entire isolated ecosystem, floating along the skies like some sort of world within a world.

Shadow's eyes trailed the scenery as they lowered their altitude, apices of what looked like ancient, ruined temples barely slipping past the overgrowth of flora, nothing more than a trace of what probably used to be a thriving culture eons ago.

A small amount of jealousy zinged through the black hedgehog, realizing Knuckles had this entire island to himself.

He heard Tails holler something about where to land to Sonic, with the faker responding agreeably to some grass hill or other. They banked smoothly, then, and with the smallest jolt they touched down onto a knoll, tall grass blowing wildly from the momentary disruption.

As they slowed to a stop, Tails switched off the engine, allowing the quiet sounds of the peaceful scenery to fill the void. A warm breeze wafted past, far different from the harsher winds that had hit Shadow in the Tornado. If he listened closely, he could hear the white noise of waterfalls in the far reaches.

Yeah, maybe he was more than a little bit jealous.

Sonic somersaulted off the upper wing to the ground, hands back on his waist like he was waiting for something. A weird fluttering sound followed soon after, and it took a moment for Shadow to realize it was the sound of the fox's tails helicoptering through the air. He too landed expectantly next to the blue hedgehog, glancing around the meadowland worriedly.

"What is the issue?" Shadow finally probed, casually stepping off the end of the wing and walking up next to the duo.

"He's … not here," Sonic responded, his expression hard to read as he searched the distance with his eyes.

Shadow's brow lifted incredulously. "We just got here."

"He knows when we arrive," Tails defended.

"That's conjecture."

"Connect the what?" Sonic asked.

Tails shook his head at Shadow. "No, it's like a sixth sense for him. He should be here."

More gentle hums of nature filled the space of their purposeful silence, Sonic and Tails still searching and waiting. Shadow crossed his arms impatiently.

"Well," Sonic loudly clapped his hands together, "there's only one way to know for sure!"

Shadow had opened his mouth to deadpan his retort, but before he could even say a word Tails had stepped in between him and the faker.

"Sonic!" he chastised quietly, as if lowering his voice would somehow not let Shadow hear it. His back was facing the black hedgehog, so he could only see Sonic's expression, currently showing confusion as he looked down at the fox.

"What? We already brought him here—"

"That's different!"

"How? It's not exactly a big island, bud."

"Y-yeah, but Knuckles—"

"—will learn to answer his calls from now on. He'll understand."

It finally dawned on Shadow what was being discussed. His fists were clenched out of habit, but he forced his arms to relax at his sides as he stepped forward. "Is this regarding the Master Emerald?"

Tails twirled around, appearing slightly guilty. "Um, er—"

"I already sense its location," Shadow cut off.

"You do?!" Sonic and Tails dubiously asked at the same time.

Shadow stared at them. "The Chaos Emeralds are tied to it." He paused, then eyed Sonic with a diminutive tilt of the head. "Do you not?"

Indignance was not something often witnessed on the supposed hero of Mobius, but that was precisely the reaction Shadow received from him. Suddenly, the entire trip had become instantly worth it.

"I, well … it's a lot different for me," Sonic started to splutter.

"But you do feel it, too?" Tails asked curiously, evidently enraptured with the possibility of new facts regarding Chaos in general, and consequently making him oblivious to everything else.

Sonic took a sharp intake of breath through his nostrils, staring pointedly at his sidekick, but then covered it with a brusque, "Let's just go already."

Still unperturbed, Tails nodded and the duo were off, Shadow trailing behind them with the smallest amount of smirk on his muzzle.

There were only two places that Tails knew of where Knuckles housed the Master Emerald. When things were calm and peaceful (and the weather was nice), it was on its shrine deep within the woodlands, amongst the old ruins of the Knuckles Clan, with the echidna himself usually napping beside it.

When things were a little more … hectic, or maybe when the weather wasn't comfortable to be out in for whatever reason, Knuckles would instead keep it underground, somewhere within the massive network of tunnels that was a part of both Hydrocity and Hidden Palace.

Of course, while only eight-years-old, Tails also wasn't naïve. He knew that the Master Emerald probably had a lot of other resting places that he nor Sonic had been made privy to. Knuckles wasn't exactly known for trusting others, and even as a well-known team of three, the echidna was not the most approachable when it came to protecting the jewel that was, more or less, his sole purpose of existence.

So, without Knuckles there to greet them upon arrival, Tails fully expected the Master Emerald to be hidden, as well; still somewhere on the island, of course (it wouldn't be floating, otherwise), but definitely not sitting lopsided on its pedestal outside, in clear view and without its Guardian nearby.

Never mind the amount of cracks lining its entire surface.

"Whoa," was Sonic's only comment as they slowed to a stop on the stairs leading up to it. Tails stepped forward first, nearly mesmerized by the pulsating bright green, glowing mist exuding from each broken line within the giant gem's structure.

The kit studied the fractals as he walked across its skewed form, squinting with each pulse of the nearly blinding light from within.

Sonic seemed more tense as he scanned the perimeter. "The Master Emerald doesn't just, like ... break when it falls on its side, does it?"

"No," Tails absentmindedly agreed, hand reaching out as he fully circled the jewel.

"Tails!" Sonic snapped, stopping him. The fox startled and pulled away, wide-eyed at the hedgehog as he came closer. "Don't touch it," he warned, gaze slowly going back to its iridescent presence. "It's unstable."

Shadow, off to the side of the two, imperceptibly nodded in agreement as he studied it.

"That's because there's a piece missing," Tails stated, pointing at a small section of the Master Emerald. Sonic and Shadow both impulsively moved closer to see.

"Right here," the fox stressed, creating an imaginary circle with his index finger, "a sliver is missing."

"How is that possible?"

"Wouldn't it, like, shatter then?"

"I don't know," Tails answered both of them, his eyes still taking in the strange phenomenon. "Knuckles would have had to have done it. He's the only one capable of that kind of control."

"Partially break his precious stone and run away with a piece of it?" Sonic asked skeptically. "Come on, bud, there's no way."

"It's the best way to protect it, though," Tails debated, walking a little closer to where the fragment was missing. "Think about it. It's not in pieces so it can withhold enough energy to keep the island afloat. But," his hands emphasized the seeping Chaos energy, "it's unusable as is. I mean, you can't touch it, right?" His nose crinkled in thought. "What exactly would happen, anyways?"

"You would be overwhelmed with an irrepressible amount of Chaos energy and would most likely disintegrate."

Both Sonic and Tails gawked at Shadow wordlessly. A moment later Tails took a decent sidestep farther away from the Master Emerald.

His mind returning more to the events leading up to the here and now, Tails hurried back over to Sonic. "Knuckles must've taken a piece of the emerald to protect it. But ... I mean, what would make him need to steal a piece of his own emerald? He had to leave it behind, had enough time to do this," he gestured wildly in the direction of the busted stone, "but couldn't call us?!" Implications struck like a freight train, his tails fluffing up in fear. "We should search for him! I mean, he could still be here hiding or—or trapped, or hurt, or in trouble, or worse—!"

"Hey! Hey bud, it's all right," Sonic soothed, palms out to quiet his sidekick before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "This is Knux we're talking about. He always acts before he thinks, and for all we know this," the hedgehog frowned at the Master Emerald, "...is a clue," he finished uncertainly.

His mentor must've seen the skepticism on Tails' face, though, as he more confidently added, "Tell ya what: I'm gonna make a thorough perimeter sweep, while you stay here and see if you can't find out any more about what's going on with the M.E.—"

Tails swallowed hard but started to nod before Sonic hastily stipulated, "—without touching it," turning the fox's agreeableness into a reserved sigh.

With a classic grin, Sonic's knee went up like he was about to zip away, but his eyes casually shifted to Shadow and he abruptly floundered. Trying to look nonchalant, the hero acted as if he was stretching instead, one leg coming down and his other knee coming up. As if that wasn't bad enough acting, his hand went to his ankle and pulled it up like he was working a cramp out.

Glancing over to Tails, he said, "Ooor you know, you could come with me ... if you want?"

The fox looked at him oddly, brows furrowing even further when Sonic meaningfully stared back. Out of his peripheral vision, though, he saw the scowling black hedgehog standing nearby. "Oh." He shifted uncomfortably. "It's locked in the Tornado, Sonic. I'll be fine."

Awkward silence followed that statement.

"I can accompany you, if that would suffice," Shadow neutrally offered to the other hedgehog. While the scowl was still firmly implanted, Tails recognized it as a rather baseless (and common) look for the so-called Ultimate Lifeform. A resting angry-face, if you will.

After another very prolonged pause, however, Tails' eyes started darting back and forth worriedly.

Sonic eventually let out an, "Eh," and the tense silence passed without incident. He shrugged and elaborated with, "Sure, another pair of eyes never hurt." He glanced once more at Tails. "Do not touch it; capiche?"

The fox rolled his eyes but acquiesced. "Capiche."

"All right, see ya in a Sonic-second!"

In a blink the blue hero of Mobius was gone, with only a plume of dirt and a trailing rustle of grass in his wake. Tails' ears twitched at the audible groan that came from Shadow before he, too, disappeared in a flash, with the added effect of exhaust from his shoes.

Tails frowned. In hindsight, those two being on their own with each other was maybe not the best idea. But another curious study of the Master Emerald laying on its side, fractured and pulsating with seeping Chaos energy, swayed the kit successfully. He quickly flew back to the Tornado, retrieving his handheld Miles Electric computer.

They could handle each other for a few minutes. Long enough for him to see how in the world Knuckles was able to partially disjoin the most powerful stone on Mobius, anyways, and perhaps determine why he had to do it in the first place.

Yeah, the two rivals would figure it out.

Hopefully.