Shadow's POV

I woke up early the next morning and stretched before anyone else was up. I was in desperate need of a run and some alone time. Being around that faker too long isn't healthy. I slipped out of the Tortuga as quietly as possible and skated in a random direction. This world was so...magnificent. In case you haven't heard my story, although I'm sure you have, then you would know that I "grew up" on the space station called Space Colony Ark. So, as you can see, I never got to explore the Earth below with her. I shook my head as I skated at the speed of sound, there's no need to dwell on such thoughts today. I promised to put my past behind me.

I skidded to a stop, and my feet barely touched the edge of the pond I had found. It was a secluded spot, surrounded by trees on all sides. A vast array of colorful flowers lined the embankment. Their unusual scent tickled my extremely delicate nose, tempting me to sneeze often.

Unlike faker, I enjoy a good swim, so I took off my skates and gloves, tested the water, and then dove head first. "Ooooh, yes...," I said aloud as the water massaged and loostened my worn muscles when I swam back up to the surface. I sucked in another breath and dove back down to see how deep it was. My eyes adjusted to the dark scenery below-one of the unique traits that I have as Ultimate Lifeform. It got colder the deeper I went, but it didn't bother me. I swam close to a small school of fish, and they scattered in every direction, as soon as they noticed my presence. The pond was only about thirty or forty feet deep, and the bottom was like the surface of an alien planet. It was incredible! True, my wonder at everything I saw was a bit childish, but I had never seen the things the humans or regular mobians saw in their daily lives. I swam along the bottom until I reached an underwater cave of sorts. Curious, I continued. I didn't need air down here, since I can hold my breath for several hours-another perk of being the Ultimate Lifeform. But the further in I went, the stronger something pulled. A foreign energy was slowly pulling me in, but I didn't realize this until it was too late.

Third Person POV

Sonic woke up an hour after Shadow left. He saw the empty cot but wasn't worried. He was a super-speeding hedgehog, after all, so he understood the need for a good long run. Chris and Martin were the next ones to get up. They walked into the main room rubbing their eyes and hoping that breakfast would be soon. Shadow's absence didn't go unnoticed for long.

"Where's Shadow?" Martin asked. Sonic shrugged.

"On a run."

"Do you know where?" Chris asked. The jungle was a hostile place, and he could name several predators that would be interested in a morning snack. Sonic dismissed his question with a casual wave of his hand.

"Never mess with a hedge on a run," Sonic explained, "It's common courtesy. Unless there's an emergency, then by all means call 'im. Otherwise, stay outta his way. Especially if it's Shadow."

The two Kratts nodded, though still a bit skeptical, and poured themselves some juice. The rest of the crew were starting to wake up, and Jimmy began cooking breakfast. Sonic explained that Shadow had gone on a run and would be back in an hour or more.

"He likes to actually stop and enjoy the scenery insead of zooming straight by it like me," he added. He caught Chris typing the information into his creature pod but said nothing about it. The man was a scientist after all; it was to be expected.

"How long does he usually run?" Chris asked.

Sonic answered, "Don't know for sure. We don't really hang out that much back on Mobius. But if he's anything like me then I know it will be a couple of hours. No longer than a day though, since he knows we have Chaos Emeralds to find."

Chris seemed satisfied with his answer, but then Martin spoke up, "Why do you two go on runs? Is there a special purpose?"

Sonic nodded, "There's plenty of reasons," and he started listing them off on his fingers, "Stress relief, pure enjoyment, relaxation, concentration, and exercise to name a few. Just to feel the rush is usually enough. And it also helps release built up energy, which me and Shads build up far faster than your average mobian."

"That's pretty cool. You two are so different from the hedgehogs we've seen. It's incredible!" Aviva piped up. Sonic smiled.

"Thanks. I think."

-A few hours later-

With Shadow

He had swum only a few hundred feet into the cave when his head broke the surface of the water. He was inside a massive underground cavern that he was certain he had never seen on a map before. Giant crystals of various colors jutted out of the walls and ceiling. He climbed out of the water and shook himself to dry his fur. He quickly regretted leaving his skates and gloves back on the surface. At least he could still run just as fast, contrary to popular belief. He squeezed the remaining droplets out of his quills before he started exploring. The crystals seemed to emit a soft glow and heat of their own, drying his damp quills, as he trailed alongside the river, and gazed about in muted wonder.

"Why did I leave my camera?" he sighed, though he was sure that he couldn't forget it.

It looked as if there was a path that veered away from the underground river. Curious, he decided to follow it, not knowing it wasn't his free will that drove him. He brushed the smooth surfaces of the giant crystals that were as big as the turtle ship he had been residing in for the past couple of days. His ruby eyes shined brightly as his ungloved fingers rubbed against the cold. He had never felt or seen anything like this! He took his time exploring the cave, letting his feet take him wherever they wanted. The light bounced off a puddle and sent interesting reflections on to the roof of the cavern, drawing the ebony male's attention.

"Wow...," he breathed. He had entered what he assumed was the center of this giant maze. In the middle of the wide clearing was a tall raised alter that reminded him of the one on Angel Island. He could see a small glint of something at the top and he began to ascend the staircase slowly. Mixed feelings boiled inside him that he himself couldn't understand. Part of him was cautious and unsure but another part was desperately drawn to it. It was at that moment that he realized that it was not himself that pushed him up the stairs. But as soon as he fought against the feeling, he felt himself being thrown to the ground, catching himself on the stairs in front of him. He decided it was in his best interest to at least get to the top and see what it was. He ran up the stairs and gasped when he saw what it was that had called him.

"Impossible!"

With Sonic and the Wild Kratts

"Shadow's been gone for a long time. Do you think he's ok?" Koki asked, worry evident across her features. The others looked just as concerned. Well, except Sonic. These humans just don't understand a run, do they? Well, I guess Shads has been gone kinda long. Might as well make sure he's ok.

"I'll go check on him. He's probably stopped to smell the flowers or something."

"Can we come?" Martin and Chris asked with clear excitement in their voices. Sonic shrugged and grinned.

"Sure, if you can keep up."

"You're on!" Chris smirked, and the two bros ran into the hangar to grab their bug bikes. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently as he waited, knowing he could go much faster without them, but he decided it might just give his charcoal ally a few more minutes of private time.

"Which way?" Martin asked. Sonic glanced at the ground and pointed at a pair of scorch marks.

"That way. Come on!" he declared, and he raced into the jungle. The two Kratts quickly followed, although they were a good distance behind the blue hedgehog. Sonic tried to stay within their range of sight, but going slow wasn't really his thing. He kept his eyes trained on the twin scorch lines that wove through the forest. There were places that Shadow had jumped over large objects, like fallen trees, large rocks, or thorn bushes. So Sonic would have to slow down to help the humans navigate through the thick foliage. He suddenly skidded to a halt and backed up several feet away from a very murky and deep pond he had stumbled across.

Martin and Chris flew up to the blue blur and saw an unusual sight. Sonic was standing as far from the water's edge as he could with his ears folded back and green eyes wide.

"No no no no," Sonic mumbled, "Anywhere but there."

"What's wrong?" Martin asked. Sonic grimaced.

"Shads went for a swim."

"How do you know?" Chris wondered. The blue hedgehog pointed to the pair of neatly folded gloves and hoverskates. At least he didn't take off his inhibitor rings, Sonic thought.

"So we'll just wait till he resurfaces to see if he's ok."

Sonic shook his head, "Mr. Ultimate Lifeform can hold his breath for hours. I saw it myself when he and my friend Vector had a bet to see who could hold their breath the longest. He practically fell asleep on the bottom of the pool."

"So we just dive in after him," Martin stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and it would have been if not for a certain azure, hydrophobic hedgehog.

"That's where the problem starts," Sonic chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "I kindasortacantswim."

"What was that?"

"I...have a big fear of water," he admitted glumly. The bros looked at each other with a knowing smirk, and before Sonic knew what they were doing, they had already pushed him into the water. He splutterd and coughed as he tried to keep his head above water.

"YOU GUYS ARE JERKS!" he yelled. He didn't realize that they had swum on either side of him and were keeping him from drowning. Martin handed him one of his spare breathing masks, ignoring the insults Sonic slung at them. He knew the hedgehog was only scared. The angry hero reluctantly slid the mask over his face, and the brothers followed suite.

"On the count of three, we dive," Chris said. Sonic's eyes grew twice their normal size. Didn't they understand that he was scared, no TERRIFIED, of water?!

"Ready?" Martin asked calmly, and Chris smirked.

"3!" they shouted and dragged Sonic down into the water, kicking and struggling the whole way. When he finally did calm down enough to stop fighting, he opened his eyes to stare at the underwater world. His first thoughts were to get out of the water as soon as possible. To air. To light. To freedom. He was considerably slower down here, and he hated it!

"We should probably look around for him," Chris said through his mask. All Sonic could do was nod, and he began to scan the dark terrain. It was hard to see this far below the surface. Shadow was probably blending in with all of the other literal shadows. Just perfect..., Sonic grumbled in his head. Chris pointed to the entrance of a small cave.

"He might've gone in there," he mused. The other two agreed, and the trio swam inside. Sonic began to feel dizzy and held his head with one hand. Something didn't feel right.

"I don't know, but I hope he didn't come this way. There is some really freaky energy in here."

"You ok?" Martin asked, suddenly very concerned for his mobian friend. Sonic nodded but kept a firm grip on the blue Kratt to keep himself steady. The feeling ebbed away slowly to a dull, barely noticeable headache.

In only a few incredibly long minutes, the search team entered the crystal cave. All of them gawked at the beautiful sight, and the humans took pictures with their creature pods. Sonic noticed a set of paw prints following the edge of the underground river. Using tracking skills that he had honed from years of battle, he easily followed Shadow's tracks. The Kratt brothers hurried after him, taking in the enchanting sight.

"He left the river," Sonic said under his breath, just barely loud enough for them to hear. The two scientists added Good Tracking Skills to their list of data on the mobians. Sonic picked the pace as soon as he knew which direction he was going. He gasped when he saw the alter.

"It looks just like the Master Emerald Shrine back home!" he exclaimed. Both men looked beyond confusion.

"Master Emerald?"

"No time to explain, but I'm sensing some really weird mojo," he squinted to get a better a view of the top, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head, "Sweet Chaos! Shadow!" and he sprinted up the high staircase. When he reached the top, he gasped and almost slipped.

"No way! Is that...?"

Shadow stood in front of him with his back turned on his rival. He had his ungloved arms crossed, and at first it seemed like he didn't even know Sonic was there. In front of him stood an almost identical copy of the giant Master Emerald. It was pulsing in strange pattern that reminded him of a heartbeat. Shadow didn't even acknowledge Sonic's exclamation. He couldn't even move. His body was fueled by energy absorbed from his surroundings, Chaos Energy to be more specific. This was similar although not identical. This felt different, almost as if it was much older than Chaos, if that was even possible.

"Shadow?" Sonic asked, drawing closer to him when he didn't answer. His voice filled with concern and he waved a hand in front of his face, "Shads, you ok? Talk to me; what's going on?"

His power fueled body was taking in too much of the foreign energy. All he wanted was to get as far away as possible...and slap Sonic for being absolutely rediculous.

"Shadow!" Sonic yelled. Something wasn't right. He shook the ebony hedgehog violently. Still nothing. He looked down and saw his inhibitor rings were steaming. Something in his mind clicked, and he realized the gravity of the situation.

Shadow + Outside energy = body fuel. Only he seemed to be taking in too much, making his inhibitors overheat.

His gold rings, meant to protect him, were now burning into his skin. If it was possible, Shadow would have yelled. Something was really weird about the fake emerald. He forced himself to reject the energy flowing into him but with almost no success.

Stop fighting. Please! a voice in his head begged, he assumed female. Shadow's crimson eyes widened. Who are you?! And why are you doing this? he demanded in his mind.

I am the one known as Lakit. I am the emerald you are standing before. I will not last much longer in this world. As a being of Chaos, you can weild my power without harming yourself. That is why I am transferring it to you. I beg of you! Please don't resist. I am the heart of this entire continent. Should I die without someone to hold my aura, my part of the world will die. Trees, grass, predators, prey- I am their life force...

The voice sounded weak and tired. Shadow inwardly sighed, knowing what he had to do.

Very well. I will help you. But I can only take in so much energy.

Your rings. They protect and prohibit you. I can fix that.

Shadow felt a strange essence enter his inhibitor rings on his ankles and wrists. The burning sensation ceased immediately, and his body began to naturally heal itself. A new power began to well up inside of him. An ancient force that felt as old as time itself. All of his senses and skills felt like they had been tripled, and he felt like a fire had been kindled in his chest.

My time has come. Our world needs you and your brother desperately. Go to the other six continents of the world where my sisters are waiting. Our time is drawing to a close...Thank you...Shadow the Hedgehog.

Wait! What are you talking about? Sonic is NOT my brother! Wait!

But Lakit was already gone. Shadow's eyelids grew heavy, and the world slowly darkened around him as he collapsed.

Sonic had only watched helplessly. He had tried everything he could think of to snap him out of it. Of course, he didn't hear the telepathic conversation between Shadow and the emerald. All of the sudden, a green light enveloped them, and Sonic had to shield his eyes, shouting Shadow's name the entire time. When it died down, he saw the last of a green mist seeping out of the emerald and into Shadow's chest. When it was completely gone, Sonic had to race to catch him as he fell.

"Shadow! Come on man, wake up! Wake up!"

He checked the older mobian's pulse and layed an ear to his fluffy white chest, letting out a sigh of relief when heard a heartbeat, though it was a lot slower than normal. He sat up and stared down at his counterpart's, for once, peaceful features. His eyes roamed down to the gold rings around his wrists and ankles. Green, delicate tracings were etched into them in a leafy design. The light from the fake emerald dimmed, and all color faded from it. Even though he didn't know what was going on, Sonic knew that the emerald, or whatever was inside it, had passed on.

Martin and Chris huffed up and over the last step, their faces drenched with sweat after climbing so many flights of stairs. Sonic was sitting beside Shadow, trying to snap him out of unconsciousness. The humans could easily read the worry on his face, and in turn they became disturbed.

"What happened?" Chris asked. He didn't know much about the black hedgehog, but he guessed that it took a lot to knock him out. Sonic glanced back down at his passed out rival.

"I'm not sure. But I think he absorbed whatever energy was in that fake," he explained and jabbed his thumb at the massive dark green stone behind him.

"How are we gonna get him out of here?" Martin asked, bringing to mind a pressing matter. Sonic looked away uncomfortably. He didn't like the idea of swimming again with an unconscious Shadow.

"I guess we just wait till he wakes up."

As if on cue, a low moan escaped Shadow's lips. He squinted his shut eyes before opening them slowly. As soon as he realized what had happened, he shot up and looked at the faded gem. He placed a chilled hand to his forehead to massage the oncoming migraine. Sonic stood and helped Shadow rise on shaky feet. He hadn't realized how cold the ground was without his skates, but at the moment, his mind was buzzing with all of the new information he had received.

Sonic's POV

Shadow looked out of it. Like REALLY out of it. Whatever happened must've shaken him up a bit. He looked like he had a headache, and I had to keep my arm around him to keep him steady. All my life I had never seen him like this, and to be honest...it scared me. Something deep down told me that I needed to keep an extra close eye on him, even if he didn't like it. He started to shiver, which was really weird, but then I remembered that he had taken off his gloves and skates. And I knew for a fact that, at least mobian, hands and feet got really cold fast after being covered for so long. Without as much as thinking, I slid off my gloves and handed them to him. He just stared at me dumbfounded. Mobians don't wear much in the way of clothing, so taking off your gloves is the human equivalent of taking your shirt off.

"You're freezing," I offered sincerely. He took them and hesitantly put them on.

"Thank you," he stated bluntly. I pretended to be shocked.

"Mr. Ultimate Lifeform just said thank you?! What is this world coming to?"

"Shut up, faker," he replied in his usual grumpy tone, "There's more going on than either of us know," he added in a whisper after pretending to have to lean on me for support. At least I think he was pretending. It was hard to tell.

"Tonight on the roof?" I offered in a low voice. He nodded his response. Slowly, our whole troop made our back down the stairs. Martin and Chris were kind enough to help me with Shadow, who was still struggling to find his footing. I wouldn't say it out loud, but I'll be happy when he gets back to his normal gloomy self.

Shadow's POV

What on Mobius am I going to tell him? How do I even know that anything Lakit said was true? This new energy had completely knocked me off balance, much to my embarrassment, and I can't seem to walk in a straight line. Having to rely on fak- wait...can I even call him that anymore? Regardless, having to use Sonic as a living crutch was nothing short of humiliating. But from the look on his face, I could see that he wasn't enjoying my low moment either. In fact, he actually looked worried. His face was grim and determined, but his eyes, I had seen that same emotion in so many people...fear. Was he actually scared for me? Ha! That would be a first. The two of us rarely las five minutes without going at each other's throats. What am I going to say when he asks for an explanation? Hey, Sonic! Just wanna say that I just absorbed the life force of a continent and I gotta collect the rest before we go home, and by the way a weird voice from that fake Master Emerald said we were brothers, have a great life! There's only one way to prove if the last part of that statement she made was true, but there is NO WAY. I hate scientists enough as it is, but at least the ones we're staying with actually seemed to be genuinely friendly toward us.

Once we reached the river, I could practically feel the fear vibrating off of Sonic. I was able to walk on my own once we had left the center chamber, and I had given that blue pincushion his gloves back after hearing him trying to suppress his chattering teeth. We had argued for a moment, but he eventually took them back. At the river, I picked up the green Chaos Emerald I had carelessly left behind. All of us linked together as I yelled my famous words.

"Chaos Control!"

It was dark outside, but we had landed where I had left my skates and gloves. With little difficulty, I put them back on, grateful for the heat and protection they offered. Then I chaos controlled everyone back to the Tortuga. I didn't realize how put out I was until I fell asleep seconds after I sat down in the hover chair Jimmy offered me. This was going to be a long trip.

Mysteries unfold. The plot thickens. Thank you 4 your patience and have a great day! Plz review! Ciao! ;)