Shadow: And we're back folks.

Tails: Where the hell do you get this stuff from?

Shadow: (shrugs) Too much T.V.?

Jake: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!

Shadow: Um, nothing? I think...

Trintity: Calm down, you'll get your sister back. (walks off)

I still don't own any of this stuff.


Chapter 15: The Warlord

Shadow walked through the deserted roads of Calor, the sounds of his foot steps echoing off of the building walls. Faces peeked at the lone figure walking down the street through curtains and cracked shutters. The dark hedgehog walked blindly past the dark windows, buried deep in his own thoughts, letting his feet guide him through the confusing lanes. He was alone, for he had convinced the Desert Pirates to stay behind and let him met the fox in person. He was staring to wonder if that was a good idea.

Shadow lifted his head as he came around the corner and saw a group of soldiers crowed into the street. Every soldier wore the blue and white uniforms of the invading army and polished helms that reflected the bright morning light. Their caption, a bulldog that donned a red plume in his silver helm, spotted the dark hedgehog as he walked around the merchant's stalls and called his troops into attention. The soldiers quickly organized themselves into neat rows and waited silently as Shadow approached them.

"Shadow the Hedgehog!" the captain boomed. "Our leader has been waiting very patiently for the chance to meet you! We will escort you to our base where you will be privileged to speak to him in person!"

As the captain's booming voice faded, his troops moved to surround Shadow. They organized themselves so that he was incorporated into their rows and columns. Shadow eyed the two soldiers that took positions on either side of him and countless rows of five in front of and behind him. Every soldier was taller than Shadow, and with each of the troops standing shoulder to shoulder, he couldn't see past them. He felt like a child lost in a crowd of grown-ups.

Somewhere at the front of the unit, the captain gave the order and the company marched forward. They marched down the street, across the stone bride, and into the barren wilderness. Of his surroundings, Shadow could only see the tallest rock formations above the heads of the soldiers and the yellow gas that swirled around his ankles. Without an distinguishable land marks, he used his sense of direction and the rhythm of the march to keep track of where he was.

After twenty minutes marching, Shadow heard the unmistakable sounds of the camp over the beat of their boots on the dry, dusty ground. Shouts and laughter reached his ears and grew louder as the marched closer to the camp. Shadow looked up and saw soldiers keeping watch from atop the rock formations, leering down at him. The tops of tents appeared over the soldiers' heads, flying blue flags with double, diagonal white strips.

The row of soldier in front of Shadow parted suddenly and he stopped short. The rows behind him continued to part, and the soldiers encircled Shadow and the four soldiers beside him into a clearing. Other soldiers from the camp gathered around those that had escorted Shadow, whispering excitedly. Even the guards grew curious, standing up on the rocks to get a better look at what was going on.

In front of Shadow was a large and luxurious tent swaying slightly in the light breeze. A large blue with a white fox in between the diagonal bars of white fluttered in the wind,. Once silence fell over the entire compound, the soldiers that were still standing beside Shadow stepped forward and held open the flaps for him. Shadow hesitated for only a moment, before he entered the dimly lit tent. The moment his eyes adjusted to the lighting, Shadow struggled to swallow his disgust.

Stretched across a plushy couch, still wearing his armor, was the red and white fox. He lounged with his eyes closed in content, surrounded by young women and little girls. They were kneeling on the ground, or sitting on the armrests with despair darkening their countenance. They wore nothing more than strips of white cloth and chains that were attached to their wrists and ankles.

Among the women, rubbing the fox's feet, was Annabel. The little grey mouse stared blankly at the paws in front of her, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. A thin white cloth was wrapped around her chest, and another around her waist. Though her fur was sparkling clean, and she looked like she finally had a decent meal, she appeared to be the most miserable of the bunch. Like the other girls in the tent, she didn't even look up when Shadow entered.

"Do you see like what you see?"

The fox was watching Shadow through one lazy eye, munching on a grape that was just fed to him. Shadow's rage boiled over, but he kept it hidden behind a clam face. He tore his eyes away from the distraught mouse girl and stared at the fox instead. He didn't dare to open his mouth to respond however, afraid he would cause trouble if his anger spilt out instead. The fox grinned at him in a knowing manner.

"Then the rumors are true," he murmured.

The flap to the tent opened again, and light flooded in. Shadow glanced over his shoulder and saw a wolf and a hawk walk into the tent. The wolf had pure white fur and a scar that ran from cheekbone to the bottom of his jaw on either side of his face. The brown hawk had yellow eyes and a down-curved beak that gave him a stern expression. Both wore ornate uniforms similar to the soldiers, marking them as persons of high position.

"Who's this runt?" growled the wolf. Shadow once again resisted acting out on anger.

"This is our guest," the fox said smoothly. "I suggest you treat him with respect."

The wolf ran his yellow eyes up and down Shadow, measuring him up. It was obvious he disregarded Shadow as a threat, but he heeded the fox's command. Both the wolf and the hawk saluted Shadow before they walked past him and joined the women surrounding the fox. Shooing Annabel off his feet, he sat up and leaned forward, closely inspecting Shadow from head to toe. It was time to get down to business.

"Shadow, I don't think I've introduced myself yet. My name is Heath. To my left is Commander Fang, and this is General Kan," the fox said, gesturing to himself, the wolf, then the hawk in turn. "I suppose you are wondering why I have summoned you here, Shadow. You see, it is a dream of mine to forge a kingdom that will rule over this entire planet. It is for this reason I seek your power-a power similar to mine."

Shadow flinched at these words. He had a sneaking suspension, but he dared to hope it wasn't true. The fox called Heath sitting before him was another Chaos being he was searching for, though a weak one. Heath grinned at him as if he knew what was racing through Shadow's mind. Shadow ignored the infuriating smile and waited for Heath to continue his speech, desperate to find out just how much the fox knew.

"There is so little information on you, Shadow, but what I did find was magnificent. Old, corrupt computer files about a creature created on A.R.K. Designed so Chaos Energy runs freely through you, entwined into your very being, empowering you past the highest point of any measurement created. You were engineered to be the ultimate life form, and as the hedgehog that stands before me, the sole survivor of Project Shadow, you have lived up to that expectation-perhaps even surpassed it."

As Heath spoke, eyes all across the tent shifted towards Shadow. Fang and Kan were quickly shifting their opinions of Shadow, becoming nervous and tense as Heath described Shadow's potential strength. The girls stared at him in awe, entranced and intoxicated by the words Heath spoke as he wove his tale. Shadow couldn't help but notice Heath was rather enjoying the effect his story was having on the small crowd around him.

"However, your purpose seems to be clouded. Several conflicting reports claim you to be the destroyer, meant to wipe this planet clean of filth. Another says you are a protector, meant to serve the people and bring them peace and happiness. Several, more personal reports claim you have lost your memories, or that the ones you have are all fake. With this I reach a sad, sad conclusion. You are a perfect being that has no purpose in life.

"So I offer you this one proposal: Join me. No matter what purpose you were given, or purpose you have given yourself, I can help you accomplish it. If you are a destroyer- come with me and wipe out our enemies. If the protector- help me forge a better world for the people. Even if all you want in life is to have a good time, come with me, and I can guarantee you'll have what ever it is you need.

"Besides, what is there to lose? You and I- we are the same after all. I might not be as fast or strong as you, but we are the same. Chaos Energy pulses through my veins just as it does through yours. We are brethren, and brothers must stick together. Side by side, we could sweep across the world, crush opposition, and bring this entire planet under our control!"

Heath was sitting on the edge of the couch now, excited by his own words, fist clench in the far off victory he spoke of. Shadow could hear the note of excitement quivering behind Heath's voice as his closed his speech. Sill, Shadow stood rooted to the spot in the middle of the tent, staring wordlessly at the fox. Several moments of still silence passed as the tense group before him waited for his answer. At last, Heath sat back into the couch, understanding Shadow wasn't going to break his sudden vow of silence.

"It's all right, you don't have to answer now," he said, cleverly masking his frustration. "Take some time and think about it-you can't just suddenly decide to become ruler of the world after all. Leave if you must, but I expect to hear from you soon."

Shadow turned to leave, but hesitated. He turned back and went back for Annabel, crushing the metal links of her chains easily. He picked up the startled mouse girl, cradled her in his arms, and left the tent forthwith. There was still a cluster of soldiers circled around the tent clearing, standing motionless. Shadow wondered if they had heard all that was said in the tent, but found his answer when they jumped back and parted as he walked toward them.

Annabel, her arms around Shadow's neck for support, stared ahead blankly as he carried her past the soldiers. Shadow could only image the suffering she's been through since they left Flora City a mere two weeks ago. He was determined to restore the child to her brother as soon as possible, the only form of comfort he could think of. As wordlessly as he was when he entered the camp, Shadow picked up his speed and broke into a run.

Shadow was skidding to a halt in front of the stone bride within ten minutes. He wasn't surprised to find the heavy main gates closed, only irritated. He couldn't-wouldn't-use Chaos Control with Annabel in his arms. Instead, Shadow sprinted across the narrow bridge and took a mighty running leap, sailing over the tall stone walls. Sentry posted on top of the wall were too stunned to sound the alarm, and gapped as the hedgehog landed in the middle of Main Street and strolled off.

Shadow entered the winding lanes off of the Main Street and headed for the Desert Pirates' base. The roads were still eerily empty, and his foot steps still echoed off the buildings and eyes peered at him from the shadows. Once or twice, Shadow caught a glimpse of the young thieves dodging into alleyways, and perhaps even the strange, old weasel. As he half expected, when Shadow reached the road with the secret ally to the base, he found Jake standing in the street.

"Annabel," he gasped. He made a move as to take her, but stopped. He glanced up and down the street nervously before leading the two away. "Let's not stay out in the open for long. We have much to discuss."

Shadow put Annabel onto her feet and she shuffled after her brother into the thin space between the buildings. Quickly, they descended the stairs into the underground passage below. Once in the dark tunnel, Jake wordlessly swept his sister into his arms and held her close. Shadow went on ahead, toward the large dome room, and Jake hurried after him, carrying Annabel. The heavy doors swung open for the trio and they quickly swung shut behind their heels.

Patient silence filled the room and all eyes turned to Shadow. The black hedgehog took a deep breath- and swung his fist into the wall. He put his foot on the wall and ripped his fist out of the hole he created and stumbled back a little. Shadow looked around at the stunned faces in the room then disappeared. Just as the room was recovering from the shock, Shadow reappeared with the two stuffed bags, tossing one at Tails.

"Hey, why did you get our packs?" Tails asked, watching Shadow go through the one in his hands. "Hey! That's mine, Shadow!"

Shadow ignored him and pulled out the fox boy's red hoodie. Without a word, he snatched Annabel from Jakes arms and put her on her own two feet. He ripped off the skimpy white cloths that had served as clothes and yanked the hoodie over her head. The garment fit more like a dress than a shirt on the small girl, but it was apparently good enough for Shadow, for he began to rip the white cloths to shreds.

Crouching down to the pile, he thrust his palm at it and used a bit of his Chaos powers to set it aflame. He stayed squatted next to the small blazing and stared. The fire reflected oddly in his eyes, almost as if it was smoldering behind his eyes, not just reflecting his glossy gaze. When the pile of white cloth was reduced to an ashy smudge on the ground, Shadow took another deep breath and stood up.

"Shadow, what happened?" Tails asked meekly. "You-you didn't kill him, did you?"

"That's just the problem," Shadow said softly, "I can't kill him."

"What do you mean you can't kill him? You never had any trouble- oh no," Tails moaned. "No, it can't be. Not him! He can't be one of us!"

"I'm not sure," Shadow said in the same soft voice. "He is weak, but he defiantly has the potential to become one."

"I don't care! A bastard like him doesn't deserve to have that kind of power! If he is weak, then he's worthless to us!"

"He's a Chaos being! For that reason, I can't kill him! Not until I find the other four and ensure he isn't part of our ranks!"

Shadow put his head into his hands, sighing. Tails stood staring at him in disbelief, unable to except that the rotten bastard was going to be allowed to live. Jake was beginning to understand why Shadow was so angry, but his lack of knowledge was become more and more obvious. He glanced down at his little sister who was hiding behind his legs. He needed to know more about what was happening in the world around him if he was going to protect her.

"Shadow, tell me about the fox," he said. For a minute, Jake worried Shadow wasn't going to answer him as the dark hedgehog stared at the ash in silence.

"Poison," Shadow whispered at last. "His voice, his words, his eyes- they're like poison. It's like he was something seeping into your soul and corrupting your mind. Even his troops own troops suffer from his poison."

"He has some sort of hold on them," Shadow said, answering the questions behind his audience's eyes. "They don't seem to notice, and it wasn't apparent to me at first. But every one of those soldiers seemed to bend under an unseen will. A will I am almost certain belongs to Heath."

"That's his name? Heath?" Tails asked. Shadow nodded and he immediately burned the name and the matching face into his mind.

"What are his goals? What did he want with you?" Sledge said.

"What every person wants when they grasp that kind of power- everything. He wants to take over this planet, and he needs-or rather wants my power to do it. The world is filled with weak-willed people that he can bend to do what ever it is he wants, so he really doesn't need me. I suspect, however, he has begun to fear opposition from beings who share a similar power to ours. If I can resist his powers, so too can the others like us."

"What is this 'power' you keep talking about?" Lillian snapped out.

"Powers like my Chaos Control, and evidently mind control. I call those who can use this power willingly Chaos Beings, because we draw our strength from the Chaos Emeralds. Not even I, a creature engineered to be a master of this power, know its limits." A grim smiled stretch across Shadow's face. "Though I'm pretty sure what I strive for is really pushing the boundaries."

"Does he know about…it?" Tails asked.

"No. While telling him the prophecy would be the best way of knowing for sure, I wouldn't want to risk it."

"Me neither," Tails said. He started to bit his thumb, a sign he was thinking logically. "How much did he know about you?"

"He gave an entire speech on my origins and my past on the A.R.K. He didn't bring up Maria or the Professor, which I'm thankful for, because I would have ripped his head off. I have no clue what sort of trouble that might have caused so late in the game."

"There's a prophecy?" Jake said and Shadow nodded. "Tell it to me."

Shadow opened his mouth and let the power nestled within him flow in the form of words. To Jake, the prophecy was oddly poetic, despite it foretelling the end of everything. All around him though, the Desert Pirates stared in growing confusion. To their ears, Shadow was speaking in gibberish. The words jumbled together in their heads to from gobble-e-gook, and even Shadow's voice was warped into a low, rasping voice. Tails studied their clouded expressions carefully as he listened again to Shadow's tale.

"What the hell was that?" Sledge rumbled, slightly disoriented, once Shadow finished speaking.

"Something you obviously aren't meant to hear," Shadow said. "I'm wondering though, what effect did trying to listen have on you?"

"You reduced my brain to static-charged fuzz," he mumbled darkly. "What was the prophecy about?"

"The end of the world as we know it," Jake whispered.


Shadow: Heh. Heh he he. Gobble-e-gook. What a fun word...

Trinity: You have issues.

Tails: And they all have their roots in you, oh great Authoress.

Trinity: Why thank you!

Jake: (giving Annabel a tight hug) Finally! I have my sister back!

Annabel: (gasps) You're chocking me!

Trinity: Hold up the sign! I don't care if you suffacte, hold up the damn sign!

Annabel: (holds up the sign that reads: REVIEW PLZ) gasp...help...me...