Chapter 3: A Chance Given

"Shadow, what's on your mind?" The Professor asked me as we trotted through a large doorway into one of the few rooms I had never been into. I stopped walking and thought for a moment.

What would be the appropriate answer for that question? Ah yes… EVERYTHING!

Maria had fallen into silence and a dark look crossed her face from the moment we had stepped into the room.

"Why the lights aren't on." I smirked at the witty and slightly smart-alleck comment.

"It wouldn't be that much of a surprise if I just let you walk in here and marvel at it, now would it?"

"The suspense is killing me." I tried in vain to pierce the veil of darkness, no matter how great my night vision was, I couldn't do it. Something was preventing me…

"Maria, would you please hit the lights and let Shadow see." The Professor sighed in pseudo-annoyance.

"Yes, Grandpa." She said weakly. The clip-clap of her heels against the floor echoed around the room, bouncing off of several objects and amplifying the sound considerably. Click. Maria flipped the switch, illuminating the room in florescent light. I was blinded for a split second and I blinked a few times to regain my sight.

When I could finally see as best as I could again, I let my eyes wander around the room. I felt my jaw drop slightly as my vision was immediately directed towards at least twenty glass isolation tanks in the center of the room. Inside of each, floating in the clear liquid was a hedgehog, ages ranging from infants to toddlers, in all sorts of colors.

"Shadow, since you were such a success and since your life in eternity may get a little boring when we all leave you, I've elected to create your younger sibling. He or she will mimic you in your ability to control Chaos, although whether he will have more control or less control than you will depend on which one you choose. He will look somewhat like you and act somewhat like you. Of course, we will slightly vary his strength and speed to give you an advantage. After all, we wouldn't want our Shadow getting beat up by his sibling, would we?" The Professor winked at me.

Maria walked up to me, spine straight, like she had something meaningful to tell me.

"Be careful, Shadow. Choose wisely because this is the one who will always be at your side through thick and thin, over distances large and small, and in the dark and light." Her blue eyes had a fire in them, though her face projected fatigue.

"I will, Maria." I promised. She put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly for a moment, sighed, and then let go of me.

I stepped forward and went to the left side of the line, standing in front of the tube and gazing inside at the being within. I closed my eyes and relaxed, trying to get inside the hedgie's mind. It was simple enough, since it was unconscious. I opened my mind to all thoughts and probed the first one's mind.

Pampered. Explosive anger. This one wouldn't last a second…

"Oh yes, Shadow. If you need any information on any of them, just let me know and I'll tell you about them." The Professor tore me out of my concentrated state, and I considered shooting him a glare, but decided against it.

I returned my focus to the mortal hedgehogs before me. I moved down the line to the next one. Instead of probing their minds, I asked for information from the Professor. I skipped around, not really following any specific order. Every single one I had checked through had a great background, great family, great life. And yet, one kept catching my eye.

A female infant brown and cream-colored hedgehog… what's your story?

I gently reached out and brushed its mind. Surprisingly, it weakly tapped my mind back. Now, my interest was elevated.

"What is it, Shadow?" The Professor asked, noticing my ears prick up and my spine straighten. "Interested?"

I didn't reply; he knew the answer. I cocked my head at the hedgie.

Help… please… A new voice echoed in my head.

Humph, well this is odd…

I realized the voice wasn't directed at me personally, but at the whole world, at all life. Still, I was intrigued by her bravery, since most beings wouldn't dare project their thoughts. I frowned slightly in interest. All beings were born with the knowledge that if thoughts were projected, other beings could impose on this and get inside the mind.

"One of the lost ones." I heard Maria mumble behind me.

What does she mean by that?

"What about this one?" I asked, pointing at the female.

"We found her in one of the government's tent cities. She was the runt of the pack, as you can see." The Professor said with a soft, almost sad tone. She was unusually small, smaller than the other hedgehogs in isolation. "Her mom sold her to us for 500… it broke my heart to see a mother give up her child so easily, but if I had arrived a few seconds later, this little one wouldn't be here right now." I knew the Professor's eyes had that special mischievous sparkle in them behind his glasses. "She was already pretty beaten up. When I walked in, her mom hid a butcher's knife behind her back; it was all too easy to see, and I probably should have called the police on her for attempted murder, but I decided not to attract attention to myself…" The Professor continued to say the facts, but I had heard enough.

She's different, truly like Maria said, "one of the lost ones." I… I wanna give someone who didn't have a chance before that chance to live a real life.

I waited for the Professor to stop talking before making my decision.

"I-I choose… her…" I paused, trying to hold down a sob.

"Okay then, Shadow. She'll begin the transformation into the second Ultimate Lifeform tonight, and by tomorrow morning, you'll have yourself a blood sister." The Professor looked pleased with my choice.

"Grandpa, what about-?" Maria started to ask something.

"Ah, yes. Shadow, she doesn't have a name, since you chose her, we'll give you the honor."

I thought for a moment, looking up at the runt hedgehog that had captured my heart.

"Swift… her name is Swift the Hedgehog." I declared and placed my hand on the tube, near her hand, as if we could touch through glass.

"Good choice, Shadow." Maria whispered as she walked up behind me. I removed my hand from the glass gently and gazed up into her face. "Shadow?"

"Huh?" I tore my crimson-brown eyes from her face and looked up at Maria. "I heard you." I folded my arms across my chest.

"I know you did, but I wanted to ask you something?" She stated blandly.

"What?"

"What do you think she'll be like?" Maria asked, looking up as she did so.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see until tomorrow." I smirked and turned my back to her.

"Well, I hope she's kinda like you." She yelled, making me stop dead in my tracks.

I hope she's kinda like you.