It was as pleasant a day as any in the city of Westopolis. A favored living area for the Overlanders of Mobius. Clean safe streets, good schools, and all businesses large scale or family owned, just continuing to thrive. On this particular afternoon the slowly descending sun left reflections off the large constructions, bathing the city in a breathtaking orange-golden glow. On top of that, the inhabitants of this town as well as the rest of the world were positively ecstatic over the long awaited return of the Black Comet. A astronomical mass capable of unsurpassed beauty just cruising the galaxy. Only a few days away, the entire planet was experience happiness, Overlander and Mobians alike. Not ones thoughts were focused on anything but happy feelings...save one.
Standing on a hill where one could get a remarkable of the currently beautifully lighten Westopolis, stood a hedgehog. At first glance, anyone would just identify him as a Mobian just like the others. For the very few who knew, he would be identified as the one and only Shadow the Hedgehog, a heroic being who was thought to have given his life for the sake of Mobius. However there was much more to this hedgehog than anyone had ever realized. Or at least, he thinks so.
The lonesome Hedgehog himself wasn't even sure himself, for a reason he could not deduce, his entire life beyond the span of a month(time spent in the company of who he has come to know as his teammates) has disappeared from his mind. This was something people would diagnose as total Amnesia, and it is said that very few people ever recover what is lost from their minds, and for those who do it takes time. This made the Hedgehog(black as midnight save for the blood red streaks in his color scheme) rather uneasy.
Shadow had spent his 30 days of consciousness trying to remember something in his lifetime, and to no avail. One of the people he had traveled with at that time seemed to have a clue as to what he was searching for, however something had kept him from asking. In retrospect, it didn't seem like the smartest thing he's ever done, of course he cant remember everything he has ever done.
'Shadow the Hedgehog' he muttered in his head. 'Why does that name haunt me so? Im not even sure if that name is my own. Its the only thing I can remember...along with that image. Of all things to have been remembered why that gruesome image?' with that thought, said memory began to play once again in his head. Running through a seemingly endless metal hallway, the windows on his left seemed to show nothing but black, then again he was moving pretty fast, whatever is out there is most likely a blur. Looking back he sees, gripping his hand for dear life, a beautiful young girl of Overlander origin. They are running together, when they finally stop they hear other footsteps stop nearby them they look back to see men in uniforms. At this point the black hedgehogs memory becomes fuzzy. Seeing only the girl for a second, tears flowing freely down her gorgeous face before a gun shot is heard and everything becomes red, red as blood, then as its always has, the memory ends with a voice he can only identify as his own screaming. "MARIA!!!"
The Hedgehog opens his eyes riding the thought from his mind, the absence of any other memory causing him almost as much internal conflict as this particular memory itself. 'Who am I? Why cant I remember any thing? And just who is this Maria?' the latter question was a new question in his mind. He had then subconsciously figured that who ever this girl was she could help him.
Suddenly, Shadow had become aware of his surroundings for the first time today upon noting that it was getting dark. However this fact puzzled the hedgehog as sunset wasn't for another three hours. Looking up he saw the oncoming source of darkness was a large mass of swiftly moving clouds. There were two irregularities Shadow could see. One, clouds never normally move this fast, especially since there was hardly any wind. Second and most obvious, rather than the usual grey clouds of this mass usually are these clouds were red and black. This unnatural phenomenon seemed to intrigue the ebony hedgehog. Once these crimson clouds completely encased the sky(changing the once glorious view of Westopolis to a rather dark and melancholy sight) another event rather unnatural event occurred.
It seemed the clouds made an opening upon the center of the Overlander city. From this 'eye of the storm' as it looked most similar to, began to rain...something. Shadow couldn't get a good look at what was falling from the 'eye', the falling masses came in many shapes and sizes. However the Ebony loner was able to determine one thing.
Whatever things were falling from the sky were most certainly alive.
A few moments later Shadow was able to hear explosions and screams emanating from the city of Westopolis. This did not really bother the Hedgehog so much as he seemed to have a natural distaste for these 'humans'. Shadow knew that even though he had no memory, no human was in anyway superior to him, as he was sure they claimed to be. The hedgehog rather than mortified by the bone-chilling screams of terror from the citizens of this city, merely scoffed, curious only of what type of slow agonizing torture these strange beings were delivering the citizens. "Look how pathetic they are." he mused, "I don't have time for these humans". With that, Shadow had turned the other way and began to walk back the way he came and leave the helpless curs to there horrifying but deserving fate. Or at least deserving in Shadow's mind.
"Shadow" upon hearing his name in the wind, said Hedgehog stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned back around to see what he could only imagine was one of the creatures currently wreaking havoc on Westopolis. This creature itself was rather small, resembling the likes of a starfish, except it was floating, had black skin and an eye placed in the center of it's structure. Suddenly, the creatures eye began to glow and it then projected an image of another creature. This one was much larger and resembled what would look like royalty among these abnormal creatures. Shadow However couldn't get a decent description of this one as the projection apparently deluded his appearance.
Once again the creature began to speak. "As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Find the seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me at the promised time." What was just uttered, Confused Shadow to no end. He then took the creatures current silence as a moment to retort. "Who are you? How do you know Im this 'Shadow'? And what are you Talking about?". Rather than give him the answers he desired, The creatures image vanished an the flying starfish made a hasty retreat. Shadow went to stop it from leaving but was then stopped at the sight of explosions before him.
As the dust cleared, the black and red hedgehog was left to ponder once again. This time his thoughts were on a more immediate matter. "What the hell was that all about?" he asked himself. "It seemed like whoever that was knows the truth about who I am. If that's the case then like it or not I have to believe him" Just then the hedgehogs crimson eyes widened at a sudden revelation. "Maybe, those Chaos Emeralds are the key to regaining my past." Confusion now replaced by determination, Shadow set off to search for the gems of legend. His quest began in the nearly raised city before him.