Disclaimer: Shadow the Hedgehog and all related characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog games, shows, movies and etc. belong to Sega, the Sonic Team and all other affiliates.

Note to all readers: The horizontal line in-between paragraphs indicate a period of time that has passed. Just so you know, so you don't get confused. :)

ALSO! This chapter is kind of short but I needed to prep you for Chapter 5. Don't worry, it gets better!

Chapter 4

"Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit!" screamed Shadow and he struck the ground with his fist with each word. "Shadow you're so stupid!"

"Shadow, Shadow! What happened? Talk to me!" yelled Sonic over the comlink. Shadow paused and pressed the button to reply.

"We have a huge problem." Shadow answered. "I ran into a shapeshifter. Our friends are in trouble. I can't explain it, but you need to come to Amy's house and we need to talk about this."

"Of course, Shadow. Right away! I'll be there soon!"

"Good. Later." Shadow replied. Still on the ground, he sat up to kneel on his knees and he stared into the sky. The long strip of bright sunshine that appeared through the break in the clouds was gone. Shadow felt his anger flow through his veins and his blood boiled as the clouds came back together. His fur damp and shoes wet he walked into the cottage and sat on the couch in the middle room. He closed his eyes and thought about what he needed to do.

"Why does this happen to me?" he asked himself. "How pathetic am I? The ultimate life form in distress because his friends are missing and he is responsible for saving their lives?" He opened his eyes and eyed the lifeless plant in front of him. The once green leaves were now brown and wilted. Shadow got up and walked over to the plant. He grasped the leaves in his hand, squeezed them and let the broken pieces fall onto the floor. He bowed his head and his straight face went into a frown. "Why do I care so much about Amy Rose? My weakness? This monster must know more about me than I do. But I mean..come on..my weakness? It can't be. I'm not like this." Suddenly, Sonic showed up with a screeching halt.

"Told ya I'd be here right away!" he said happily. "Now explain what happened."

"Ok, you might want to like..chill..and sit down." Both of the hedgehogs sat on the big fluffy couch and Shadow began to descibe his encounter with the shapeshifter. He explained everything that the creature did to him, everything that it said and everything that he saw after it left. He even told Sonic about how the shapeshifter went into his mind and found his feelings, his emotions and everything that he had remembered.

"It was like I was in the past again." Shadow said. "As it stretched into my mind it made me relive everything that had happened to me and I wasn't strong enough to challenge it. It drained my body of all my energy. But when it left I felt myself again." Sonic's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Wow, Shadow. I can't believe this!" Sonic exclaimed. "We need to find everyone soon! Did this monster say where she took them? Give any clues?" Shadow looked down at the floor.

"The only thing that she said was that I already knew and that it was my choice." Sonic looked confused.

"Huh?"

"I already know where to find them." Shadow said. "It's whether or not I choose to go."

"Well if you have taken the time to tell me exactly what happened then I think you're going to go."

"Sonic, don't push me."

"Shadow, are you serious? You just opened yourself to me about your feelings and now you aren't going to help?"

"I never said I wasn't going to help." said Shadow angrily.

"You just told me that the shapeshifter said that Amy was your weakness. You know what that means, Shadow." Sonic eyed Shadow. Shadow just stared at Sonic.

"I don't care about Amy Rose or anyone else for that matter." Shadow said defensively.

"Whatever!" Sonic yelled. The blue hedgehog stood up and got into Shadow's face. "Stop this act, Shadow! I know who you are. You say you want to be alone but I know that you know that you are happy when you're with the team..and you LIKE IT!" Shadow stood up and boomed back at Sonic.

"An act, is it!? You should be appreciative of me! If it wasn't for me on more than one occasion you and everyone else would probably be dead right now!"

"Oh, yeah? Well you say that as if you were driven to do it! Tell me, why did you help us on this 'more than one occasion'?"

"Oh my gosh..just shut up!"

"Admit it!" Sonic yelled while waving his fists in the air. "You wanted to help us, and you care about us! And you care about Amy too!"

"Fine! You want a fucking answer? Yes! I fucking give a damn! I stay away from you guys so that I don't cause problems! It seems like every time I come around something bad happens. I wanted the team to be problem free, ok?" Shadow gasped for a breath and he fell onto the couch.

"Why is it so hard for you to admit that you care, Shadow?" Sonic asked innocently.

"Because I don't want to care." Sonic had a sad look in his eyes and he sat on the opposite end of the couch. Shadow twirled his fingers in circles. Sonic turned to Shadow and spoke to him with a soft voice.

"If you care as much about everyone as you say..including Amy..then we need to work together. This creature isn't one to mess with. It has strange powers that we've never seen and I know you won't take what it did to you." Shadow looked up at Sonic. His look was calm and his face was relaxed.

"I agree." Shadow said as he nodded. "Sonic, I know Amy has chased you around forever..but there's just something about her..and I'm intending to find out what."

"It's ok, Shadow." said Sonic. "I'm ok with that." He smiled and Shadow had a sad look in his eyes.

"Then let's go help her. Let's go help our friends." Shadow surrendered. Sonic nodded.

"So where do we go, pal?" Sonic asked as Shadow looked surprisingly at him.

"We're going to head East. I have..a feeling." Shadow smirked. Together the hedgehogs stood and walked outside to the front yard of the light green cottage. Shadow peered over at his motorcycle, then at his feet. "This is no place my bike can go." He walked over to his vehicle and grabbed the handle bars, pulling it around to the back of the house. As he sauntered back to Sonic he noticed that night had almost taken the sky again. The clouds had cleared and the bright, white moon shone its light on the ground. Many stars were in the sky aiding the moon.

"Ready? It's a long way." Shadow said.

"Let's go." Sonic answered as he stepped next to Shadow. Shadow acknowledged that it was his part to lead the way and with one step the two hedgehogs raced East, leaving behind them a trail of red and blue light.

Night was still upon them while both Sonic and Shadow darted through cities, sped through swamps and dashed through forests. Eventually, a few hours later, they reached a barren desert when Shadow suddenly stopped because of a sharp pain in his head. He put his head in his hands and when the pain subsided he motioned to Sonic to come to him.

"There's something here." Shadow said. "I feel it." They began walking around and halted when a grumbling noise was heard.

"That's not your stomach, is it Shadow?" asked Sonic nervously.

"I don't think so." Shadow quivered. They took a few more steps forward when all of a sudden the sandy ground beneath their feet started to split apart. The brown sand fell like a waterfall into the dark abyss and the moving plates separated the hedgehogs. They made their way towards the edges of the plates and looked at each other. With a slight nod and a quick laugh both of them jumped into the black pit, leaving the stars, the moon and the sky behind.

They fell and fell until finally both of them landed feet first on a silver platform. It was dark all around them and the way they came in had shut. The only way to go was forward.

"You alright?" Shadow asked Sonic.

"Yeah, you?"

"Great." Shadow placed his foot in front of him. Nothing happened.

"Be careful. We have no idea what could happen." Sonic mentioned. Shadow took another step forward and an unsuspected light lit up the unknowing place. One by one many pairs of lights illuminated a black hallway in front of them. With Sonic behind Shadow they advanced through the hallway and when at the other end they were faced with three more hallways.

"Which one?" questioned Sonic. Shadow kneeled on the ground and closed his eyes. He put his hands on the ground and simply listened. "Come on, Amy. Tell me where you are." They sat there for a few minutes until finally a voice awakened the silence in Shadow's mind.

"So you are happy to see me.." said Amy's joyful voice. Shadow smiled and rose as he turned to the hallway on his right.

"It's this way." Shadow asserted.

"Are you sure?" Sonic asked.

"More than sure." Shadow walked into the hallway and with each step a new light animated in front of him. The path wound left and right with no intention of ending. With hope Sonic and Shadow kept on going.

"Shadow are you sure this was the way to go?"

"Trust in me, Sonic." Shadow said demandingly.

"Alright." It was about 8 minutes until they finally reached a door. It seemed impossible to open. Both of the hedgehogs searched for means to open it but failed. There was no panel, no keyhole, no sign of opening it.

"No!" shouted Shadow. "I chose the right way! Amy is on the other side!" He punched at the door fiercely with both fists while Sonic tried to calm him down.

"Shadow, stop! You need to calm down." Sonic reassured him. "We'll find a way in."

"Amy! I'm coming!" Shadow yelled. Suddenly a large door dropped from the ceiling, preventing them from leaving. Shadow and Sonic stopped moving and faced back to back, turning in circles.

"Uh oh.." said Sonic.

"What!?" Shadow asked. Sonic pointed at the wall and a small panel slid open from the ceiling. A red smoke started to fill the small space.

"Don't worry we'll get-" Both Shadow and Sonic fell to the floor as the gas filled their lungs. "No.." Soon both of them were unconscious.

Shadow awoke and slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and he coulnd't make out much.

"Sonic.." he mumbled. His head thumped with pain as he tried to sit up. He opened his eyes wider as he became more able to see. Grabbing his head once again he stood up and squinted as the bright lights of the room he was in shone brightly. Shadow turned his head around to observe the room. The edges of the floor seemed to go on forever and end in a burning wall of white light. Around him was a variety of top notch machinery, all of them beeping and droning to life.

Shadow's pain slowly seceded and he began to walk around the room. There was no sign of Sonic or a way out. To his left he noticed a small, neon tank. Inquisitively he made his way over to the tank and observed that inside was the one and only Amy Rose. She floated in the tank with her arms laying limply next to her and her body moved up and down slowly with the current of the fluid inside.