WARNING!: Yep, that's right guys, I'm stopping you again, and for a good reason. As I explained in the beginning of Chapter 5, I killed the characters' personalities, and this is the absolute worst part here, absolutely no lies. I'm telling you, the first half of this is just a bunch of puke, and to spare you from that again, if you scroll down to the spot where I've written: STOP!! that's where you can continue to read, which isn't so bad, to be honest. Thanks for your time again.

Darkness enveloped them. They fell through it for what seemed like forever, when the ground suddenly reappeared to them. A dampened thud sounded when they hit it, followed by a few exclamations of pain. Compared to what they could have experienced, they gratefully welcomed this. They had narrowly escaped certain doom at the expense of their savior, who lay motionless on the ground, clutching the white gem that helped spare them,

One of them, Amy, had gotten up first, and took a quick look at her surroundings. She was at a beach; there was sand beneath her feet and a vast black ocean stretching beyond. Opposite of it was an ongoing forest, possibly the one she had been in. The sun had set; the only light provided was that of the crescent moon above and hundreds of diamond-like stars in the sky. However, it was enough to allow her to see the six others surrounding her, most of who were beginning to stand- all but one. When Amy looked at him, she became extremely worried and terrified.

"Sonic!!" she cried, running to where his figure laid. She knelt down by him, and shook hem relentlessly. Then, the other five- Knuckles, Tails, Charmy, Espio, and Vector -encompassed them, a solemn look on their faces.

"Please..." Amy begged, tearful. "Please wake up!" However, Sonic remained unmoving. She soon gave up, thinking her worst fears had been realized. "No!!" she cried, her tears streaming down her face. The others became overcome with grief, and they all bowed their heads, mourning.

*OH SNAP!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!?!?! I know I hate Sonic, but not like THIS!! WHAAAA!!! ...But worry not, Sonic fans! I have a plan! ; )*

"Wait a minute," Espio said. "I've got an idea." (Ok, Espio has a plan.) He knelt down besides Sonic and placed his middle and index fingers on Sonic's wrist, searching for a pulse. Several tense moments passed while he searched. Eventually, a small smile appeared on his face.

"He's alive," Espio concluded. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Really?!" Amy asked excitedly.

"Yes, but barely."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Espio pondered this for a moment, then said,

"I believe so. Everyone, stand back." He pulled out a black object with sparking metallic ends, and aimed it at Sonic's heart.

"What are you doing?!" Amy asked him, panicked.

"This will help save Sonic, trust me." Espio pressed a button on his black device, and a sparking ball of energy shot from the end of it, piercing Sonic's heart. Instantly, Sonic sprang up into the air, landing unsteadily on his feet.

"Whoa..." he said, dazed. "What the heck just happened?" Amy ran up to him, hugging him tightly.

"You're alright! You're alright!!" she kept saying in an excited tone. Sonic tried to push her away, but she wouldn't budge.

"Amy, please, just give me a minute." Slowly, she let go of him and stepped back a few feet. Sonic looked around him, seeing the beach setting he was in, and the six others staring at him with worried expressions. He regarded each of them, but he kept his look on Espio; namely at what was in his hands.

"Is that-- a tazer?!" he asked him. Espio nodded. "But, why?!"

"I had to, if you were to be saved," he said. "You're welcome."

"Save me?! Why would I need to be-" his eyes widened when a remembrance came to him. "Is everyone alright?!" He began to look frantically among them. Amy walked up to him them, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We're fine, Sonic, thanks to you. Please calm down." Sonic looked at her and took in a deep breath.

"Sorry, guys," he said to all of them. "I just remembered being in that forest with Shadow, and he was gonna…"

"Don't worry; it's fine!" Tails reassured him. "We're just glad you're alright."

"Yeah… To be honest, I didn't know if I could pull that off. I had to try, though and fortunately it seems to have worked." He then looked at Espio, Vector, and Charmy, and handed them the Emerald, much to their surprise. "Here."

"Why're you givin' it to us?" Vector asked.

"Consider it payback. You guys saved my life, and I repay my debts." He insisted for them to take the Emerald, which they reluctantly did. "But..." Charmy started. "You guys really need it more than us. Those two guys're really strong, and from the way they acted, they'll be after you again, so keep it." He handed it back to Sonic. Everyone looked at him with shocked faces; he never took control like this. "What?" he asked, uncomfortable with the six pairs of eyes staring at him.

"For once, Charmy, you may have a point," Vector told him. Charmy gave him an offended glare.

"For once?! For once?! What do you mean, 'for once'?!" He flew in to attack Vector, but Espio held him back.

"Stop it! Fighting isn't going to solve anything!" Espio shouted to him. After a moment of struggling, Charmy gave in.

"Guys, I can't accept this," Sonic said to them.

"Well, neither can we," Charmy argued.

"Sure you can! Just take it!"

"But you guys need it more!"

"Oh, for crying out loud…" Knuckles muttered under his breath. He walked up to them and grabbed the Emerald from Sonic's hands. "If neither of you are gonna take it, I will!"

"Fine then, as long as you guys have it!" Charmy said. "Let's go, guys." However, Espio and Vector stared at him with slightly disbelieving looks.

"What?" he asked them. They said nothing; rather, they shook their heads and joined up with Charmy to leave.

"Well, see ya guys and thanks again," Vector said, and the three of them ran off into the forest.

"Glad that's over," Knuckles said, exasperated. "Now, where were we before all this started?"

"Right about here," Sonic said in a sadder tone. He walked up to Amy and gave her a quick, yet affectionate kiss on her injured cheek, surprising everyone. Sonic then held that cheek in his hand and gazed upon it with deep regret.

"I'm so sorry for this, Amy," he said to her. "I promise you I'll never let it happen again." He closed his eyes, then finished, "And this way, I never will." He released Amy from his grasp and began to walk towards the foliage, leaving the other three completely distraught.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked.

"It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean?"

"That I was serious when I said what I did earlier. As much as I hate it, I have to leave you guys. For your own good."

"Sonic, you can't honestly still think that! You just saved our lives!" Sonic didn't respond, but began to walk faster. Amy, Tails, and Knuckles ran to keep up with him.

"Sonic!" Amy kept calling him. "There's gotta be some other reason why you won't stay with us! Please, just tell us!" Eventually, Sonic gave in to her pleas. He suddenly stopped and whipped around to confront them.

"You wanna know why?" he asked. His voice was strained, and his eyes were tearful. "Everyday, I'm gonna have to live with what I've done to you- do you have any idea how hard that is? But without you, I can at least try to forget about it. With you, forgetting's impossible, 'cause the evidence is staring at me, a constant reminder. I can't deal with that; it's just… too painful. So please understand why I'm doing this. It's for my own selfish reasons, and I'm sorry it has to be this way." He ran deeper into the forest, abandoning the other three, who looked after him with misery on their faces.

Sonic sped through the forest, allowing his tears to freely all down his face. He didn't want to leave them; it was the last thing he wanted, but staying with them would tear him apart even faster, having to face his guilt day in and day out, so this was the lesser of two evils for him.

After a while, Sonic encountered a clearing, which surprised him, because there had not been one there before. He stopped at the edge of the opening and was surprised to find that he was not alone. The moon provided enough light to reveal that the other figure was shaped much like he was; nearly an exact copy. He was as black as the night sky; the only variation was the crimson streaks in his quills.

Shadow! Sonic thought. His initial reaction was to attack him, but he found himself strangely stymied. He kept wondering why he couldn't finish him, but as he looked at him, he came to a conclusion- there was nothing more that he could do that would make Shadow any worse than he was. Shadow was kneeling on the ground, but what struck him most was the look on his face. His head was bowed and his eyes were closed, but they had a troubled air about them, genuine misery. Sonic never imagined that he would fine Shadow like this; maybe that was why he was so astonished. It was the first time he had seen Shadow truly vulnerable.

"Sonic!" a voice called from behind him. Shadow's eyes snapped open then, piercing Sonic like a dagger. Sonic ignored the voice, unable to avert from Shadow's glare. Those red eyes held despair at first, changing to shock, then finally settling into a mix of anger and embarrassment. He stood up and dashed out of the clearing, but not before Sonic noticed what Shadow was hoping he wouldn't- that his irises were not the only part of his eyes that were red. Soon afterwards, Tails caught up to Sonic, followed by Knuckles and Amy.

"I'm glad… we found you…" Tails said, breathing heavy. "We need… to talk."

"We've talked all we need to," Sonic said.

"No Sonic, you were the only one who talked. Now it's your turn to listen," Amy told him. "We think there's a way we can work this out."

"Amy, there's no-"

"Quiet a minute! Let us explain. We're willing to compromise. You say you need to stay away from us, right? Well, how about putting a time limit on it? Maybe two or three days…"

"A week. Give me a week, then we'll go from there. Starting now." Sonic flew past them, running deeper into the forest.

"See you in a week then," Amy said softly, and the three of them walked into another part of the woods.

STOP!!: Alright, here's the part where I mentioned where you could read. And so you're not confused I'll give you another quick recap: Sonic managed to warp everyone back to the beach that I mentioned in Chapter 5, but he was all unconcious. Everyone was kinda upset, but Sonic was revived (by a method too stupid to mention). To make it short, Sonic took the Emerald after arguing with Team Chaotix for a bit, then he ran off. After a bit, Sonic found Shadow, who was all upset about what happened at the end of Chapter 5, but he soon ran off. Then Tails, Amy, and Knuckles caught up with Sonic and tried to convince Sonic to come with them, but he's all convinced that he shouldn't be around them due to what happened in Chapter 4. But, finally agrees to stay with them, but only after a week. Then he ran off again, and that's where the story picks up. Read on!

Shadow ran aimlessly through the forest, his mind filled with a fury that suppressed the true feelings of agony his shattered heart now contained. All the while, numerous questions resonated through his head- what was wrong with him? Why on earth were these emotions plaguing him? This had never happened to him before. Then again, neither did anything in these past three days. He had started out just as normally as he always had, and now he was thinking of Rouge as… something more than just his "partner in crime".

He paused for a moment, overwhelmed by his next thought- it could never happen. Not now. He had ruined any chance of it even becoming a possibility. It doesn't matter anyways; Rouge could be anywhere by now, and probably gone forever…

Shadow then went to a nearby tree and leaned his back against it, using his hand to support his head. He closed his eyes in defeat, having lost the battle with his heart's emotions. They affected every part of his body, and left his mind thinking about the past three days, wandering as far back as when he was at that dock.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, having come up with an idea. He had always gone to that dock when he needed to think; maybe Rouge did too. It was a longshot and a crazy idea, but it was an idea so crazy that it just might be right. Shadow began to run through the forest again with a newfound determination; maybe he had a chance to see her one last time.

*Aww! How… bittersweet! Sure, Shadow's upset, but he cares!! Double aww!! And now we're getting somewhere! I promise, this next part is what you've been waiting for, so please continue on. : )*

**One hour later…**

Shadow skated non-stop through the various terrain until he finally reached the edge of that familiar jungle, and the dock lay just fifty feet beyond. He stopped then, preparing himself for whatever it was that could face him on the other side. He took in a deep breath, then broke through the remaining foliage. Once through, a huge wave of relief washed over him, because he had been right.

Rouge was there; her back was faced towards him, but she seemed to be looking out over the black ocean. Cautiously, Shadow walked toward her, stopping when he reached where the dock began.

"Stay away from me Shadow," Rouge said flatly, somehow aware of his presence.

"Please, just listen to me. I'll leave you forever afterwards, if that's what you want."

"…I don't trust you enough to believe you." Shadow's heart sank slightly at this, but nonetheless he pressed on.

"Then I'll try to convince you," he said. He walked up to her, turned her around, kept two firm hands on her shoulders to keep himself at arm's length, and looked into her shocked blue eyes.

"Rouge, if you listen to what I have to say, I swear to you that you will never see me again, if you want that." Rouge didn't answer at first; she was too caught up in Shadow's expression. It was a nearly indecipherable look, but she could see the genuine honesty that resided in his eyes.

"Fine," she said. "What is it?" Shadow breathed a sigh of relief, and then began to explain.

"First, I want to say that I'm not here to ask you to forgive me; you have every right to hate me and want to avoid me. I understand that. But I am here because they way I acted when you left wasn't right, and I want you to know I didn't mean any of what I said. Also, I feel you deserve an apology, and a better departure than what I gave you. So goodbye Rouge, and I'm sorry."

He let go of her then and walked back into the foliage, leaving her completely stunned. During these mere five minutes, any opinion she had of Shadow was entirely reversed. He changed right before her eyes, from someone who constantly unnerved her to someone more… approachable. Maybe she could convince him to keep this side; then maybe she wouldn't have to force herself to avoid him. With this thought, she took off into the jungle after him, hoping she wasn't too late.

*Wow…! Major spark-flying here!! Shadow was soooo honest! And Rouge was convinced!! Will I make it last? Maybe… : )*

Shadow traversed through the thick jungle, unaware that he was being followed. He was distracted by the emotion he was feeling- a strange, calm sensation. At first it puzzled him, but he soon concluded that it was from the closure he had obtained. He now knew that he and Rouge were destined to be apart, and even though this pained him, it gave him a kind of serenity, knowing that something in his life was given an end. Soon, he arrived in that well-known clearing, and pressed in the center of the purple flower to proceed inside Eggman's base.

A minute later, Shadow was deposited into the cold metallic hallways. He walked through them until he reached the two iron doors; he figured he should at least try to find out his purpose; that's why he had gotten mixed up in all of this. He was about to open the doors, but hesitated when he heard voices on the other side. Shadow placed his ear against it and began to listen in.

"Now I assume you three have been successful in you mission?" a distorted voice asked. Silence followed. "No? Well, why not?" Again, silence. "Answer me!"

"Well…" another voice began. "We did have the Emerald, but Charmy here gave it back."

"What?!" the first voice snapped. "How could you?! I give you one task, and-"

"Wait a minute!" a third, high-pitched voice cut in. "Yeah, I did give it back, but I do have this." There was a pause, then the second voice said,

"Where did you get that?!"

"None of your business! It's not my fault you don't pay attention!"

"Silence!!" the distorted voice interjected. "I'm not paying you to argue! Now place that Emerald on my desk and leave me."

It was quiet then. Shadow soon heard footsteps come towards the door; he stepped away from it and hid himself within the shadows. The doors opened then, and three came out- Charmy, Espio, and Vector. They walked past Shadow without noticing him and continued to proceed down the hall. Once they turned a corner, Shadow burst into the room, furious. He ran up to Eggman, who sat in his chair admiring the green Emerald in his hand, and grabbed him by his collar, burning his enraged eyes into Eggman's.

"Shadow, I-" Eggman started.

"Save it!" Shadow shouted back at him. "Why the hell were they here?! You think I need help getting those damn Emeralds?! I don't think so!! And let me tell you something: I have half a mind to kill you right here and now, but you have something I want and I have to keep you alive to get it. So remember this- never double-cross me like this again, or I swear I'll murder you without a second thought." He let go of him and stormed out of the room. Shadow kept his fury all throughout his journey to the room. He slammed open the door and when he looked inside, his anger vanished, being replaced by pure shock with what he saw.

"It's… you…!" he breathed.

*And here we stop! Again I leave you hanging! Ha! But I do have something to say: Shadow has quite the way with words… Wow. That's all for now guys, and see you in Part 7!*