In Due Season

Chapter X

Value is Found and Respect Begins

He froze. He didn't think anyone was in here. Momentarily surprised, Shadow turned to see the purple cat. He scowled as she approached.

"I ask again; what are you doing?" she asked.

He didn't have to answer to anyone, especially her. But, for his pride's sake, he humored her question.

"I'm taking the Chaos Emerald," he stated coldly as he stepped closer to the gem ahead. A wall of fire surged up from the ground, preventing the hedgehog from coming any closer to the stone.

"I don't know why you want the Emerald, and frankly, I don't care. I'm not letting you take it," Blaze said evenly as she closed the distance through the fire, squaring off between him and the Chaos Emerald; eyes still glowing from the recent use of her powers. Once the flames died down, Shadow glared across to the feline standing in his way. He had no doubts about dealing with this setback head-on. Even in his less than stellar condition and her impressive powers, he was still the ultimate life form. She would be no match for him once he got a hold of that Chaos Emerald. He smiled smugly in this knowledge, finding humor in her confused expression.

"Honestly, you think you can stop me, princess?" he mocked. He could tell he struck a nerve as her eyes narrowed and her ears swiped back. There was also the fact her hands were ablaze.

"I will."

As soon as those words left her lips, she thrust one hand forward in an explosion of fire while reaching the other back to free the emerald from its enclosure. Shadow quickly jumped back to avoid the surprise attack and watched as the cat took off in a burst of speed out the door, leaving behind only a fiery trail. The hedgehog tapered his gaze and took off after her; not expecting super speed to be one of the feline's hidden talents. Lucky for him, she wasn't as fast as Sonic, but her use of the landscape as kindling made for a difficult time of keeping up. The chase weaved between trees and boulders, going through streams and brush.

"Chaos Spear!"

A flash of light struck the cliff face just ahead of the feline, causing it to crumble in her path. Blaze's mind raced through options. If she turned now she would have to face her pursuer; advantage his. If she continued forward there was the risk of being crushed. With only seconds to decide, she pushed forward, knowing he was right on her heels . . . that's it! She had a plan. Just as she reached the descending rockslide she hit the brakes, stopping short of the boulders pounding the ground ahead. Her gamble paid off. Shadow, thinking she had the full intent of charging ahead through his minefield, had to skid in order to remain balanced. It only took a second, but that was enough time for Blaze to pick another direction and zip off once more.

The black hedgehog grunted in frustration as he gave chase once more. That chaos move cost him precious energy and he was through playing around. Shadow wanted that Emerald.

He wanted to get back to Alyson.

He wanted to leave this whole situation with Rouge behind.

And that darn cat was ruining everything.

All his earlier frustrations served to fuel an unspeakable rage towards Blaze. He rocketed forward locking on to his target as he maneuvered swiftly around obstacles. In seconds, he overtook her and, with one well-placed kick to the side, sent her flying back several feet.

She tumbled along the ground in a plume of dust and rocks, coughing in pain and distress along the way. She dug her claws into the earth, regaining a sense of control and quickly tumbled back to her feet. Her recovery was only rewarded with another attack as the hedgehog broadsided her, sending the cat back to the ground. The princess' temper flared at the disgraceful treatment. She stood back up.

There was no way she'd let him win.

Seeing him come back for another pass Blaze countered by stepping aside at the last possible moment, grabbing his arms from behind and pivoting him down to slam into the dirt, hard. He slid into a nearby tree with a loud crack while she got into another fighting stance. Shadow rose quickly to one knee giving his adversary a glare. He decided to end this swiftly with a super spin. He lunged forward in a tight rolling ball only to have his buzz saw strategy answered by her twirl infused with fire. He was successfully repelled by the action but not daunted. He tried again and again with different strikes varying from kicks and spins to even a whirlwind attack here and there, trying to catch her off guard.

She met him blow for blow. The battle raged on between them.

Blaze kept a firm grip on the Chaos Emerald and a solid defensive strategy against the hedgehog. She never let him out of her sight and kept him at bay with her pyrokinetic abilities. Shadow, on the other hand, was completely on the offensive with his sights set on the object in her hand. He was stifled in his ability to use Chaos energy but not completely drained. He determined that wearing her out with simple combat moves first and the proverbial big guns later might bring him what he wanted; her defeat.

Within minutes, they had the surrounding area looking like a war zone. Their appearances weren't fairing well either as Shadow had received several burns and Blaze quite a few bruises. They circled each other, one trying to maintain the upper hand while the other sought to take it. Finally, the hedgehog spotted an opportunity when his opponent's step faltered on a tree root.

Using what access he did have to Chaos he disappeared and reappeared right next to the feline. She gasped in shock at his sudden closeness but reacted fast enough. As he struck out a hand to snatch the gem from her, she purposefully fell on to her back and reared up her legs for a kick. Shadow stepped back and avoided the blow, quickly grabbing her outstretched legs. She bit back a yelp as he squeezed tightly on her ankles.

"Give me the Chaos Emerald, now!" he ordered, a scowl etched on his face. Blaze glared up at him.

"Never!" she spat as she rotated her whole body over, including her legs and the dark hedgehog. He let go of her in order to maintain his own balance as she quickly leaped to her feet and delivered a punch to the other's gut. It didn't get the result she expected though as he seemed to absorb the blow well. With icy eyes, he looked up from his doubled-over state at her. She took a step back in concern. Before she could blink, he stood up straight and thrust a hand to her throat. The cat's hands went to his trying to remove it. Her eyes bulged at the sudden pressure to her airway as he lifted her slightly and brought her closer to his face. Panicked yellow eyes stared into livid red ones.

"I will kill you if I have to," he stated darkly. Blaze could tell he meant what he said and it was in that moment she knew exactly who she was dealing with. Her eyes matched his intensity as she rasped out.

"So will I."

She reached over and dug her claws into his arm allowing a rush of heat to flow through them. As he yelled out in irate pain, he threw her down to the earth. She let out a desperate gasp for air as she rubbed the soreness out of her neck while he patted at his burning arm. Both glared at each other in hot wrath.

Shadow, furious she wouldn't break as easily as he wanted her to; as he needed her to, couldn't get past her piercing gaze. Blaze, livid with the fact he was so cold and ruthless; an echo of how she used to be, wouldn't back down from his icy stare. Neither one noticed the Chaos Emerald resting a few yards away; dropped in their last struggle and forgotten as they geared up to face off.

o

He shivered from lack of warmth and shuddered at the fear gripping him. He had awakened in this cruel environment several times before, but for him, a baby hedgehog, it never grew less frightening. The scary men always put him back into this box. For every time they took him out, they brought him back; every single time. Today was no exception. They ran their tests, their experiments and their examinations on him; all of them peculiar. He couldn't understand it, but he did know all of it was painful; very painful. Now, he was back in his glass prison with only the company of other poor creatures there squawking and screeching in their own subjection. The young hedgehog coughed and sniffled a bit as a few tears leaked down his face, knowing he was going to have to comfort himself alone again, but then . . .

Suddenly, there was a soft click.

The door at the end of the hall had opened. Light poured in, sending the other creatures into a frenzy of noise as a shadow was cast down the corridor. Fearing it was his tormentors, the little hedgehog crawled to the furthest corner of his cage, trying desperately to remain quiet though small whimpers were still escaping his throat. Without a word, two figures made their way down to stand right in front of his aquarium. Another shudder of terror rocked his tiny body as one of the silhouettes reached down to him. He began to squirm and wail not wanting to be grabbed by the hand of this stranger. The visitor stopped, retracting their hand quickly.

"No, my poor baby," the figure whispered, a sob catching in their throat. The child recognized the sound instantly and all fear was traded for the urgency of being held by this individual.

"Mama, mama!" he cried desperately stretching up as high as he could. She reached down to his outstretched arms and their embrace was warm and strong, but brief. The other figure, a dark shadowy figure with crimson eyes pulled on her arm.

"We have to leave, now!" it whispered in a harsh tone. The child's mother squeezed the young one all the more not wanting to let go.

"You said you could get us out of here," she pleaded anxiously. The figure let out a low hiss of air, covering their face with one hand and shaking their head.

"Not, now," was their simple reply. The child cried into his mother's fur not wanting to lose touch with her again, but he was placed back into the cold box and she left; gone forever . . .

"Mama!" Sonic cried out as he jolted out of his troubling dream, trembling at the memory of it.

"Um, no. It's me, Espio. Is everything alright?" a voice came from outside the tent. It took a moment for both the chameleon's words and reality to register with the blue hedgehog. Sonic took in a deep breath and let out an anxious sigh as he looked at his still sleeping wife and daughter.

"Are you okay?" Espio asked once again.

"Yeah . . . so, what's up? I'm sure you didn't come for a cup of sugar," Sonic quipped as he crawled out of his sleeping bag and over to unzip the tent flap.

"I think Shadow and Blaze are fighting in the woods."

"Oh, okay . . . wait, what? Shadow and Blaze are fighting? You sure?" Sonic inquired.

"It looked that way to me," Espio stated.

"When did this start? Geez, it's, like, not even dawn yet," Sonic yawned as he stood up and stretched; his dream placed on the back burner. Espio shrugged.

"I don't know. I thought you could tell me. One moment, I'm resting by a nearby tree and the next, Shadow is slamming into the bottom of it . . ."

Crack! Thud!

The pair looked up to see a few trees topple and flashes of light flicker in the distance. Sonic shook his head.

"Let me guess; that's them."

"Yep."

Another series of thundering snaps rattled off followed by a small whimper from inside the tent. Sonic moaned as Kimi began crying. Amy startled awake at the sound of her daughter wailing. Then she became aware of the loud noises.

"What's going on?" she panicked as she grabbed up the baby in a protective fashion, ready to attack if need be.

"It's okay, I think . . . I guess Blaze and Shadow are duking it out," Sonic informed over his child's cries. Amy let out a frustrated breath as she tried to comfort Kimi.

"Why? It's not even dawn yet. "

"That's what I said."

"Well, how did it start?" Amy asked as she rocked Kimi.

"I don't care how it started, I'm gonna finish it before they destroy the whole island or keep her up any longer," Sonic gripped as he took off in the direction of the chaos, Espio following suit. Amy sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to get Kimi back to sleep as long as a battle was raging close by. Besides, she would need to inform the others, if they weren't aware already.

o

Shadow was the first to act, charging at her with the intent of delivering a hook to the side of her head. She blocked it and returned with an uppercut to his stomach. He heaved in pain but went around her and threw a side kick into the small of her back. She fell to the ground, knowing she was in a vulnerable position now. So, to even the playing field, she swept her legs under his feet, sending him to the dirt. Both jumped back up and the feline launched out with a roundhouse kick.

The hedgehog dodged the blow and moved in with a series of high hitting punches. Blaze moved her hands into position for a block, but his fierceness and speed was breaking her hold and upsetting her balance. With a yell of execration, she was able to shove him back with her crossed arms and quickly went into repeated crescent kicks. One made good on the hedgehog's head and the blow landed Shadow dazed on the earth. He looked up to see that she was about to bring an ax kick down on his head. He swiftly grabbed the offending foot before it did any damage and twisted it sharply. Blaze cried out in pain but reacted all the same. She spun her body in the direction of her ankle's rotation, using her speed to propel her like a drill. Shadow's grip was broken and he screamed out at the strike to his chest from her spin.

The battle continued.

The two engaged in this ferocious system of fighting until Shadow used Chaos Blast. He wasn't getting anywhere with his usual attacks and he wanted to beat her, he had to. He had to show himself he could still do this. It wasn't as magnificent a blast due to his instability, but Blaze couldn't get away from the surge of energy due to her weariness. Instead, she used the last bit of her strength to produce a shield of flames. Once all was settled, two pairs of knees dropped to the ground completely exhausted. The hedgehog and cat drew in desperate breaths of fatigue, sweat pouring down both their brows as they shivered in the pain of their injuries. However, they wouldn't admit defeat and their eyes were still locked in an epic battle as they stared the other down.

"They were over here!"

The two opponent's ears shifted in the direction of the voice approaching but neither broke their gaze.

"I can tell. Man, Knuckles is going to be ticked once he finds out what they did to this place," another voice whistled; closer now. This voice was dreadfully acknowledged by each of them for entirely different reasons, but the black hedgehog and purple cat shared the same emotion; embarrassment. They called a temporary truce in the stare down so they could look to a pair of shadows walking up. One of the outlines clearly belonged to Sonic the Hedgehog but the other was a bit more vague to them.

Shadow wanted to stand. Everything within him begged for his weakened limbs to move, but all he got was a shutter of muscles refusing to budge. He didn't want to be found in this state by his blue counterpart nor admit he was put into said state by the lady across from him. Blaze also tried to rise to her feet, but all she managed to do was slide further down to the ground. She was ashamed of her behavior, allowing this unstable hedgehog, whom she only knew for a few hours, to get the better of her temper.

"I just hope there's a good reason for all this."

Shadow finally recognized the second voice as Espio's.

"Good reason or not, I'm sure . . . whoa," Sonic breathed as he reached the beaten pair set amongst a scene of smoldering ruin, "What the heck guys?! When you two fight, you really fight . . . Are you okay?" he asked upon reaching them. The cat could feel her cheeks flush as the hero bent down next to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. However, she also saw Shadow's smug grin.

"Looks like a disaster area," Espio commented as he came to stand behind the group.

"What's this all about anyway?" Sonic questioned as he gave the dark hedgehog a hard glance before turning back to Blaze.

"Ask him. He started all this," she spat angrily.

"Yes, princess. Resort to the childish blame game," Shadow bit back.

"It certainly wasn't a childish princess who put you in your place tonight, now was it?" Blaze mocked. Shadow growled.

"Don't underestimate what I'm capable of."

"And what is that exactly?"

"I could have ended your pathetic life . . . !"

"Oh, so that's what you call a . . . !"

"Hold it!" Sonic shouted. The two quieted but continued to glare at each other.

"You two are really mad."

"You think," both retorted to the blue hedgehog in irritation.

"Hey, I'm not the one out here trying to burn heads up or blow limbs off. I'm just trying to figure out why you find it necessary to wake everyone up doing so."

"I'm sorry, Sonic," Blaze apologized while Shadow snorted.

"So, why were you two fighting?" Espio asked offering to help Shadow up as Sonic did the same for Blaze. The hedgehog and cat reluctantly accepted the support but kept silent as the question lingered in the air. Why had they been fighting?

"I believe this might have had something to do with it," someone stated as they brought the Chaos Emerald into view of the group.

"Hey, Tails," Sonic greeted as he balanced Blaze's weight evenly.

"I heard the commotion and Amy found me. She told me what was going on so I decided to come check it out. I found this not too far away," Tails stated as he pointed back to the trail of destruction. Sonic nodded to the fox's response and then focused his attention back to the matter at hand.

"The Chaos Emerald? Is that what this is about?" Sonic questioned.

"Shadow was trying to take it. I didn't know what his intentions were and he wouldn't tell me so I went ahead and tried to protect it from him," Blaze grunted as her muscles were screaming out in pain. Sonic shot a look to Shadow who only let out an annoyed breath.

"Always the team player," the blue hedgehog stated sarcastically, "Mind telling us what this is all about or is it a mystery, like everything else you seem to do."

"I don't have to tell you anything . . ." Shadow began sharply until Blaze cut him off.

"So, why are you even here? If you're not here to help us then you're against us," she hissed. Shadow shifted his glare to her.

"If I were really against you I would have taken you out a long time ago!" he growled, though the force of his tone was clipped by his agonizing burns. The cat's temper was evident to Sonic as he felt her radiate heat.

"Hey! Let's come back to this later. Right now, we're gonna get you to camp and I have an infant to get back to sleep thanks to you two," Sonic interjected as he began walking, helping the feline along. Shadow's indigent frown didn't escape the hero's attention as they passed.

"I don't think Rouge will be too impressed by your behavior either," Sonic said with a smirk.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Shadow barked out. The dark hedgehog hadn't realized how defensively that came out until he heard the other hedgehog's distant laugh. Shadow pushed Espio's assistance aside as best he could before limping forward, restraining himself from making any sounds of pain. The chameleon shrugged at the fox next to him and followed after them.

Tails looked down to the green Chaos Emerald in his hand and then to the destruction created around him by the two opponents. After a few moments of considerate observation, he turned and chased after the others, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself for now.

o

"Here they come!" Cream shouted as she spotted the group walking up out of the woods. Amy was the first to reach them, followed by Cream and the rest.

"Are you okay? What happened, why were you two fighting?" the pink hedgehog asked as she shifted Kimi to one arm and tried to help Sonic support Blaze. The feline tried to reply but just ended up trying to catch her breath instead. Shadow, who was forced to accept Espio and Tails' help in bearing him up, remained silent.

"As far as I know they were fighting over the Chaos Emerald. I guess Shadow was trying to take it," Sonic interjected. This caught Rouge's attention. She trained her focus on the dark hedgehog who only sneered at her chastising gaze, though he did feel the familiar pinch of guilt.

"Bring 'em both this way. We'll set them up in the workshop, then talk. Cream, Solana could you go get the first aid supplies," Amy directed as Knuckles took over her position of supporting Blaze while she led the way. Shadow immediately began to resist; not wishing to stay any longer.

"Omega, Shadow's injured. Take him to the workshop and make sure he doesn't leave until I say so, no matter what," Rouge stated firmly.

"Affirmative. Shadow, come with me. "

The black hedgehog froze, looking to the white bat and approaching robot in horror. The chameleon and fox by his side both decided to allow Team Dark to handle their less than cooperative member and stepped out of the picture to follow the others.

"You can't do this. Stay away from me. I said stay back!" Shadow demanded as he tried to escape the assault android's grasp. As the hedgehog was scooped up by Omega and carried towards the workshop the government spy smirked at the hedgehog's protests while she came up from behind.

It didn't take long for the two invalids to be settled into some cots and their wounds to be cleaned and dressed, but the heated discussion taking place afterward was approaching its second hour with no resolution in sight. Between Blaze and Shadow's angered voices, Rouge's rant on the dark hedgehog's renigging on a deal, Knuckles and Solana's campaign against said hedgehog's actions and Cream's pleas for peace, Sonic stood, rubbing his temples, frustrated with the racket keeping him and his family awake.

"Enough!" the blue hedgehog thundered, causing a sharp halt to the other voices, "that's better. One at a time, please."

"I say we let him leave. If he no longer wants to stay here then let him go," Solana stated quickly now that her voice could be heard.

"I agree," Knuckles added.

"Maybe it was just a misunderstanding . . ." Cream began.

"There isn't a misunderstanding, Cream. Wake up! He tried to steal the only emerald we have for crying out loud!" the echidna exasperated.

"Check yourself, Knuckles. Cream's been trying to get you guys to shut up long enough to listen and think about what you're saying," Amy growled from her position just outside the workshop doors. She still had a very upset baby in her arms.

"Well, how are we suppose to think with all this insanity going on," Knuckles snarled back, igniting a flare of Sonic's temper. Before the hedgehog could give the echidna a piece of his mind, Rouge interjected.

"Calm down, Knucky. It's not the end of the world . . ."

"You calm down!" he retaliated.

"Hey!" the white bat snapped reflexively.

"I can't be the only one concerned about this! Eggman's getting even crazier, we got killer robots tearing up all these cities and towns. Tails can't figure out a plan yet and we were this close to all seven Chaos Emeralds and didn't even know it! Then when we do get one back, he's trying to take it for himself!" the guardian exclaimed, desperation clearly the driving factor.

All was quiet except for Kimi's cries. The black hedgehog was the most affected by the statements, though his outward appearance gave away nothing. He absorbed more insight from Knuckles' declaration than anything up till then. Was it really worth it to take the Chaos Emerald?

"I do have a plan," Tails spoke up for the first time. They all turned in the fox's direction.

"You do?" Knuckles asked lightly.

"Yes," Tails stated simply as he watched a wave of reprieve fill the room.

"See guys, we're all freaking out and Tails is already ahead of the game. I knew you could do it, buddy," Sonic said with a faithful smile. Tails beamed back, at first, but soon frowned. The hedgehog furrowed his brow in concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I do have a plan, but it involves a lot of components that need to happen simultaneously; Eggman's defenses won't allow for anything less. I had worked out a system of teams to do each task, but in light of all this I don't know how effective it'll be . . ."

"See, this is his entire fault. You should be ashamed," Solana grumbled as she pointed to Shadow who merely turned away. Rouge bristled at the comment and responded swiftly.

"Look, Shadow may be out of line here, but he's helped out a heck of a lot more times then you have."

"Yes, but for what purposes. I do not trust you, him or that robot you brought," Solana spat.

"We don't have to put up with any of this . . ." Rouge began.

"And we shouldn't have to put up with yo . . .

"Listen, we've all had to put up with a lot of things over the years!" Sonic interjected as the whole room turned to him, "But fighting each other isn't going to help us get any closer to fixing this. Look, sometimes we don't know where the other's coming from . . ." Sonic ebbed as he looked to Shadow who still had his head down, "And tensions can run a little higher than they need to. But, if there's one thing I've been able to count on my whole life, it's everyone in here choosing to do the right thing when it counts. It's never failed me before," he paused. The group seemed to take his words to heart, thinking about their actions and intentions.

"Besides, if we're really going to have a good old throw down I want to be able to sell tickets first," Sonic quipped as he sent a thumbs up in their direction. There was a brief moment of laughter with silent apologies to follow.

"Maybe we should discuss this more once we all have gotten a little more sleep . . ." Tails stated, interrupted by his own yawn.

"I second that," Espio stated as he was the first to make his way out. While the heroes began filing out of the workshop, conversing amongst themselves and putting lights out, two sets of eyes looked at each other than to the emptying room.

"What about . . . us?!" Shadow and Blaze called out lamely as they realized no one was paying any attention. They both sat in silence, facing the now closed door and listening to the voices growing softer and distant. Neither broke the quiet as they were uncertain of how to approach the situation. Mere hours ago they had been out trying to kill each other and now they were side by side in a temporary medical bay setup. Both their tempers had cooled off enough to allow such close proximity to each other, but still.

Shadow was sour towards Blaze and even though her interference had made him second guess his taking of the Chaos Emerald in the first place, he would have preferred it if she hadn't of gotten in his way. It made things more difficult then they needed to be. Not only that but she had actually sidetracked him. She had dropped the Emerald and instead of grabbing and going, he stayed and continued to fight.

He stole a glance towards her, calling to mind her fierceness and determination in both her battle against him and Eggman's robots. The feline didn't bluff or make idle threats, she did what she saw as right and, for that, he could not fault her. Maybe it's why he fought so hard; to prove himself. Still, he wanted nothing more than to just leave the island, maybe take Rouge up on her offer to fly him down in the morning.

For her part, Blaze didn't know exactly how she should feel. Here was a hedgehog who had tried to steal a Chaos Emerald and everyone seemed to forgive him even though he never apologized or explained himself. Was he really there to help or not? She looked over at him, shaken when she saw his downcast features and troubled expression. He reminded her of herself a long time ago; reserved, stubborn and cold. She recalled her conversation with Cream yesterday. Shadow had found the Chaos Emerald first, according to the others. She hadn't considered that fact when attacking him. She looked away to the case holding both the Sol and Chaos Emerald once again. Her outlook on things had changed for the better once she met Cream and Sonic, but her temper still needed some more work.

"Shadow?"

The dark hedgehog looked up at the mention of his name. Blaze continued.

"I don't know why you would take the Emerald back after you gave it to us, but if they trust you, then so do I. Truce?"

Shadow considered her words. Even if he didn't like her he could respect her. He decided that an understanding associate was better than a fearsome opponent. He nodded to her offer.

"I think we should get some rest if we want to be of any use later," the hedgehog voiced as he turned away from her and laid back.

"Agreed," Blaze replied as she did the same. Neither expected to actually go to sleep, not when they had a decent fear of what the other might do, but in a matter of minutes, they were out.

o

Alyson paced back and forth in her kitchen, neglecting the cup of coffee that had grown cold hours ago on the counter. She was waiting for Shadow to come back or, at least, call her. He had gotten in contact with her around midnight saying he would be on his way once he finished some business. She had collapsed in a chair and dozed off shortly after the call, waking up hours later only to find her hedgehog companion still hadn't arrived. Now, it was nearing six o'clock and she was nervous. What if something happened to him?

She stopped pacing and looked out of her dining room window to the winter scene outside. She had been deliberating for the past hour whether or not she should go to Kingsbury and see if everything was alright. She knew the dark hedgehog was well equipped to take care of himself and he wasn't too keen on being checked up on, but even though he wasn't always accommodating, he never failed in letting her know what was going on. It had been six hours since his last call. He had to be in some kind of trouble.

Without any further hesitation, Alyson grabbed her keys from the table and retrieved her spare gun from its hiding place in the china hutch. As she climbed into her car and started it up, she failed to see a white van parked just up the street with its lights off. She pulled out of her snow laden driveway and made for the main road that would take her to Kingsbury; the van following at a distance.

Normally, she would have noticed such suspicious activity, but her mind was preoccupied. Her thoughts were on Shadow and the slushy path before her, not the strange vehicle behind her turning off its headlights as it approached. However, in a matter of seconds, she felt the thunderous impact of the van into her car's left back side. She let out a scream as her world began spinning on the icy road; the lights, the snow and the crash before everything went black.

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took longer to get up than I anticipated. I hope you enjoyed the epic battle between feline and hedgehog. Wonder what Tails' plan is? Hope to get the next chapter up a little quicker than this one, but all the same, blessings until next time.