(Sonic's POV)

Everything changed in a matter of minutes.

We'd come to terms with countless strange things during our voyage through the universe. But we never imagined something unusual could sprout so rapidly.

The air had turned into a sharp, bitter cold. We all listened in unison as the metal shafts shelling the X Tornado's walls cracked against the dropping temperature outside. The windows fogged over, leaving a clouded sheen running up the glass in a reverse waterfall fashion. My body stiffened as the chill seeped past my fur and left shriveled bites. Everything beyond the windows was growing lighter, and we could see the white glow of a planet residing directly beneath us, accompanied by litters of stars.

The windows at the front of the cockpit showed the Egg Carrier, in all its familiarity (despite having a new paint job) dead ahead and growing in size as we gained speed and decreased our remaining distance.

"This is it, guys! We're closing in on them!" Tails declared triumphantly, his tails leaving twitches behind him in reaction to the new, nearly freezing atmosphere. "Our presence might have already triggered Eggman's alarm system, but after a quick dive under the Egg Carrier, the X Tornado will be beyond the range of any missiles or lasers."

Amy, who sat across from me, quickly leapt out of her seat and pressed her forehead against the window next to her. She ignored the brightening view, and only settled her slanted focus on the airship with grinning structures that rested in front of us.

"Oh wow, we finally made it! This is so perfect! Not to mention we're heading towards the bottom, and the base of the Egg Carrier is where prisoners are kept!"

"Really? And you know that for sure, Amy?" Tails cautiously asked without turning attention away from his concentrated button mashing.

Amy yanked her head back and frowned. "Uh, hello? Don't you remember when that robot creep kidnapped me years ago and brought me there? I was put in a cell down at the bottom of the aircraft! It's not like I'm making it up or anything, I swear!"

Tails only groaned at her overreaction. "I don't think you're lying, Amy, but don't forget we have to be extremely organized about this, and that means having our facts straight. One wrong move and it's all over."

I pulled away from my own seat and leaned towards the cockpit where Tails was steering, my features lifting with anticipation. "But you can't just land at the bottom. How are we supposed to dock?" I asked.

Tails' glare hardened to a degree so intense that it actually had me reeling back. I never imagined the younger fox had it in him to intimidate anyone. It was clear he was serious about this mission, as we all were.

"Once I move to the bottom, one of you will need to get off and find Rachel. If she's locked in a cell, find ways to get to her, whether it's by bending bars apart or searching for a key. Then, someone else has to break into Eggman's main control room and disable the missiles so I can station myself properly. I'll wait here and defend the X Tornado from damage, and maybe test out the new built in cannons on Eggman's robots if they decide to attack in their usual masses. But my ammunition is limited, so this has to be done in record time. Go in there, get Rachel, ignore anything and everything else, and make sure she's brought back here safely. The sooner we leave, the better."

Remembering the reasons behind this mission brought a smile to my exhaust-ridden face. "Sweet job on the blueprints there, pal. The chances of this plan not working are definitely slim to none."

"But what if we fall into that slim percentage? It might not work as perfectly as we hope, you know," Amy stated worriedly. "What if something goes horribly wrong and we can't carry everything out completely? Getting stranded here is definitely not an option!"

Tails' fingers tightened around the controls. "If it comes to that, then I'll run the X Tornado straight through Eggman's main room and take control of the Carrier
myself. We're not returning to Earth without Rachel Tower and that's that."

We all gawked at him. He was resorting to extreme measures, but it was obvious that it was the best Plan B any of us could come up with.

Amy crossed her arms and wailed out angrily. "So what, you expect to tear through that steel metal up ahead like it's made of pancake?"

Clearly, Tails would have made arrangements to do said tearing through a glass window, but this went straight over the bubble-gum quilled hedgehog's head. None of us stopped to correct her. Not even Knuckles, who instead clenched his fists together.

"Nah. I'll be saving that move personally for Eggman."

After that was said, I couldn't help but move forward a little to his side. For once, I wasn't here teasing or harassing him. We weren't bickering over trivial things. Usually I found angering Knuckles to be hilarious, but now he had my full support. We both meant business. We were intending to unleash the same things, but on separate people. For him it was Eggman. As for me...

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I said slyly. "Him and Shadow are both the pancakes.

And trust me. When I find that faker, he'll get what's coming to him."

(Rachel's POV)

Before I had a chance to fall any deeper into Shadow's rough and rugged embrace, he grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to balance
myself as I fought off the rest of the dying tremors.

By now, it was impossible to comprehend anything. The fuses of my memory had shorted out.

I could hear the alarms screaming beyond the door, but I forgot what their purpose was meant to be, or what danger they were built to signify.

I could see Shadow's angered face, but couldn't remember what it was that engraved the infamous scowl this time around.

I heard Eggman say something earlier about blue headaches, but all that came up in my mind was the image of an azure tinted forehead. How could anyone have a colored headache?

There was something I was missing, but every puzzle piece I tried to put together just wasn't made to fit.

I was deteriorating...and I had no idea how to stop it.

God help me.

Or not God, but please, anyone but Shadow.

"Look, I understand that you're in pain," Shadow said quickly, pulling me towards the door. "I know you're weakened, exhausted, and to top it off you
more or less hate me right now. But I'm the only one that can help you at this point, and you need to accept that help one way or the other."

I knew in my heart that he was trying to aid me, but my expression seemed to address that it was all just going through my head like vapor, because next
thing I knew Shadow was swearing to himself and yanking me impatiently out the door, having lost all empathy.

The door slid open, and once I could see the long corridor and rows of dead lights laid out in front of me, I pulled my arm away.

I tried to retort in any way I could, but realized my vocal chords had seemingly shut themselves down. They felt tangled, knotted together, leaving my voice to come out as nothing more than a strained choke. It made me feel faint, and it left my hope ebbing. I found myself collapsing down to my knees.

This time, instead of grabbing me and hauling me forward like a sack of garbage, Shadow noticed I'd fallen and quickly but gingerly slipped his hand into mine, giving it a light squeeze. The small notion sent invisible electrons slipping down my palm and dashing on throughout my pulse. It stunned me enough to jolt my entire body. I sealed my eyes shut.

He squeezed again to get my attention, as if trying to jumpstart me like a broken down car.

"Don't do this. You have to get up, Rachel. Get up and run," he said, not forcefully but in a way that still displayed determination. "I'll show you which ways to go, but you have to at least stand first."

I wasn't sure what brought me to do it, whether it was my own willingness to suddenly try anything or the rushed pacing in his voice, but next thing
I knew I was slowly rising from my crumbled position, my legs and arms wobbling to maintain composure.

Shadow tugged me a little. "That's it. Now come on! Just a little more..."

His voice managed to lighten. "Come on. Run with me, Rachel. You have to try harder. Please."

Hearing Shadow plead anything was enough to get me going. I started to move a little. One step at a time, making sure not to trip, with Shadow
guiding me like a toddler who was just beginning to learn. But when the pain inflamed again, I froze dead in my tracks. Shadow looked
back, clearly annoyed that I'd stopped when we'd just started making progress.

"I...I can't do it," I said diligently. The netting in my chords had somehow pieced apart and I was able to speak again.

"It'll kill me, Shadow."

And this, I was almost completely sure of. At least that's what instinct was telling me.

But Shadow wouldn't have it. He urged me on.

"It'll kill you if you don't move at all. Don't you understand?"

At this point, I had trouble believing a word he said. Overworking myself couldn't have been the antidote for this energy. Lying down, taking deep breaths, anything else was sensible. But this seemed like the worst possible therapy.

He saw my reluctance, and his eyelids caved down.

"I realize you think I'm in no position to rush you, but you're only wasting time! We have to go!"

Before I could do anything at all, he suddenly perked up. An idea had come to him.

"Fine. If you don't start moving…then I'll do it again."

My eyes wandered up to his. "Do it? What's it. What are you talking about?"

I didn't notice at first that he was still pulling me along, and seeing how I was distracted, I stepped along with him through the stained prints of
darkness creeping along the walls.

He was glaring back, but at the same time his voice held traces of playfulness. "Oh nothing. Just what I did earlier. You remember, right?"

At that moment, a piece of my memory surged through my already sore head, followed by the recollection of a certain somebody's heated prickles on my lips. I knew instantly what he was talking about. Instead of stopping right there and insulting at him like I normally would, I walked a bit faster, the rage and embarrassment pumping me with adrenaline.

"W-What! How could you even suggest that! You're bluffing! You can't be serious!"

The speakers above us suddenly crackled. A voice sifted past the pops and clicks until the frequency of Eggman's voice managed to filter through.

"Shadow! Can you hear me! Come out come out wherever you are! I don't know if you've noticed, but this is quickly becoming a huge emergency. Why haven't you returned! Is there some part of 'this is an order' that you are unable to process! And don't forget, we still have Chaos Emeralds to catch! And that scavenging will not be so easily done now, seeing that we now have my enemy in tow!"

Instead of aimlessly responding to Eggman's calls of desperation, he yanked me closer so the distance between our faces closed off. It was me that
slammed my foot down in time to stop myself from colliding against his mouth, which, given our angles, was exactly what would've happened had I
not done so.

Shadow smirked back at my widened eyes, his breath close enough to air across my lips.

"I dare you to test me."

And that said it all. I swallowed nervously and managed to slightly rip away,even though he still had his grip locked with mine, and the more I resisted, the tighter his hold became.

"But you'd make everything ten times worse that way! We'd be back to square one!" I shouted with a little newfound bravery.

He just made a hum of approval. "Ah, this is good. You're getting angrier. I knew the walking would work."

He pulled a little harder. "But like I just said, running would make a much better difference. And it's not like you have a choice anymore. What, would you like me to drag you, because that's where your stubbornness is heading! Or, referring to my previous threat-"

"Stop! Don't you say another word!" I yelled, suddenly sprinting past the power walking hedgehog. "Like hell that's happening again! You're trying to kill
me, aren't you!"

"No," he stated immediately, running to catch up so that we were next to one another. "I'm trying to save you. And find a place to hide you before it's too late."

My anxiety swelled. "Hide me from what!"

"Don't pretend you didn't hear what Eggman said over the intercom!"

"Actually, I have no idea what he's going on about! Excuse me for being a bit busy writhing in agony to pay attention to that maniac!"

"The only one I see being a maniac is you!" Shadow shouted.

"And I have every right to be!" I shot back, absent-mindedly tightening my hand around his out of spite. "Have you forgotten that it was you who got me into this mess!"

He seemed to note that my strength was returning, and went right ahead and continued doing what he was best at, which was push my anger into dangerous levels.

"That's where you're wrong. You have no one to blame but yourself, Rachel Tower! Every 'mess' that's ever happened to you only occurred from your own stupidity!"

His mockery went on, even though I was already hot with seething fury.

"What even goes on in that thick head of yours? Things like, oh I'm a female teenager, and I think it would be extremely intelligent to venture out into a city crawling with scum men who might try and harm me or worse, completely unattended as well, especially when I have this act for getting myself into trouble and then crying for help when I find the consequences unfavorable.

Or what about the logic behind seeing me, your grandfather's self-claimed arch nemesis attacking people, and then drawing attention to yourself only to sell out your own identity! And you actually had the nerve to act baffled when I took advantage of it?

But you didn't stop there. No, idiocy never takes a rest. You thought, hey, why don't I make matters even worse for myself and fight with the kidnapping hedgehog every time the chance is open. Even though he saved me once, saved me twice, and then a third time where it actually ended with people's deaths and nearly his own.

And then you think, Well perhaps I've been unfair. Maybe pointlessly wiping some astringent on a wound that I practically caused will call for reconciliations and mean we're on better terms. And then a strange bat shows up to help you escape. Huh, well wasn't that convenient! And good ol' Rachel Tower's brain, when she realizes how foolish she was to think she could get away, she'll do what she's universally known for, and that's screaming and stomping her foot like a spoiled child because she didn't get what she wanted.

Isn't that the way of it, Rachel Tower? I'm right aren't I? Aren't I!"

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

By then, I was panting and running so hard, Shadow was the one being dragged for a second. He quickly caught up before falling into a glide on some sort of skates built into his shoes.

He was taunting me. And he was doing a heck of a good job. It wasn't so much his words that hurt. It was the fact that he was deliberately trying to outrage me. Every word he said was just a reminder of how shallow he could be, and it stabbed harder than any petty insult ever could.

(Sonic's POV)

After the door had fallen open, the cold air sliced in before we had a chance to ready ourselves. There was no wind, but the chill was definitely present. It was so sudden, and even painful, we all gasped in unison. Amy started screaming and huddled into the corner of her seat, pulling her legs under her dress.

"It's freezing out here!" she shrieked.

Tails' hands started shaking as he did his best to run the X Tornado closer to some railings near the bottom of the Carrier. There was a narrow, patchy metal path with rusting bars. One side provided entry to an emergency exit door, the other ended with the metal having been broken and gnarled off, and it led into absolutely nothing.

"It's now or never!" Tails shouted over the whirring of the engines outside through chattering teeth. "That exit probably leads to the prison. Someone needs to go in there and search the cells for Rachel!"

"Me. I'll go," Knuckles volunteered, shuffling out of his seat. He stopped at the doorway and held both sides of it, looking down past his feet at the glowing planet underneath him. He then looked back up towards the emergency door on the Egg Carrier.

"But I don't think I can make the jump from here. You have to get closer," he instructed the piloting fox.

Tails growled. "Come on, just jump and glide over, Knuckles! We don't have much time!"

Knuckles was still for a moment, but then, his obedience shined through. He stepped back a little before leaping through the entry way and soaring out of the X Tornado. His arms were stiff and outstretched, and even from a distance I could see his figure becoming prematurely blurred from his shaking.

"You'll be the one to enter through the middle then, Sonic," Tails said. "Both of you better be careful. We can't stay here long. Our lives depend on it."

I only nodded, tossing him a thumbs up sign. "Sure thing, pal. And remember to take good care of my precious baby. Keep her nice and safe."

Amy, who was already turning purple from the cold, suddenly perked up and looked back at me with frosty, sparkling eyes. "Oh, Sonic! You're worried about my safety? So that means you really do care!"

I shifted my eyes at her in annoyance. "Uh, I was talking about the X Tornado."

Amy drew back in horror at my bluntness, before going on a fuming rampage.

I snickered. Well, it's a given that her anger would at least keep her warm.

(Rachel's POV)

"You know, you get on nerves I didn't even know I had," I said in a low, dark tone.

Shadow then turned away and laughed to himself.

For some reason, that sound alone made my temper flare right there on the spot. The spores that'd been boiling inside me before had stopped combusting, and instead were beginning to deflate like rubber balloons. I didn't even question it. As long as I wasn't imploding anymore, I was okay with it.

But every time one sank, it made my body steam into a more feverish heat that only multiplied my rage.

"WHAT, Shadow!" I shouted. "You think this is funny, do you? What is it then! What is it about driving me totally insane that you find so chuckle-some!"

Shadow looked at me through the corner of his eye, increasing speed as his skates slid across the floor.

"Feeling better yet?"

I growled at him. "No, not really! You should stop playing all these mind games! And I wish you would tell me what's going o-"

BOOM

Shadow and I both swerved to an immediate stop. After hearing the loud noise, it was followed by nothing but drifting silence. The only sounds came from us, and it was our fluttered breathing.

Once I'd gotten over caring about whatever caused the loud crash we'd just heard, I realized I was still holding Shadow's hand and was finally able to pull away while his attention was drawn off.

He didn't seem to notice. He only looked at the openness behind him whilst breathing heavily, his body twisted and fists closed. I stumbled against a nearby wall and pressed the side of my head against it, my eyes falling shut and exhales becoming more and more tame.

I did feel better. Not perfect, but certainly better. This frightening pain and nausea had diminished into a dull, fairly humane sickness. It was nothing I couldn't tolerate.

"No. It can't be...They can't be here already," Shadow said quietly.

My eyes opened incredibly slow-like after he said this. I was about to ask him what he was going on about, but then I noticed something.

There was a sound nearing us. Crumpled, disoriented, and snapping as it got louder, I instantly felt goosebumps rising up and down my legs. I stepped away from the wall, which had gotten so cold me face was stuck for a second, and ended up backing into Shadow. This time, we were both looking in the same direction; the direction the strange cracking sound was coming from.

The speakers rang out again, this time so amplified that it rattled my eardrums. After the screech died down, Eggman's nervous voice came through once more.

"Oho, someone's breaking in I see! Well no matter, I found a way to activate the emergency power. Let there be light!"

Instead of the regular white lights springing back into action, the halls submerged in a dim, scarlet tinted glow.

Dr. Eggman grumbled something to himself that came out inaudible.

"Blasted security system," he continued. "Its delays are unforgivable."

(Shadow's POV)

The alarms suddenly got louder. The breaks between them had thinned so that it was almost continuous.

This sinister lighting was now burnishing the passageways, but it was better than no light at all. Now we could see ahead of us. It would make going along much easier, as opposed to running on into impending darkness.

Eggman was still spastic. The microphone got wrecked around some more. "Woah!" he shouted. "What's happened with the alarms? How is that even possible! Is there a breach in the system?"

The microphone kept getting tossed back and forth as Eggman could be heard cranking back levers and clicking furiously at a keyboard

"Yes, you confounded excuse for a system, I'm fully aware that we have a break in! Now shut up so I can think straight!" he hollered at the siren's wails.

I stepped backwards and sighed. Our pilot was losing what was left of his sanity. If he couldn't remain calm in the face of danger, then it only meant more havoc was yet to come.

They've already made it in here...Sonic and his friends. They came for Rachel, no doubt. And as much as I hate to admit it, I can't take them all on at once if they're ambushing from different directions.

I gritted my teeth. No. They're not going to do this. They can't have her. Plain and simple. I have to find a place to hide Rachel for the time being. And then I'll find a way to get rid of them once and for all.

"Rachel," I said tensely to grab her attention, turning to look back at her.

But she wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were zeroed in and traveling along the ceiling planes.

My gaze followed her focus...and my chest knotted.

Snaking past the flashing lights, were long, twining veins of ice. The crimson glows sparked through them and accentuated their frosted texture. They swept past the bulbs in an eerie crawl. And the closer they got, the more I realized how cold the air was getting.

Rachel sighed out awe-struck, and her breath pressed past her lips in a puff of fog.

My brows shot up. Oh no.

"Shadow..." she drawled out, her words coming out in a mist. "This...this...what is-..."

"I wish I could explain," I said, cutting her short. "And I will later. But now, you have to do as I say. I can't leave you out here like this."

"But who's here..." she questioned. It sounded like her voice was crippling.

I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into another run. "Soon it'll be nobody."

I swept my head back to make sure she was putting at least minimal effort in, but her head was turned too. She was still watching those ice vessels.

I shot down the hall faster, as if to outrun the air. The cold was only now taking its nibble, but with a fragile little human like Rachel, it would bite the life right out of her if I didn't hurry.

From the looks of it, she had finally become compliant, because after that, nothing else was said.

(Knuckles' POV)

The nailed outlets that rimmed the walls barely let enough light in to slip through the cells. I could hardly see past the bars, just in case any of them were caging the human hostage we'd crossed galaxies to get to.

"Hello, is anyone in here?" I called out cautiously, panning my eyes back and forth to see if anything shifted through the areas where shadows managed to hit. But so far, the only movement I detected was the flecks of dust the gleamed past the light.

"You don't have to be afraid," I immediately followed, "I'm here to help you. If you can hear me, yell so I know you're here, and then I'll try to find you."

There was silence.

And just as I passed what I assumed was a vacant cell, two arms shot out and wound around my neck.

"W-WAH! Woah woah woah woah get OFF!" I gasped in a panic, flailing one arm while nabbing at the arms that had my neck in lock with the other.

The arms were constricting my throat from behind, but they weren't holding tight enough to choke me. Something told me these arms weren't human, so I assumed it was another prisoner that had heard me and was now looking for help.

But then, a sticky glossed lip brushed past the side of my head, and hushed a silver cloud into my ear.

"Aaaahhhhhhhh..." the female voice cooed tauntingly. "There. How's that for a yell?"

It didn't take me a moment's time to realize who that voice belonged to. My heart fell into my stomach's pit. My left eye twitched as I looked around fearfully, scared of the face I would find.

And of course, when I did see it, I couldn't help but scream like a little girl.

Two heavy socket blue-green eyes were leering back at me.

"My oh my," Rouge said, her words dripping with disgusting desire as she took her fingers back and coiled them around the bars. "I gotta say, that was pretty impressive. Better than my yell, that's for sure."

After I scrambled away, my chest rose and fell dramatically. I pointed an accusing finger in the thieving bat's direction. "You! What are you doing here!"

She only rolled her eyes, pulling one hand back to place it on her hip. "Really? That's not exactly the question a knight in shining armor should ask his captured princess."

And then, as usual, being around this bat for longer than a minute brought on the stampeding anger.

"I'm being serious, Rouge! Don't mess around! I have a time limit for being here!"

Even then, she didn't seem to pick up on my rush. "Time limit shmime shmimit. You act like we're in a video game or something. And speaking of games, what's wrong with having fun like we always do? Because trust me, teasing you really is amusing, and it helps since I've almost been bored to tears down here. Come on, it's a miracle that you're even here. Why not play along? You're not usually so...resistant."

My eye twitched again. "Oh...Resistant? Resistant? I'll show you resistant!" I yelled, reaching between the bars and grabbing the side of her breast plate, making sure to not go anywhere near her cleavage. "Don't push with me, Rouge! Because I'm in no mood to be pushed around right now!"

Rouge's eyes flickered down to my hand and she hummed to herself in enjoyment. "Mm. You too? What's with all the boys around here playing the grabbing game? First I'm nearly strangled and now this."

A smirk played at her pink lips. "Though you're actually getting the hang of it. But for some reason, you made not to hit the target of interest. What a coy little echidna you are."

My face was fuming. "ROUGE! TELL ME WHERE RACHEL IS!"

She shrugged, all playfulness aside. "How should I know? She's not down here if that's what you're wondering. Probably somewhere above us."

"Then I'm leaving."

I pulled my hand away and brought it to my side, stomping off towards what I could only assume was an exit.

Rouge gasped behind me and kicked at the metal that bound her escape. "Wait! You can't just leave me here!"

"Watch me," I said harshly, not throwing her a second look.

She groaned. "Oh come on, Knuckie. Don't be so cruel. Plus, I don't know if you've noticed but you sort of need me."

I bellowed with sarcastic laughter right as I made it to the door. The only thing that made me stop was when I came face to face with a keypad hammered to the door in the place of a door nob. Sudden realization, and regret, told me I needed a code to get out.

Rouge clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Stubborn little Knuckles. You thought I was kidding, didn't you."

I said nothing. my fingers hovered in quivering rage over the numeric keys.

She tapped her foot against the ground. "I know the code because I've seen the robots type it in. I actually know a lot of things, like which room Rachel's being kept in for example. What, were you going to scavenge this place with no idea where to go? And if it didn't occur to you, I came here to save her myself. And look where it got me. You can't do this alone and you know it."

I only hesitated.

Her foot stomping got louder. "You were the one who said you were on a time limit!"

"OKAY FINE!" I yelled in defeat, running back to her cell. She jumped backwards just as I bashed the cage in with one packed punch.

The broken bits of metal clanked to the floor all around our feet, the resulting blow of force leaving the dust stirred.

Rouge breathed out happily, emerging from the swirling clouds and patted my shoulder. "Aw, nice. Ya done good, Knuckie."

I shrugged her away and pointed at the door. "Yeah yeah yeah. Now get me out of here, and take me to Rachel."

She only lolled her eyes again and stepped past me, shivering against the cold.

"Fine Mr. Bossy Pants, but I hope you know this mission is way easier said than done," she said, tapping a code into the device. A green light flashed and the door slid open, revealing the other better lit side. It was a bit warmer on this end, but I knew that would only change in due time.

"We need to be careful. I honestly never thought rescuing someone like this could be so difficult," she went on. "My well lamented plan failed, as you can see from the looks of things. And it's all because of a certain annoyance named Shadow the Hedgehog. He's hell bent on keeping Rachel here."

After we were completely out of the prison unit, we both broke into a run, and I realized shamefully that I was the one following her.

"Remember, wherever Rachel is, Shadow's bound to be," she said. "Who knows what he did to her after nearly killing me. Either way, that guy seems to have a pretty tight grip on her."

(Rachel's POV)

Shadow had a pretty tight grip on me. If he held on any harder, I would've lost circulation.

"For God's sake, aren't you going to fill me in on anything?" I asked him, looking back and watched the veins of ice slither after us like it was giving chase.

Shadow only pulled me harder. "Yes! But now isn't a good time to chat!"

We suddenly came to a stop, and my momentum carried me forward so that I nearly careened into him. I staggered to his side and looked up to see he was eyeing a door with heavy concentration.

"Ah, there you both are! I've been looking for you two everywhere!"

My eyes slowly transferred to the side, and before I could turn around, they were following the form of a crimson bathed creature clad with devilish jester horns.

After having stopped to stare back at him, I was finally able to fathom how glacial the air had become. I hugged my shoulders and swayed stiffly on my feet.

"B-Bokkun..." I stuttered through a shuddering jaw. "It's good to see you."

He smiled, seemingly unfazed by the cold. "Aw, you're glad to see me? Cool, because I'm glad to see you're no longer a total nutcase. Decoe and Bocoe told me a pretty scary story about you. Like how you-"

"Hey," Shadow interrupted, pointing at Bokkun. "I need you to do me a favor."

Bokkun's lowered his goofy grin. "Now? We're in the middle of this huge crisis, Eggman's practically tearing out his mustache in the control room, and you're asking for favors? Well no can do Shadow, especially when our biggest rival, Son-AH! HEY!"

Again, he had no time to finish, because Shadow had nearly ripped the door from earlier off it's hinges from being in such a mad fit to get it open (seeing that it was a manual door) and stuffed Bokkun inside. After I heard the little robo clatter over some unnamed objects, Shadow then reached over, latched onto my sleeve, and shoved me inside as well.

I lost balance before I even had time to maintain it and crashed to the floor, landing face first and sprawled out across from Bokkun.

"Sh-Shadow. Why-" I sputtered, turning over.

But just as I did, I was met by his viciously malign glare.

"Bokkun, watch over her and make sure she doesn't leave this room," Shadow instructed.

Bokkun crawled to his feet and drifted back into flight whilst wearing a stubborn frown. "Why me!? I'm not a babysitter you know! And this isn't a room, it's a storage closet!"

"Well whatever it is, see to it that she remains here and doesn't go beyond this door. You're in charge," the hedgehog told him. He then stepped back and slammed the door, and underneath it, the light of his skates could be seen coasting away.

Bokkun's sly smile returned, and this time he eyed me. Clearly, no one had ever left him in charge before, because he was suddenly enjoying this higher authority.

I leaned against the wall and whimpered hopelessly.

(Sonic's POV)

"You ready, Sonic?" Tails asked right as he steered the X Tornado midriff the Egg Carrier and steadied it so that it remained still in place.

I laughed. "I was born ready, pal!"

I prepared myself by tracing my steps backwards, before taking the giant leap of faith.

Once I was airborne, the wind cut through me like it was something solid. I did my best to omit the cloaking pain. It rose up my legs, and spiked on through the tips of my fingers.

I neared the closed off area of the space deck on the Egg Carrier. My body curled into myself and I ended up spinning in a blurred ball, blasting through the thick glass and landing down onto buckled knees.

My breath fell out in milky gusts. Now that I was aboard, I wasn't going to allow another single thought to linger by if it didn't have to do with Rachel's escape. I bolted into a run, jumped up, and blasted through a window above the strangely crafted walls, landing amid a paneled hallway.

The air inside wasn't much better, and the cold was creeping in faster now that I had busted a hole in the shield open. Now there was no way I could leave Rachel here. The exposure would kill her if they were to go back traveling into the depths of outer space.

There was no time to waste, I chose one direction to hurdle down, occasionally looking left and right for a sixteen year old human. And all the while it was getting colder...and colder...and colder.

(Rachel's POV)

Bokkun sprung about nonchalantly, singing random notes to himself in the gloom of the closet, minding the jutted out ends of metal parts that'd been stuffed into storage.

"Do-do dooo do! Do-Do-Do Dooo Do, Do-Do Do."

I was much less enthusiastic. If anything, I was downright irritated.

"Y-Y-You've g-got to be k-k-kidding me," I jabbered through bitten teeth.

Bokkun stopped mid-song to shush me. "Silence, you! Right now, you are under the watch of Bokkun the Messenger, and what Bokkun the Messenger says, goes!"

I flashed him a piercing frown, snuggling deeper into my stretched out cardigan. I had pulled my arms out of the arm holes so I'd be able to hug my bare legs, which were already turning numb. My sleeves hung limply to the side, and for a moment I considered ripping them off and using Bokkun's horn to stitch together a blanket. That's what desperation was doing to me.

Bokkun obviously wasn't feeling the same arctic effects I was. There was no way it was possible with how energetic he was. My only assumption was that it was because he was coldblooded and could adjust easily while my body was different, having always maintained the same temperature. The only indicator that proved I wasn't hallucinating it all, was that Bokkun was breathing out fog just the same as me. His slipped out in short, rhythmically timed bursts as he fell back into singing the song from before.

I nuzzled my face between my legs just as a fractured sigh poured from my mouth. "S-Staying here won't d-d-do any good. I w-want to know what's g-going on out th-there."

The melody stopped again, and this time Bokkun's neon eyes looked over to gape at me.

"You mean you really have no idea?"

I shook my already shaking head, fighting to control my voice. "A-All I know is it's just getting u-unbelievably colder b-b-by the second. So would you mind b-being the one t-to tell me everything that's-"

"Why of course not!"

I grumbled to myself. "Yeah didn't think so."

I tried to rise to my feet, though it proved to be painfully difficult. "Well if you're gonna k-keep me in the dark too," my eyes flickered around for a minute, "...no pun intended, then I'll just set out to f-find an answer on my own."

I took a single step towards the door, and before I knew it I was being high kicked backwards into a stack of wooden boxes.

I yelped right as I tripped into an open box, butt first, while the rest of the cardboard toppled around me. "BOKKUN! Y-You little slime! What's wrong with you!"

He hummed innocently. "Oh nothing, it's just I figured I'd follow Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows' orders seeing how he has some anger issues. And remember, I'm in charge."

He pointed at me with childlike ferocity. "You're not leaving until we're given the okay to do so! In the meantime, pipe down and be a good little dog. I would hate to have to bring out the squirt bottle if you refuse to be obedient," he snickered.

My head fell back against the sharp edge of the box's flap. It cut into my neck, but I'd lost all feelings in my nerves so it wasn't much of a bother.

"Ah, so this is w-what hell is like..." I muttered.

Bokkun only laughed. "Hun, you're a bit late on that. You've been in hell for a looooong time."

(Sonic's pov)

I tapped furiously at the communicator on my wrist. The screens were blank, and no matter how many times I jammed my finger into the buttons, it wouldn't come back to life.

Given this weather, I wouldn't be surprised if the circuits had frozen over.

Great! Now how am I going to check and make sure everything's running smoothly! What if Tails is in trouble? What if Knuckles didn't find Rachel and is trapped near the bottom? I need to know these things and can't do it if communicating with them is impossible!

With a low huff, I slowed my running and took a sharp left down a different hallway. Now, I had to play everything by ear.

The Egg Carrier was dropping deeper and deeper into this ice planet's atmosphere. Pressure built around my eardrums, and the cold was becoming even more excessive. Possibly unbearable for a human like Rachel Tower. Their flesh was incredibly thin and vulnerable, despite having multiple layers. Here's hoping she's bundled in something warm, otherwise I might find her turned into an icicle.

I shook any remaining negative thoughts from my head and ran faster, with everything passing me in a rush of melted monotone colors.

I'm at the back of the Carrier, and Eggman's at the front. I need to get there fast. We really are running out of time.

If it was even possible, this planet proved to be just as cold if not colder than outer space. It was similar to that one continent on Earth completely made up of ice. Atlantica or something like that. And I knew from television that humans who ventured out there wore thick coats, gloves, and boots. Rachel was probably still in her summer clothes. The thought was horrifying.

Hang in there, Rachel. I'm coming for you.

(Shadow's POV)

I'll kill him if he goes anywhere near her! I swear I'll rip him apart limb from limb!

Knowing he'd never come this far alone, Sonic 's little pack of idiot friends is here too, no doubt. And they all have the same interest in mind, which is to take Rachel from me. I'm not having it.

Granted I hadn't taken the best of care of her, but I did a hell of a lot better job than most kidnappers normally would. I also spared her more times than I could count on two hands. I'd protected her, saved her, and this was how I was rewarded.

It was their fault that the Egg Carrier was getting colder inside. Rachel could freeze to death. Maybe leaving her in Bokkun's hands wasn't the most brilliant of plans, but it's better then bringing her down into the Carrier's core, where it's bound to be the coldest.

But no. They decided to break in, and now there's openings to the world outside. We'll all be lucky if she isn't dead by the time I've returned to her.

I veered past more walls that framed the corridors, my heartbeat moving faster and faster. Not because of the exercise, but because of the rage that was blistering inside me.

This would never have happened if they'd kept their noses in their own business.

And now they'll pay with their lives.

(Rachel's POV)

I watched Bokkun flutter about the enclosed space, his eyes wandering aimlessly. My fingers were looping tighter around my bunched legs. I couldn't figure out if that was my strength, or the stiffening of my bones and blood as this air sank heavier on me.

My eyes slowly moved and followed the Messenger Robo's dimmed figure. Given he was already dark to begin with, he camouflaged into his surroundings almost annoyingly too well. The only way I could find him was by chasing his wide, blinking yellow eyes.

"Guuarrrd duty! I'm on guuuuaaaarrrrd duty!" he sang. Yes, this was a song he'd made up earlier.

"Bokkun the guard man! Comin in your closets, workin' for the dark side! Be bangin up boxes, you can't run or even hide!"

He started throwing his hands up and down to match his beats. "And Rachel's a fool, here against the wall, her last name's Tower but she ain't even tall!"

I slowly crept toward a stack of boxes, minding the sharp screwdrivers and wrenches scattered on the floor.

"Bokkun is the boss man, the man with a plan, Shadow left him in charge...just because he can! Decoe and Bocoe ain't got nothing on me, so now little Rachel can't escape-y!"

I furrowed my eyebrows, disconnecting my dried over lips. "Wanna bet!"

And with that, I kicked over the pile of boxes next to me. Since they were lined against the back wall, it created a domino effect, and they came showering down right onto an unsuspecting Bokkun.

He shrieked just as a box flipped over his head and fell to the ground with him trapped underneath. The rest toppled noisily around him.

I grabbed a bundle of tools off the ground and began throwing them on top of the box. My hands roamed everywhere in a frenzy, attempting to find anything and everything heavy. My frostbitten fingers found the wedge of a hammer, and with a little extra force, I pried it off the ground and settled its weight hurriedly on top of the box.

And now, Bokkun was really trapped.

I couldn't make out what he was saying under the box. Everything that came out was muffled, but I swore he was cussing, his words running over themselves as he punched and kicked at the box's insides. The tools rattled on top a little, but none of them happened to fall.

I didn't stop to marvel at what I'd done, and instead crawled forth with decreasing stability, hooking my hardened fingers around the door knob and shoving it open.

Struggling and wobbling ensued, but I enventually made it safely onto straightened legs, which were now burning from how frozen they'd become.

I crammed all worries of health and wellbeing into the corners of my brain, and began running on feet I was sure would crumble apart at any moment.

(Sonic's POV)

Right now, at this point, there was only one thing on my mind.

(Shadow's POV)

Only one thing was important now, and it was the only thing I wanted.

(Rachel's POV)

The only thing that kept me moving was one thing.

(Sonic's POV)

Reclaim.

(Rachel's POV)

Freedom.

(Shadow's POV)

Murder.

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(A/N) This ending reminds me of that song One Thing by...*sniff* One Direction...KSOANYWAYS..-

I'm sure by now you're readying your pitchforks. I know you guys hate these cliffhangers. I hate them too. I just want to finish this part of the story and get it out there, mostly for shock value because there's actually something of a twist coming up in this story. I was debating whether or not to mention that, because now you'll all predict what will happen and might come up with something better than what's planned T.T But there's a lot of different things going on. On Earth, and on this weird planet they're heading towards. Heh, yeah, how many times did I use the word 'cold'?

So while I've been gone, I turned seventeen (July 21st) I got my driver's license and took senior pics. And I just realized that when I started the story, Rachel was older than me, and now I'm older than her. Funny how time flies.

This is the ending of the first part. And the next one won't take me months. It will take maybe a week, two weeks at the most. I would've fit it all into one chapter, but my pace was getting so rushed, I was afraid the flow would become ruined. Again, I can't help but apologize for all the cliffhangers.

Reasons this took so long:

I had terrible writer's block, SO SO SOOOOO terrible. I hit a rump, and when this chapter was halfway done, I sat back and pondered how I could and would write this. The story isn't over. After part 2 is out, there's maybe two chapters left and then the story is done.

I've been busy with family related issues.

I have a car so now I'm constantly out running errands.

I re-edited this chapter 3 times to iron out everything and make sure it was cleanly written.

Oh and btw, when I wrote the part where Bokkun is humming, in my head he is humming the radio version of Still Alive. Yeah, I've been in a Portal fix lately. And those two words are kind of my updating abilities in a nutshell.

So thank you for reading! Not much romance here, but maybe some of the other aspects will make up for it? (nervous laughter) Stay tuned for next part, and then the remaining chapters!

OH and before I forget, I would like two mention that about a month or so ago, a little escapade erupted between me and two other authors. Long story short, I was trying to do one author a favor, and it sort of backfired when I realized the other author really didn't need public critism. So let it be a lesson to everyone else, even though this is the internet, we are on the nice, pretentious side of it. Don't be a butt to other authors. Don't call them out, and handle everything maturely. Don't be like me and make something a bigger deal than it really is -.-

So here's a shoutout to FurrReal and Songbird's Spirit! Check out their work, they are both equally creative and talented authors, unless you're already familiar with them which in that case you don't need me to tell you :) This is also my chance to publicly apologize to Songbird for being something of an a-word to her, and for ragging on her when it wasn't really my place. I'm really sorry, hun. I myself hate confrontations and feel awful and ashamed that I brought it on you. I hope I'm forgiven.

And to FurrReal, for having her awesome Shadow-based story where Shadow is hit by a car! Now come on, if that doesn't grab your attention I don't know what will.

My author's note is about to become longer than the story itself o.o Sorry about that. As I said before, Thank you for reading! Drop me a review if you want! Bye!