Chapter 7

Shadow awoke in a pool of shallow water. He laid on his back and stared up at a sky swollen with stars. They wheeled overhead at incredible speed. On cue, one after another would burst and shoot away in a trail of flame. Shadow did not feel his watery bed, and was not alerted to the return of sensation until he felt the pain. A shock of agony twisted his every muscle in a sudden violent cramp. He groaned and his writhes of torment caused him to spill out of the pool.

He landed on a thick plane of heavy glass that echoed loudly when he touched it. Beneath the glass was a void of swirling purple and black clouds. Shadow immediately felt disoriented and confused. He gasped for breath as a second wave of pain triggered a rapid onset of memories. The screams of the Biolizard, the burning heat of the falling Ark, depleting all his energy in one blast, cold emptiness and the sensation of falling into oblivion, the memories swam up into his mind one after another.

Shadow shivered violently and collapsed into a ball. Where was he? How was he still feeling? Trembling, Shadow slowly unwound himself and braced himself against the watery capsule he had woken up in. He surveyed his environment but saw nothing but emptiness continuing in every direction indefinitely. Shadow examined the ceiling. Instead of glass it appeared to be made out of a thin barrier of suspended water. Above it, the entire cosmos appeared condensed into a living roof of infinite stars.

"Welcome Shadow. To the Realm Between Realms." A voice reverberated through the room, yet somehow Shadow felt that it had originated within himself. He circled around looking for the source but his answer came when the empty space around him suddenly fractured. Lines of broken glass appeared in the air as if reality itself was being distorted. The glass shattered in earnest and a massive, hulking figure emerged out of what appeared to be the darkness of total absence.

Shadow took a step backward. The figure was half veiled in a robe so sleek and black it looked as if it were made out of the darkness of space. A crown rested on its head, the band burned like the core of a sun, and around its ring rested seven colorful diamonds. In its right hand it carried a tall ephod made of gilded steel capped with a gem as large as Shadow's head. Its face was veiled behind a mask. Half of it was carved out of twisted, rusted metal and held together by bolts and nails, the other was made of cosmic clouds that moved and shifted. Two red eyes glared vengefully down on Shadow.

"Do not fret. You are alive." It said. The voice issued from the mask, but that did not stop it from echoing from every direction, including from within Shadow.

Shadow said nothing. Obviously he was alive, but how much longer would he stay that way? He was still utterly exhausted from his use of Chaos Control. Even standing was taking its toll on him. If it came to it, he wasn't sure that he could fight.

"You can save your thanks for saving your life. Your gratitude is not required." The figure waved his hands and reality bent to his will. Out of nothing, suddenly there were opaque steps for Shadow's supposed savior to walk up. When he towered high above Shadow, he made a throne and sat down.

Shadow felt his heart quicken. That confirmed it. If he could be afraid, then he was definitely alive, and if he was alive then he had to find a way to escape. He kept his head facing the newcomer but his eyes darted around as he scoped out potential means of leaving this place.

"Save your strength. The depletion of your power nearly killed you. There is no escape from this place. Only I, its master, can bring someone here or take them away."

"And who are you?" Shadow asked.

"I am the Realm Lord. The Titan of Time, Bender of Chaos, Molder of Entropy, Guider of Fate, the Spark that Livens the Universe, the Heat Death that Destroys it, the Singularity of Possibility and the Expansive Rip of Destruction. I am the End and the Beginning, the Never and the Always. But to you I am simply your savior."

Shadow paused. I am alive. I can get out of here. He just had to be careful. Clearly, whoever he was speaking to was a megalomaniac. If he just fed him what he wanted to hear, perhaps he could entice him into letting him leave. "I meant to die." Shadow offered cautiously. "Why did you rescue me?"

"Your sacrifice is not lessened because I have interfered in its consummation." The Realm Lord said gravely.

"Then why save me? I hope you don't expect me to become your servant."

The Realm Lord laughed. "If I thought I could enslave you so easily I would have let you die."

"Then what do you want from me?"

The Realm Lord leaned forward on his throne. "I pass through the stream of time, stopping and interfering whenever I will. Yet whenever the stream is broken, the water corrects course. For milliana's beyond count I have watched the slow progress of the ages of the universe. The power to be its overlord, to direct its ends, new beginnings and every other possibility lies at my fingertips. Yet at times, my power wanes. For another will, the Will of Disorder resists my attempts at control. I must pull with every ounce of my power to change even the slightest events. But…."

The Realm Lord relaxed and waved his hand lazily. "There are some beings, who exist at certain times, during which it appears that the curtains of universal decree are drawn back and the opportunity for true theater presents itself. You are such a being Shadow the Hedgehog, and now is such a time. Your fate is not bound either to my order nor Disorder. Yet each of us must tempt you as we will, moving you along, influencing your choices and watching the fallout as we engage in our contest that never ends. So you see, I want nothing from you. I only meant to divert the cause of Disorder who left you out to die. Your life presents a change, and change creates opportunity."

Shadow folded his arms. This person is insane. But he had to keep his emotions under control. If he played it smart, he would be allowed to leave. "Glad I could help." Shadow surmised dryly. "Now will you let me go?"

"Yes. But unfortunately, I cannot send you straight back to earth. My connection to that planet is more limited as there are more divergent wills who resist my order."

Shadow scoffed. "So much for your omnipotent power."

"What would you know about power?" The Realm Lord's tone was as cold as ice. "From the builder's perspective, driving in nails with a hammer or slowly placing them into position and twisting them in makes no difference. It is only a matter of time. And when you are the god of time, it makes no difference at all."

"Enjoy your waiting." Shadow shot back. "Because you will never get anything from me."

The Realm Lord rose and walked down his created steps. At the bottom, he still towered over Shadow. He glowered over the hedgehog and Shadow internally cursed himself. Keep your mouth shut. His legs trembled at the thought, but he started to prepare himself to spring backward in case the Realm Lord attacked. Instead, the massive figure laughed brazenly in Shadow's face. "Make no mistake. Eventually, you will come to serve me, but not as a mercenary hoping to pay off some debt. When you come to me again you will do so willingly."

"I'm done serving anyone." Shadow insisted.

"Does that include Maria?" The Realm Lord whispered but his voice echoed from so many different directions Shadow heard him like a scream. "Now that your promise is completed will you forget her?"

Shadow reacted on impulse. He boosted forward into a spin but his spikes passed through the Realm Lord as if he were made of mist. Shadow landed and his entire body groaned in protest at the sudden assault. Already he was out of breath and on the verge of collapse. "Save your strength." The Realm Lord continued. "You are a unique creature Shadow. The great powers that be have no claim on you, yet that universal freedom is not felt because you are so chained to the simple. Everyone must serve a master and for yourself you've chosen the dying words of a little girl. You do not deserve the rank reserved for you. The Ultimate Life Form, a creature whose nature resists the pull of time, yet cannot escape its own fleeting feelings."

"Let me go or kill me. Just stop talking." Shadow panted. He could not believe how weak he felt. It was taking everything he had just to stay upright.

"Sayonara then, Shadow the Hedgehog." The Realm Lord raised a heavy hand and flexed into a fist. CRACK! A void burst into the space right next to Shadow. Purple mist circled within and air issued out. "This is the only exit from this realm. Take it or not. From now on, every choice you make will serve either myself or Disorder. Let the gravity of that weigh you down."

Shadow approached the exit. He put one foot inside and it disappeared. Shadow smiled to himself and turned back. "I would…the trouble is I don't care about you." With that, Shadow entered the void in earnest.

For a moment, he fell through a world of total darkness. The next he was free falling face first into a pound. SPLASH! Shadow jumped out of the water and landed on a bronze pillar. Whoa. He stood in the expanse of a massive subterranean cavern. Gilded metal and bronze made up all the buildings, the constructions continued even beneath the underwater lake near at hand. Fires burned from scones all along the walls, the flames shimmered, illuminating the caverns without the need of masters or fuel.

Shadow was alone and isolated on his pillar. He picked out a course that appeared to run upward and raced in that direction. His legs were stiff and heavy but his Air Shoes allowed him to run without too much effort. Wherever he was turned out to be an expansive labyrinth that ran above and under the water. Pipes issuing air at high speeds helped Shadow navigate the maze. At every turn he was wowed by the beauty and sheer magnitude of the constructions.

However, finding a way out was proving nearly impossible. Many times Shadow ended up in exactly the same place he had been before. His escape turned into a race pitting his endurance against his failing body. He needed food and rest and he would only get those if he found a way out of the maze.

Shadow labored on for hours but to no avail. Eventually he succumbed to his exhaustion and laid down on a slab of rock that protruded over the water. As he caught his breath, the enormity of recent events pressed down on him. I am alive…But Shadow wasn't sure what that meant. He was alive, but for what? For so long he had been driven forward by a single purpose, even when that purpose had shifted it still led him onward. But now…My promise is fulfilled. Shadow had accomplished his task, he had honored Maria.

Now what do I do? For starters, he knew he had to get back to earth. Shadow crunched up and examined his surroundings. Perhaps there is some pattern that highlights the correct path. There was so much color and shine to the entire place that distinguishing a golden path through the maze seemed impossible. Shadow despaired of that course and laid back down. I'll get some sleep and try again.

It felt as if he had just let his heavy lids fall when all of sudden he woke in darkness. Shadow sat up. The torches had been extinguished. In their place was an eerie blue glow but he could not locate the source of the light. He felt a cold shudder run down his back. Shadow crouched into a ready position. He could not see much around him, but he felt a presence.

Shadow closed his eyes and listened. Tick. Tick. Tick. The sound was getting closer. There was the lightest ruffle of what sounded like wings. Shadow pounced. He could not see what he hit but he wrestled his foe into the ground. Heavy wings beat at him and a sharp beak stabbed up at his face. Shadow evaded the attacks, rolled into a ball and started to spin.

"OW! OW!" A shrill voice protested. Shadow stopped. The voice had no air of threat or menace. Shadow took a few steps back and his opponent picked itself off the ground. In the gloom, Shadow could only see two glowing yellow eyes.

"Scales turn on the lights!" The voice shouted. Whoosh. One by one the torches from before started to light up. The light revealed his foe. It was an owl. The creature stood awkwardly on land and kept overtitling to one side or the other to maintain balance. It wore a royal blue cape that flowed gently in the soft moving wind. "Who are you!" It screamed.

Shadow did not answer. He craned his neck, searching for the creature who had turned on the torches. At first he saw nothing, but then he spotted it clinging to the ceiling. It was a lizard. When it noticed Shadow, it fell to the ground and hid behind a pillar. Shadow turned back to the owl. "What is this place?"

The owl shot out its chest. "This is the Tidal Tempest and I am captain of its guard. Sir Gideon Soar, if it pleases you."

Shadow frowned. "And where is that?"

"I don't know what you mean?" Gideon said, suddenly affronted.

"Do you know the way out of here?"

"I should say that I do. But why are you here? It is not legal for creatures to go roaming around the labyrinth."

"I didn't mean to come here. Now can you show me the way out?"

Gideon swept his cape aside as he moved his wing to bow before Shadow. "A citizen in need! Have no fear, Sir Gideon is here!"

"And me!" A nasally, out of breath voice seconded. Shadow turned to see the lizard running up to his companion. He also wore a cape, but it fit him strangely because he had no neck. "Sir Gideon's squire, Scales Sharptail." He said with a bow.

"I don't care." Shadow insisted. "Can you show me the way out?"

"Of course." Sir Gideon held out his talon. "Take hold and I shall soar you to safety, as befits the duty of a knight."

Shadow withheld his disgust and accepted the offer. With more power than he had shown before, Sir Gideon exploded into the sky, his great wings extending with grace and power. Shadow held on tightly to the talon as he was pulled upward and away. Sir Gideon was clearly more adept at flight than ground combat. He swerved effortlessly through the great spyres and fit through many narrow spaces. The flight made Shadow nauseous so he closed his eyes and wished that it would end soon.

He did not open them until he felt sunlight on his face. The duo emerged out of a great tunnel and soared over a massive lake. Its shoreline was dotted with palm trees and Sir Gideon circled around them, each go around getting lower and lower. Eventually they got close enough for Shadow to let go and land safely in the grass.

Shadow brushed himself off and took in his surroundings. He appeared to be at a lakeside resort, flushed with green. Palmtrees towered overhead and spread out throughout the area. Sir Gideon landed beside him. "I trust you can make your way from here?" He said.

"Where am I? Is this earth?"

The owl turned its head. "Earth? Earth….hmmmmm…I feel as if I have heard the name before. I think my father told me something about it..but I can't quite remember."

"So if this isn't earth? Where is it?"

Sir Gideon stuck out his chest again. "This my good friend, is Little Planet."