Rapid footsteps running over the ground,
Cobalt blur running all around,
Sonic: Always Ready to Fight
Sonic: The Speed of Light



Station Square

The citizens of Station Square had gathered together at a large race track. Here there was to be a fantastic race. From around the country, men and women had come to race the very fastest and finest-tuned automobiles in the nation. It was finally time, and as the lights changed from red to yellow to green, there was a great roar of engines and the cars took off. They were fast.

... but none of the cars were in the lead. Instead, trotting along in front of them was a young blue hedgehog who was running backwards. This hedgehog stuck out his tongue at the group of fancy race cars behind him, and then he turned and took off running.

All that could be seen by the crowd was a blue streak, speeding by, too fast for the naked eye. This hedgehog was a celebrity -- not the crazy kind who get married for two days and then break up. He was the real deal; he had saved the world several times again and again. This was Sonic the Hedgehog.

"This is supposed to be a race? I'm getting bored!" Sonic called back towards the competition. Well, if you could call them that. However, something loudly interrupted Sonic and disrupted the race. There was a streak of light and something slammed into the ground in front of Sonic, causing a huge explosion of rock and debris.

Sonic was sitting on the grassy side of the race track, rubbing his head. He looked up to see what had hit him, and what he saw made his jaw drop.

Standing in front of Sonic the Hedgehog... was Sonic the Hedgehog! Well, it looked like him. There was a dark blue hedgehog with lighter blue stripes standing in front of him. This hedgehog was smiling and showing off a mouth full of sharp, pointy fangs. He had spikes on his shoes and his eyes were a swirling mess of bloody crimson.

"Not sure who you are, but you messed with the wrong hedgehog!" Sonic said, jumping up.

"Heheheheh... so you're Sonic the Hedgehog, huh? Heh, I'm not impressed." E-Sonic stood in front of him, arms crossed tapping his foot impatiently. "Come on!"

E-Sonic jetted across the ground at speeds that matched the original. He threw a punch and caught Sonic in the cheek sending him sprawling back. Sonic caught himself on the ground and jumped up into the air, curling into a ball and launching back at E-Sonic, catching the darker blue hedgehog in the face and knocking him into the ground.

E-Sonic got up and wiped his nose. "Heheheheh... is that it?" E-Sonic curled up... and the quills on his back were a lot sharper and pointier than Sonic's. The balled-up E-Sonic was like a giant spiked sphere, flying right towards him.

Sonic jumped and doged, letting the second hedgehog smash into a wall. Sonic looked around for a moment until something caught his eye. "This game's over!"

Sonic jumped up, smashing a box hanging from the light post that had lit up the lights to start the race. Sonic broke the box and rings scattered everywhere. The hedgehog managed to grab one of them and then he landed with a grin.

"You think you can beat me, huh?" E-Sonic asked with a fiendish smirk.

"No way," Sonic allowed a smile. "I know I can!"

The crystal ring around Sonic's wrist began to glow, and lights started shimmering around the hedgehog. Sonic took off along the circular path of rings that had fallen when he smashed the box. Sonic started moving in a circle around the other hedgehog, kicking up speed as he had done before.

The winds quickly formed into a small funnel which lifted E-Sonic from the ground and threw him into the stands. Sonic crossed his arms and waited, but E-Sonic did not fall to the ground.

He was gone.

Sonic scrathed his head. "What a way to start a day!" Sonic grinned. "Looks like I found another adventure."

Sonic wasn't upset, or depressed, or angry. Instead he was grinning like a madman. Some heroes might groan when they knew they had a new adventure filled with peril and danger... Sonic was relieved; the race had been boring anyway.

The Land of Darkness

A rotund figure dressed in Aztec-like garbs sat on a throne, drinking an indistinguishable beverage while viewing a large control panel with many screens.

"Grimer..." spoke Evo, "I must find out about these... Sol Emeralds. Have you convinced Princess Elise to give us that information?"

Evo's lowly servant crept up to him, shaking, as he gulped and muttered, "She... she escaped, sir."

"What did you say?"

"She... escaped. Sir."

Evo stood up, immediately intimidating Grimer. Evo said not a word, as he walked to Grimer's side. He stood there for several moments, as Grimer nervously awaited something to happen. But... nothing did happen. Grimer was slowly coming to a state of security. It was then that Evo grabbed Grimer by the throat, very suddenly, and picked him up, squeezing his neck.

"Find her."

He let go and Grimer dropped to the ground in a very hard way.

"I don't care what it takes... or how many of my E-Ganix have to go after her... but I need the information she holds. For the Sol Emeralds hold a mastery over something more precious than the Chaos Emeralds."

Mobian Fields

All was still on the grassy plains. The sun beat down onto the surface of the terrain below. The flowers were in bloom, and everything was quiet. But not for long.

Over the hill top sped a Black Hedgehog. He had Red tips on his quills, and his expression did not betray what he was thinking about. The being was moving fast, faster then the eye could catch. He was running about, not at top speed, but just skating along. The ring around his gloved wrists glinted in the sunlight. He was obviously looking for something.

He came to a stop on a hilltop, looking out over the horizons. His arms were crossed, and he was silent. Shadow The Hedgehog looked before him. A city was in front of him, as was his destination. Breathing out, he started to run yet again, gaining speed...

An Appartment in Station Square

And that was the lastest pop tune, only heard here as W.T.E.N-- Station Square's best source for music. Get ready for more hits after this break-

A pink hedgehog listened to a radio sitting on her nightstand as she went through her closet. Every now and then a random article of cclothing would fly out and land on a pile that was making itsef known on her bed. the girl--who was humming along with a catchy adverstisement for liquid soap-- was Amy Rose, Sonic's number one fangirl. The preteen hedgehog was busy finding a sutible outfit for--what else but a self proclaimed date with her hero.

Of course her Sonikku knew nothing about it....But he liked suprises didnt he?

Apparently Amy had gone through her entire wardrobe because with an annoyed sigh she closed her closet door, and walked over to the mountain that she had made over her bubblegum pink bed.

"Not one thing to wear for Sonikku? Nothing is special enough..." She plopped onto her matress sending a rumble through the pile of clothing, eventually sending a "mountain" avalanche....She grunted and pressed the mixture of dresses,tops, and bottoms to the side.

"That's it...I'm wearing my regular clothes, Sonic isnt concerned with clothes anyway. I impress him with my charm!" She leaned back and allowed her head to hit the soft fabrics. Her head was usually filled with fantasies that she woul appear and Sonic would fall head over heels but in the many years that had never happened.

Luckily Amy was an eternal optimist....:3

GUN Regional Commander Center: Station Square

The organization called Guardian Units of Nations -- more commonly known as "GUN", is one that has long tried to maintain peace in Mobius. Now GUN was led by a man named Brutus Braxton, a gray-haired gentleman with mismatched eyes and a harsh attitude.

He was sitting at his desk, reading over some papers. On the corner of his black desk was a large scarlet phone. It began to ring, and Braxton picked it up. "What?" He demanded.

There was a pause, and then Braxton's eyes became wider than they had been. "I see. Have you been able to confirm? ... Very well. Yes, I appreciate your informing me. G.U.N. will take all nessicary precautions. I'll contact one of our finest agents."

Brutus hung up the phone and crossed his hands in front of his face. "... This one... This one will require Shadow."

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID! How could I have lost it?!" A white bat questioned as she searched through a dumpster in an alleyway covered by shadows - definitely not her scene. Rouge the Bat, well-known theif, had lost grip of a large diamond while flying in the air..

About 10 minutes ago..

Admiring her new "present" from G.U.N., Rouge flew over Station Square's race track somewhat carelessly. Lost in awe, the bat didn't notice the streak of light going full speed that had just barely missed her. Seconds after, an explosion from below threw her balance and attention off, causing her to drop her diamond. When she finally became aware of what was going on, she stared after the falling diamond with big eyes.

"No!" Rouge groaned and began flying down, chasing it in mid-air. "Don't worry, momma's comin'!"

Now..

Rubbish flew everywhere - banana peels, crumpled heaps of paper, half-eaten vegetables, and others rotten things you wouldn't dare touch 'just because you felt like it'. Knowing someone like Rouge, she wouldn't let a beautiful item go that easily - she'd fight for it.

ONYX ISLAND
As a dark clouds swirled overhead, a white, prominently-spined hedgehog approached a stone structure. He hoped to find his friend, the Guardian of the gems formerly encased there.

"Hey Blaze!" called the hedgehog. "Blaze!" he called again. "Are you ready to go?"

LAND OF DARKNESS
In a land even more barren and lifeless than the soul of Chris Thorndyke, Princess Elise III of Soleanna made her way through the rocky landsape. It was an uncomfortable trip; after all, it wasn't called "the Forbidden Zone" for nothing. It didn't help that she was in a long white dress and shoes that were not meant for hiking. And that demons were probably chasing her.

As she anxiously trekked on ahead, checking behind her every couple of seconds, she suddenly heard a voice from one direction she did not expect: directly above her. "Well hello there." said a voice a few feet above her head. She gasped, and nearly tripped, looking above her.

It didn't seem to be one of them... it was monkey! A monkey with clothes on. A monkey whose head was on fire. A monkey riding a tiny, pure white cloud. But still: just a monkey. Elise let out a sigh of releif, but didn't let down her guard just yet. "Who are you?" she said guardedly.

The monkey stood to its full height, and flew closer, towering over her intimidatingly. "You know who I am." whispered the monkey in a harsh voice.

There was a pause for suspense.

"Wahaha!" cackled the monkey. "I thought that would be dramatic! I am Gankyozaru, Monkey King! And you are Princess Elise of Soleanna!" The monkey squatted, and the cloud floated down until they were at eye level. "What are you doing so far away from home?"

"I was-- hey!" began Elise, but before she could answer the monkey had hoisted her onto his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. "Put me down right now!" protested Elise. "Where are you taking me?"

"Where you need to go! Wahaha!" cackled the Monkey King, flying down south...

GUN Regional Commander Center: Station Square

GUN Commander Brutus Braxton was no longer at his desk. Now he was walking down a narrow, silver hallway with two GUN Soliders dressed in blue suits. This area of the Commander Center was home to a dangerous prisoner. There was a prison cell, but there was something odd about it. It was a room with no walls or doors... infact, this was the kind of place that didn't look like a prison.

Inside was... a hedgehog. His fur was oddly shimmering in the light; almost like flowing water. He sat in a wheelchair.

"Hello Commander Braxton." The hedgehog said without looking up.

"Hello my friend. I've discovered something interesting. There is a Hedgehog that looks almost exactly like Sonic! He was seen today, fighting Sonic in Station Square." Braxton informed him.

"... Really?" The hedgehog in the wheelchair looked up at him. "That's quite interesting... Can I meet him?"

"Not now." Braxton shook his head. "You can't even WALK. I'm going to have my associates find a Chaos Emerald."

At this point, Braxton picked up his cell phone... and dialed Rouge's number.

Station Square

Walking down the street of Station Square was Sonic the Hedgehog. He had his arms behind his head and he was whistling. He didn't seem bothered that a strange hedgehog who looked a lot like him had attacked him.

He shrugged and looked around. Maybe he'd go find Tails, that was usually fun -- and useful if there was going to be an adventure! Sonic zipped across the town, unaware of how close he was to Amy's apartment building.

Onyx Island

"Yes, I'm ready, Silver..." calmly stated a voice from beside the stone structure, where Blaze had been waiting for Silver. The purple cat then walked over to Silver, wearing her normal purple dress, as well as over-top of that, a tan cloak/cape. "Let's go..."

((I'm following your lead for the beginning, here, BR; you're definitely more familiar with everything here, as well as what the story is, than I am. And apologies for short post, but I'm quite tired right now...))

Mobian Hills

As Shadow ran across the grassy hills near Station Square, a unusually warm wind suddenly blew his way. It was a gentle breeze, but it seemed to blow only where he ran. It seemed like the wind was following him.

Then, over the sound of the wind, there was a voice. It was quiet, but it was clear. "Shadow..."

The voice was female. "You have to help them..."

The voice was familiar. "Shadow..."

It was a voice from the past. A voice that belonged to someone who was dead. "You have to save them..."

It seemed like this voice was speaking to him from afar. "Please, Shadow..."

It was Maria.

Alleyway

As it happened, there was someone in the sewer beneath Rouge's dumpster. This someone was also looking for a precious jewel... but his jewel was worth more than any diamond.

A moment later, the lid of the sewer was knocked off by a powerful fist, and a red echidna came hopping out of the sewers. He wore a cowboy hat over his head and he did not look happy.

Knuckles shook his fur off and grabbed one of his dreads, squeezing it out. He shook his head.

"I'd like to know how these stupid Emeralds wind up in the sewers!" Knuckles complained. He held in his hand the Purple Chaos Emerald -- since they aren't very important to the storyline.

He had no idea that Rouge was in the dumpster behind him.

Mobian Hills

Nearby Shadow, a gray animal was taking a walk through the area.His eyes were completely red. Death was strooling along when he spooted a grayish-blackish blur, but unlike Shadow's. "Huh" Death wondered,"What was that?"

So Death has now set off to find out a mystery of the E-ganix.

((Is this ok? It's my first time))

Mobian Hills

"Maria?" Shadow stopped instantly. It had been so long but he still knew that voice. "Maria? What is it? Who am I supposed to help?"

Land of Darkness

Mephiles the Dark approached the room with Evo in it. He was the leader of the E-Ganix. His skills and powers far excelled the others. And Mephiles knew exactly why.

He approached Evo and bowed. "What is your bidding my master? How may I be of service?"

Alleyway

Buried deep within the dumpster (EW), Rouge continued searching for her diamond - unable to hear the sewer lid clang to the ground. The bat dug, dirtied her white gloves, inhaled horrible scents until..

"Aha!" She quietly squealed as she popped out of the dumpster, only to see someone she considered a rival. As quickly as she popped out, she popped back in.

"One problem after an other.." Rouge whispered to herself, climbing over the sideof the dumpster farthest from Knuckles' back. The thief tip-toed away until the tune of Pachelbel's (?) Canon began sounding from her. (Haha, not a ringtone Rouge would have. BUT I LIKE IT, THEREFORE THIS ROUGE LIKES IT.)

"What? Oh, not now!" Rouge zipped around the corner and leaned against the wall.

"G.U.N.?" The bat questioned as she checked her phone. "Whaddya want?"

(Gosh. I love how Rouge & Knuckles always meet up coincedentally :D KxR4LYF.)

(Word.)

Alleyway

Knuckles was still draining nasty sewer water from his dreadlocks (he had a lot of them) when he heard a tune coming from behind him. He spun around, but by this point Rouge was already leaning against the wall hiding from him. Knuckles scratched his head.

Meanwhile, on Rouge's phone was Brutus Braxton; GUN Bigshot and Mr. Sneaky.

"Rouge! According to our Chaos Radar, there's a Chaos Emerald in your general area. Find it -- we have a need for them." Braxton didn't elaborate on the need for them. He never did -- he just gave orders.

That Chaos Emerald Braxton spoke of was in Knuckles' hand. Knuckles had failed to find the source of the music, so instead he went back to draining his dreads.

Mobian Hills

Maria's voice spoke again on the wind... how it seemed to do this is anyone's guess. This time, she spoke only three words.

"Station... Square... Sonic..."

Rouge smirked.

"You know, this'll cost you." Diamonds, rubies and all sorts of jewels flashed through her eyes. But then someone crossed her mind - Knuckles. And not in the way KxR shippers thought.

'Is that why Knuckles is here? Guess I'll just have to charm my way through this one.'

"We'll talk about payment later, ok?" She asked sweetly, but in a more demanding matter.

Without waiting for an answered, she exclaimed, "Great, ok!" Brutus was her 'boss' for now, so to say. But Rouge the Bat wasn't one to let anyone completely boss her around. The bat hung up and casually turned the corner.

"Knucklehead!" Rouge raised her eyebrow in a devious manner, but smiled.

"Fancy meeting you here!"

(( Perfect, tailsonic. ^_^ ))

ONYX ISLAND
(( The red is for the different dimension/time/whatevs. ^_^; ))

Silver held up a single Chaos Emerald. "If we use this Emerald that that hedgehog who stole the Sol Emeralds left behind, and do what he did, we should be able to follow him!" He held up the Emerald, and said, "Chaos Control!"

At first, nothing happened. Silver focused on the Emerald, and it glowed turquoise... then, faintly, a large blue sphere appeared above them. "We did it!" said Silver. "Blaze, let's go get those Emeralds back!"

Alleyway

Knuckles jumped when he heard a voice echo behind him. He spun around and narrowed his eyes at once. He knew who it was even before he saw her. Rouge the Bat. He hadn't seen her in quite a while. He crossed his arms, holding the Chaos Emerald close to his chest. He had a feeling she wasn't here to catch up.

"Rouge..." Knuckles didn't say much. He knew she was trouble. She was always trouble.

Alleyway

Rouge pouted a little.

"Hm. Don't sound so happy to see me. I know - you're stressed from guarding all these emeralds all the time! Tell you what, I'll just take care of this for you, ok?" The bat insisted, reaching for the emerald.

-Mobian Hills-

“Shadow,” a robotic voice greeted, walking up to one of his only friends. It was E-123, or more commonly known as Omega. “Is something wrong?”

-Station Square-

It was high atop a building, a certain robotic hedgehog gazed down on the city. He had witnessed Sonic’s fight with E-Sonic, not jumping in because he saw no need to. Metal Sonic was not here to fight.

He was here merely to think. He did not know what to do in his life, whether he should do as his programming told him or find another path. He was…confused…

Metal Sonic got up and looked towards the sky. Perhaps he should search for the original…

Station Square Heights -Appartment-

A small figure caught Amy's eye immediately revieling itself as her Sonikku. He was several flights down--for her appartment lied on the seventh floor-- but his azure frame walking down the street was unmistakable.Amy ran out of her house rushed down several flights of stairs, often hopping down two or three at a time. She hoped he would keep it slow until she made it down.

Tornado Garage

Tails smiled lightly as he tinkered away at a biplane, a former mecha of his own which was now being remodeled. Paint scattered the floor, as well as some randome pieces of machinery. He was going to finish his new updates.

(Sorry so short...I cant think of much)

GUN Regional Commander Center: Station Square

Braxton was not a fool. He knew he could not trust most of the people he had working for him. The wheelchair-ridden hedgehog would betray him the first chance he got. Rouge was a professional spy and thief -- and nobody with those qualifications was ever trustworthy. Shadow... Shadow may not be the villainous fiend that Braxton originally thought he was, but he didn't trust Shadow. The other associate... the one who had called him before.... he knew that person was a not to be trusted.

Still, Braxton was sure that everything would work out. He had only to wait.

Station Square Streets

Sonic was walking down the street -- yes, walking. Sonic usually ran places, but right now he was thinking. Thinking about that odd hedgehog from before who had attacked him. Sonic scratched his head.

Alleyway

As soon as Rouge made a move to take the Emerald -- as he suspected she would -- he jerked his arm back and held the Emerald above his head.

"You haven't changed at all." Knuckles shook his head. "Buzz off. I need this Emerald."

Knuckles pulled off his hat and stuffed the Emerald underneathe it and put it back on his head.

Alleyway

"Me, change? Never. You can be sure of that." Rouge almost walked away in frustration - but stayed put. The bat needed that emerald to please what's-his-face and encourage him more to reward her. Not that she was like a dog or anything - it was just business. Rouge didn't know what Brutus was planning, but she was smart enough to watch herself.

"What could you possibly be doing with that that's important than what I have to do with it?"

'I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need that more than him. I'm not going anywhere without that emerald. Even if I have to touch that stupid hat.'

Alleyway

Knuckles should have known he couldn't get away easily. She wanted the Emerald, and he knew from experience that she'd try just about anything to get it. She'd caused him quite a few headaches having to track down the Master Emerald before, and he had no reason to suspect she'd be any easier with the Chaos Emeralds.

"What could you possibly be doing with that that's important than what I have to do with it?"

Knuckles crossed his arms. "You mean aside from the fact that the Chaos Emerald's proper place is on the pillars next to My Emerald? If you must know, I need one of these to test some things out."

Knuckles didn't elaborate, but in all honesty it had to do with his death. As you may or may not remember, Knuckles had been killed by Mammoth Mogul, only to return to life as a green echidna with incredible Chaos Powers. While the new look and the powers had faded over time, Knuckles was still having some crazy lasting affects from that... wait, why was he thinking about all of that?

"Wait a minute... why do I have to explain anything to you!? You're not getting this Emerald, so beat it!"

Knuckles stomped his foot stubbornly.

((Reference to Twilight Alignment. ^^ Never got to finish my plans for Knuckles there, so I'll do it here! :p))

Mobian Fields

Shadow assumed he was the only person who could hear Maria's voice. "Omega, my apologies. I have something to take care of. I will see you later."

Shadow skated off, at his old speeds. He went down a hill and back up another one. When he reached the highest point on the hill, he jumped.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow said the familar words while tapping into the Black Emerald's power. A portal opened up right in front of him, and Shadow jumped right on through.

Station Square

A strange Portal opened up, and the Black Hedgehog jumped out. "I must find Sonic."

-Mobian Fields-

Omega watched his friend speed off, ignoring everything else.

“I must aid Shadow,” Omega said to himself, hurrying off. He couldn’t Chaos Control, but he’d try and find his friend anyways.

Somewhere in the current dimension...

After the warping from the Chaos Control took place, Blaze found herself in a strange new world. However, that "strange new world" was actually just a dimension where the world she knew was just a possible future path ((I guess? Just bear with me here...)). It also was the dimension where a certain black hedgehog had escaped to, the hedgehog she and Silver were trying to track down, as he had stolen the Sol Emeralds Blaze was sworn to protect.

The Shrine of the Infinity Emerald

The Infinity Shrine was a well-guarded place. It had been attacked before, but usually it's Guardian, Harle, protected it well. Not even Eggman could get into this place without a big fight.

Right now there was a young hedgehog girl in this place; but she hadn't had to fight at all. She was a part of the Infinity Emerald, after all, and she was drawn to it.

Maria stood in front of the Emerald in a new outfit, staring at the largest and most powerful of all Emeralds. What was she doing? She was concentrating her powers...

She was trying to summon up something. She had contacted Shadow and begged him to help Sonic... now she was reaching across time. Not to the Future, but to the Past. She was digging in the past, looking for a lost soul.

Her aim was to help Shadow, but she could not do it on her own. She was not ready to see Shadow yet... instead, she was trying to help him in another way.

Land of Darkness

Evo grinned as he approached Mephiles. "You've done well in obtaining the Sol Emeralds... however, I won't be able to tap into their power without the knowledge that Princess Elise possesses. You have within you the power to sense and track down beings that you've been in contact with... use that power to track her down!"

Station Square

Near to where Sonic was, Amigo and his sister Amiga were walking as well. It seemed Sonic was deep in thought about his battle with E-Sonic, so he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. That being said, Amigo and Amiga were so busy talking that they weren't paying attention. That being said, Amiga ended up bumping into Sonic and she stumbled, accidentally pinning him to the floor with her body.

((I'm sure Amy will freak out when she sees this. :shifty:))

Station Square

Sonic blinked.

"Hey, get offa me!"

The blue hedgehog wasn't expecting a monkey to suddenly fall on him, knocking him down and pinning him there. He didn't like it either. Confinment went against his whole freedom philosophy. Besides, he suddenly had a feeling like something bad would happen.

He was trapped beneath a unknown girl right outside Amy's apartment.

Infinity Emerald Shrine

Maria's calling was not for nothing after all. I reached it;s destination, the ears of a spirit which was restlessly wandering in the netherworld where it met with it's ancestors.

And the calling pulled it back...


At first, nothing happened. the emerald simply shone like it always did, radiating the power of infinite choices and possibilities. But soon, this infinite power began to expel, forcing the emerald to glow brighter and brighter. Then, a small wisp of energy floated from the top of the emerald and into the very center of the room right above the stone. That wisp was joined by another, and that one by another, until wisps came flying out of the energy-radiating stone, beginning to form a shape in the air.

At first, it was the shape of a blob. Then, it slowly transformed into a definite shape of a living creature. After a few seconds, it took the shape of a mobian and still the wisps kept coming, combining into one entity. The shape continued to grow, expanding into a mobian with 3 large, curved spikes running dowun from it's head to below the tail. The tail itself elongated into a feline one.

In a short time, the transparent body of Nite the Cathog was floating above the pedestal.

The wisps stopped coming then, and a large flare of power from the Infinity Emerald shot into the ethereal body filling it, shaping it, solidifying it and giving it color. A small wisp drifted from behind the previously ethereal shape and was hit with power as well, forming what looked like a miniature crystal figurine.

Power continued to collect, forming Nite's body. For the next 10 minutes, the energy continued to flow, finalizing Nite's genetic code and unlocked mind, giving him every gift that he has had from birth over his entire lifetime.

And then, with a final flare and a blast, Nite was sent flying from the Infinity Emerald, down onto the ground and rolling for a short while. The crystal statuette landed next to him, surprisingly unbroken.

Infinity Emerald Shrine

((Sorry my reply took forever! I was looking for something on DA... almost 300 pages. >_< No find. Anywho...))

Maria watched as the energies from the Great Emerald did their duty. Slowly she saw Nite return to life, and after a while he was back. Maria hurried over to where he had landed. She suspected that he would know who she was, despite the change in her apperance since her last encounter with any of them.

Maria approached him, wondering if everything had worked out. She knew perfectly well that she could control her powers better, but she had never attempted something like this. The Infinity Emerald was unstable and using it left her feeling drained.

"Nite?" Maria asked quietly. "Can you hear me?"

Maria no longer had any barring on him. The Infinity Emerald had managed to bring him back, but it's connection to him was severed now. Maria wanted to make sure everything had gone okay before she talked to him about... the problem.

"Nite, are you okay?"

Infinity Emerald Shrine

At first, there was no reply from the motionless body. But then, there was a minor crick as the cathog flexed his back and groaned.

"Ow... Okay, I'm getting sick and tired of all of these jumps. Can't you just give a dead cathog a BREAK???"

He twisted about so he was lying on his back and saw the Infinity Emerald.

"... Aww, crap."

He slowly rolled over again and stretched out like a cat does, his joints cracking and popping out all of it's kinks. Then, he lifted into the air and landed softly on his feet, looking at the emerald the entire time. Then, he finally turned back to the only other living being in the chamber, and...

"Well, well, well! That's a surprise! Maria Robotnik, right?"

The crystal statuette behind him suddenly moved. Shifting around, the tiny statuette spread it's wings and flew up, landing on Nite's shoulder. It was a miniature figurine of a drake, made entirely out of what looked like illuminated blue crystal with bright-green eyes.

Infinity Emerald Shrine

Maria watched Nite the entire time in silence. She said nothing, instead she reflected on what to say to him. Her argument wasn't a very compelling one... 'Would you be kind enough to help the hedgehog who killed you?'. Had circumstances been different, she wouldn't have bothered; but Shadow had an essential roll to play in the story that was now unfolding. She knew Shadow could not do it on his own... infact, she doubted if he'd survive on his own. Nite had to be involved.

"I apologize. I know that coming back to life is a unpleasent process." Maria spoke from experience. "Nite, something horrible is unfolding. I... can't go into details. It would cause more problems than good. All I can tell you is that this evil is connected to Shadow. I... I hoped that you would help him. He has a tough road ahead of him."

Maria turned away and looked at the Emerald. "I sent him to find Sonic, in Station Square."

Maria returned to Nite. "I know that Shadow... took your life... but he was... he is your friend. Please, will you help him?"

Infinity Emerald Shrine

Nite suddenly made a sound that he was probably NOT expected to make. He snickered, loudly and clearly, his face stretching into a grin.

"So, ole Shady-Whiskers actually followed my lead. What irony. Well, if he turned new colors, I guess it won't be too bad that I help out the best friend I had so far. So, did he really turn over a new leaf or is he still the "killer-Shadow-badass"? Because if he is the second choice, I think I have my work cut out for me."

He made a few lazy flips in the air, coming down in a position that looked like he was laying down on a bend in mid-air.

"I'll be glad to help the psycho out. Who better to help a psycho than a mercenary? I just have ONE requirement."

He looked Marie right in the eye at that one.

"YOU are coming along."

Infinity Emerald Shrine

(XD I should've known he'd do that!)

Maria was relieved that Nite wasn't going to hold a grudge against Shadow. She never held a grudge against any of the people who had killed her... but then again, she was one of those passifist-type people. She smiled... until he finished speaking.

"I... I can't." Maria shook her head. "I... there are things that I must..."

Maria wasn't trying to fight very hard. Truth be told she wanted to see Shadow.

"... very well."

STATION SQUARE
Blaze and Silver's portal opened up on a roof above Station Square! You can probably imagine whose apartment building it was...

"Finally! We did it!" said Silver. "Now we have to find the Sol Emeralds!"

Wumph! Just as Silver raised his fist in determination, a princess fell and hit him on the head. He collapsed into a heap with Elise.

"Gyahaha!" came a cackle from above. It was Gankyozaru! "Good luck, Princess!"
He flew away as Silver and Elise disentangled themselves. "I am sorry," said Elise, bowing to Silver and Blaze. "Hey, what's going on here?!" demanded Silver, pointing at her.

"My name is-- oh!" Suddenly Elise shifted her weight backwards, apparently not realizing she was on the edge of a building, and slipped backwards off the side of the building, almost falling right on Amigo! But before she could fall all of the way, a turquoise light engulfed her and she was flipped right-side-up and set down.

Infinity Emerald Shrine

"I knew you'd see it my way. It was in your surface thoughts after all."

He grinned getting back to the ground and raising his hand into the air, fist clenched.

"AWW YEAH! Back to this world means I get to taste flan again! YESSSSS!"

He made a little dance of glee at the thought, grinned evilly when he thought of how his own team would be surprised and turned to Marie, evil grin in place. It certainly did not help his friendly image.

"So, when do we go meet Shadow-boy?"

Station Square

Death was walking down Station Square thinking that his duplicate had run through here. While walking, he spotted a certain blue hedgehog being pinned down on the ground. Death decided to see what was happening and went over

"Hey,need any help?"Asked Death

Station Square

Amy finally had made it to the main level of her appartment. She was a little out of breath--she was seriously wondering how Sonikku could run so much-- but for the most part allright. As she opened the door she smiled and walked out--well she would of if her view outside did not include her "self proclaimed" boyfriend being pinned dow by some totally psyco girl monkey....Psyco......GIRL.....Monkey

It was safe to say that Amy was pissed.......VERY much so.....

"What the? Get off of my Sonikku!" Amy growled bringing her hand up. Out of nowhere suddenly appeared a hammer....A large one....A heavy one....And not one you'd want to get hit with.

"GET OFF MY BOYFRIEND!!"

Station Square

(( For the sake of... sakeness, let's assume all the stuff that happened here was actually just a few seconds long... ^_^; ))

Amiga had Sonic pinned down, by the accidental tripping and all, but it took her a few seconds to realize what was going on. Immediately after Sonic protested, Amy appeared! It all happened so fast, but the next thing Amiga knew, a crazy pink hedgehog was about to clobber her with a hammer.

Amiga quickly got up from Sonic and exclaimed, in her thick Central-American accent, "No! You don't understand! This was all just an accident!" She blushed and tried to dust herself off... she'd never had any kind of experience like this before... or any experience with boys, for that matter. Although she tried to explain it was just an accident, which it was... she found herself... somewhat enjoying having bumped into Sonic.

"I didn't mean to land on your... boyfriend..."

"What a strange feeling... is this what it would feel like to have a boyfriend?"

Amigo, meanwhile, was silently observing the growing situation.