Chapter 1 - The worst days of my life

A great sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or Ruroni Kenshin, Linkin Park, or Black eyed Peas or fairly odd parents for that matter.

By Emma Hoffman





Chapter 1: The worst day of my life



Some say death is the ultimate sacrifice. My mother Maria Robttnik said those words a lot before she was killed trying to protect me and my siblings.

It was just a normal day, I was walking to lunch and my friend's kept popping up in my face.

"Hey! Shadow! Did you see Fairly Odd Parents last night; it was hilarious!" It was my best friend Knuckles the echidna. Although he can be very annoying, he's really nice, just don't get on his nerves.

"Yeah, Knuckles, I saw it and I've seen it about 12 times before... Oh, ummmmm... Hi Tikal..." Knuckles' VERY beautiful sister Tikal had come out of nowhere (I have a HUGE crush on her).

"Hi Shadow, uhh, ya think you could get everyone to sit at the same table for once?" She asked

"Sure! Anything for you, my love!" That's what I was tempted to say, but, luckily, I kept this little thought to myself and contented myself with just saying "Sure." I immediately sent a telepathic message to everyone else, Espio, Luna (my sister), Chance (my brother), regretfully Amy, VERY REGRETFULLY Rouge, Cream, her Chao, Cheese, and Tails.

We met at the table that I had specified in my message,

"Last one at the table has to sit at the one next to us!" yelled Chance. Tikal was the first one there; I was in a close second though (In truth I let her win). It ended up that Chance, who suggested it in the first place, came in last.

"Okay, now who here wants to be in a commercial?" asked Tikal

Instantly Knuckles and Luna's hands shot up, "Okay... anyone else?"

"Why would you want to be in a dumb commercial, Knuckles?" asked Espio hitting Knuckles' shoulder, Knuckles struck him back.

"Espio! Cut it out! Otherwise you won't be in it!" Screamed Tikal,

"He hit me too!" said Espio pointing at Knuckles

"Knuckles..." Said Tikal warningly. I started to snicker... I can't help it. It's funny when Knuckles gets yelled at...

"Shadow!" Tikal snapped at me,

"What did I do? No seriously? What did I do?!" I said sarcastically. She creeps me out when she's livid.

By the time we got outside I had a slap mark on my face... for being 'a smart aleck' (She's so pretty when she's angry... oops... sorry... off the subject). Recess was well uneventful. Anyway when I said good bye to my classmates -besides Knuckles, Tikal, Espio, Cream, Cheese, Tails, Amy, Rouge, Chance, and Luna, they all go on my bus- I didn't know that it would be the last time I'd see them (Besides those mentioned above) for a long time.

"Maria! We're home!" Luna called as the three of us-that is my siblings and I- took off our backpacks and put them on the couch,

"Um... Shadow... Could you come upstairs? Alone?" Maria replied

"Oooooooooooooooooooooo..." said Chance and Luna pointing at me, "You're in trouble...." They concluded (I, Shadow just came up with nick-names for them: Annoyance1 and Annoyance2 oops... I went off the subject again...). I glared at them and went upstairs.

"Shadow, Ten somehow got into your room," said Maria, "and, for some reason he tried to destroy everything..."

"How in the world did I get him mad this time?" I wondered aloud,

"By existing!" said a malevolent yet very familiar voice.

"Shadow! Look out!" said Maria as she pushed me out of the way of Ten's laser's discharge. I turned and murmured

"Ten..."

Metal Sonic Ten stood before me an evil smirk on his face and a smoking laser in his hand.

"For once Shadow you will not save your precious Maria in time!" said Ten. He smirked and fired another shot of his laser this time however, it was directed at Chance as though to get me to leave Maria's side. I jumped to push Chance out of the way but Maria got in the way of the laser to save Chance. Ten's laser hit her chest and she cascaded down the stairs. I ran to catch her for if the laser hadn't killed her the fall would.

I caught her just as Ten said

"Just as I planed... Heh, heh" I tried to yell at Ten but my voice was caught in my throat all I could manage to say was,

"You..." before I turned to Maria

"Is she...?" asked Luna, I sadly nodded

“Maria... Why did you...I... It's my fault...I should have attacked Ten when I had the chance... "I murmured. I turned to confront Ten but he was long gone.



Chapter 2: The aftermath of the Storm



"Shadow! Could you come out here?" asked Tikal from outside. It was two weeks after a certain robot killed a certain person (I don't want to say her name and if I say a certain robot's name, I'll probably curse! Oh yeah I stayed at home both weeks.)

"I can't come out I'm practicing piano!" I shouted back, I was playing a stupid song called 'Regret' it's sad and really pretty but I like songs more like 'Breaking The Habit' and 'Lets Get It Started'. Anyway, Tikal called to me again,

"Awww...come on Shadow... I have something for you!" is what she said,

"Huh, something for me? Okay, I'll come down!'' I replied.

Sweet! I get to stop practicing early... but Maria would want me to practice for longer... I don't wanna think about it... I thought as I walked downstairs.

"Hi Shadow, shouldn't you still be practicing the piano?" asked Ten appearing beside me. I obviously still had a major grudge against him.

"I'm taking a break...aren't I permitted to do that?'' I replied scathingly,

"Well, I suppose so... but make sure you're back by sundown, I might have a job for you. Besides, we wouldn't want your brother getting hurt would we?" said Ten, "Chaos Control" he disappeared in a flash of green light.

"Stupid robot..." I muttered incoherently. By the time I got outside all my friends were there.

"What are you all doing here?'' I asked

"Ummmmm... listen, we uhhhhhhhhhh...were wondering if you wanted to maybe become a member of the 'Sonic Team' but only if you want... Uhhh, we have a key and everything," said Tikal, I noticed that she was blushing furiously; in my mind I thought she likes me... All right!!! If I confess my love for her then I can have a girlfriend! But then a nasty little voice popped up in the back of my head, Ahhh... but there's a small problem with your plan and its name is Sonic the Hedgehog! Ahhh yes Sonic I forgot to mention him. He is the most self-centered, egotistical, arrogant, conceded, bigheaded jerk I've ever met! If he found a mirror, he'd probably stare at himself for hours! Mr. Ego a/k/a Sonic was in front of the rest of my friends.

"Listen, Shadow any funny business, such as stealing the chaos emeralds and you're out! Ya got that?!" he said glaring at me it was very clear that he liked me about as much as I liked Ten (which is about as much as I would like having pneumonia, measles, strep throat, and whooping cough at the same time!). He thrust a key at me,

"Here, with this you are an official member of the 'Sonic Team'. Take it! Be happy I'm even letting you in! Anyway the tree house is right in my backyard, be there at 10:00pm tonight so we can chose your room. Be there or you have to give the key back!" said Sonic (A/KA the king of all big heads!),

"He's lying Shadow. He's just mad about Tails breaking his action figure of himself-" said Tikal slyly.

"I was so young, so new, so shiny...and then he" Sonic pointed at Tails, "went and broke me! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Wailed Sonic. Knuckles fell over, in fits of silent laughter. I joined in almost immediately. Sonic, mister 'I'm a man! I don't cry, men don't cry!' standing there bawling at the top of his lungs, tears flooding out of his eyes was a hilarious phenomenon.

I told them that I'd be there and walked inside thinking that nothing could ruin this perfect day.

Chapter 3: A new home

"What do you mean? I've gotta go tonight! C'mon! You've gotta let me go Doctor!" I yelled as my current guardian told me that I couldn't go to pick out my room that night

"Shadow, you try to go I set Ten on you," said the bulbous and very fat human that was Dr. Eggman.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........." said Ten sitting on the sofa. He and his "brothers" Metal Sonics 1-9, 11, and12 along with Eggman have lived with me, Chance and Luna for as long as I can remember.

"Hey. Ten. OY! METALBONEHEAD!” I yelled to wake him up,

"Zzzzzzz.Huh, wha-... oh... uhhh...-ahem-... uh you were saying Dr?" said Ten embarrassed for having a lie-down during Eggman's speech.

"You will go after Shadow if he tries to sneak out!" Eggman bellowed,

"'You will go after Shadow'... Why should I?!" said Ten mockingly

While Ten and Eggman argued I grabbed my bag, Chance and Luna followed suit walked out almost never to return.

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"Well if you don't mind I brought my siblings with me, I mean I can't leave them with Ten and Eggman can I? Cause I have to take care of them now right?" I said as I entered the tree house

"Sure Shadow! It's ok! I'll have Tails make two more keys," said Tikal "All of you can have you're own room"

"But, I want to sleep with Shadow!" said Chance. This was one of the first things he had said since Maria had protected him.

"Chance... oh okay, you can share my room..." I muttered,

"Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" shouted Chance hugging me fiercely, and, after that he became very talkative again (I'm still not sure if this is an improvement or not...).

“Oh and Tikal?” I muttered.

“What?”
“Could you keep this for me? I never want to see it again. It holds too many memories.” I held out a necklace with a shard of a Chaos Emerald on it.

“Okay Shadow! Now, let me show you to your rooms…”

Unfortunately I didn't notice the feeling that I was being watched.

"So he's in the 'Sonic Team' now... I don't believe he's coming back home, Sir.... most likely he'll live here in this tree house thing..." said Ten into his communicator

"So we'll have to kill him and his siblings in the 'Sonic Team' tree house." Said a malevolent voice that even Ten couldn't help but shiver slightly at.

“Unfortunately it's covered with security mechanisms…” began Ten nervously

“No matter… it should be simple with your new recruits on our side…”

The voice began to laugh, a sound that even today haunts my dreams. It was cold and mirthless and before leaving Ten couldn't stifle a second shiver at the horrible sound.

Chapter 4: Ten's new recruits.

"So your mom was killed trying to protect you guys... that's so sad... no wonder Shadow's so... so...-" started Tikal

"Anti-social?" Knuckles suggested,

"Ahhh... put a sock in it Knuc...I mean Robert..." said Tikal as we all cracked up,

"Tikal. Ikari. Echidna." retorted Knuckles (Ikari means Temper in Japanese)

"Oooooooooooooooooooooo..........." we all said and turned to see Tikal's reaction to this. Her face was bright red and her bright blue eyes were burning with a fierce fire.

"Uh-oh... I sense a lot of rage coming from her... DUCK IN COVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I shouted as steam started to come out of Tikal's ears.

"KNUCKLES.... YOU'RE DEAD!!" she screamed and proceeded to tackle Knuckles.

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(A/N normal P.O.V)

"I realize that you really want to kill them Ten uhh... sir but calling in new recruits? Don't you think that's a little rash? I mean you Eleven and I could finish them easily! So do we really need back up?" said Twelve hesitantly.

"You know, Twelve you may have a point.... there's just one problem... WE STICK OUT LIKE SORE THUMBS!!!!" shouted Ten in reply. He shook his head at the idiocy of his “brother”.

“Sometimes I wish that we weren't related, Twelve… Then I could destroy you…”

"Well who are these new recruits of yours Ten...?" asked Tens Boss from his Throne in the shadows.

"Yes sir I'll tell you... since we stick out when we're around Shadow and his friends-" started Ten

"Get on with it Ten! You useless weakling!" shouted Metal Shadow. Ten seamed to shrink slightly as he eyed him disgustedly.

"Um, yes uhhh Sir... They are the Dark Sides of our enemies...may I introduce: Dark Shadow, Dark Chance, Dark Luna, Dark Tikal, Dark Knuckles, Dark... Amy, Dark... Ummmmm... Rouge, Dark Cream, Dark Espio, Dark Cheese, Dark Tails, and Dark Sonic?" said Ten apprehensively.

"Well, well, well... for once you've done a superior job Ten... If these... these... sinister incarnations manage to injure one individual in the 'Sonic Team' then you get promoted to my right hand man..." said Metal Shadow. Your plans always fail anyway Ten so, it's highly improbable that this one will work.

(A/N Shadows P.O.V again)

"Um listen, Tikal? Can I speak to you? Alone?" I asked softly after Tikal was finished beating up Knuckles.

"Is Shadow, the stone, actually trying to ask Tikal out?" said Knuckles skeptically.

"Shut up!" I said feeling myself blush. At this point Tikal was blushing too.

"Uhhhh...Shadow...if Knuckles is right then..." Tikal started, and glared at Sonic, "Sure!" Sonics jaw dropped.

"What? But Tikal...I thought...I thought...that you were my...girlfriend..." said Sonic meekly as tears welled up in his eyes,

"Well Sonic, you were, if truth be told, nice to me and all...but... all you ever talked about was yourself. Plus you kept on pulling things on me.” Said Tikal putting her arms around me. I felt my face go red, "So, well I was gonna break up with you anyway...and at the moment I have feelings towards Shadow...cause I mean he's always been so kind to me...so... Are you okay?" she said this because Sonic had bowed his head and was shaking. I walked over to him and asked the same thing as Tikal had,

"Are you okay Sonic?" He looked up and punched me in the face. I could understand why he did it, but that didn't stop me from hitting him back.

"You're the most horrible kind of person there is Shadow. I let you into my secret group, I'm nice to you, and then, and then you steal my girlfriend?! What kind of friend are you?! Huh?! Tell me! No, I already now what you are...A double-crossing, lying, Faker! In fact I have half a mind to tell them your little secret!" shouted Sonic the tears in his eyes streaming down his face.

"Sonic, please, you don't know what will happen if you tell them... please...don't..." I pleaded,

"Oh, I'm gonna tell them alright! Shadow is the Research Project!" Sonic shouted at the top of his lungs (Everyone thinks Research Project Shadow is the bloodthirsty monster created by a mad scientist to destroy everything. This of course is a lie. You see, Ten framed me, or the research project as I'm called by the military, for all the things the research project supposedly did, in truth Ten forced me to do all of these things. Get used to me being called the Research Project people!). I felt myself begin to twitch.

"I can't believe you just did that Sonic...Do you realize what you just did...?" I said deathly quiet.

"I revealed you for the fraud that you are?" suggested Sonic

"No, besides that..." I muttered loathingly,

"Uhhhh... I don't know..."

"You just revealed my exact position to the military-"I started

"Good! I hope they bar you from the world forever!"

"No, they won't... because you're going to get me out of here."

"NO WAY!" shouted Sonic obviously not persuaded.

"Then I'll have to force you to...Chaos Inferno!" (A/N the Chaos Inferno is Shadows strongest attack.) I don't know why I did it. It was a mistake. I lose control when I get to angry. Sonic had immediately collapsed in agony. Suddenly I heard clapping. I swung around to see Ten floating a few inches off the floor, about a yard from Sonic,

"Good job Shadow...heh...first you get me the emeralds and now your doing my dirty work for me...heh...I'll finish him off" Ten said as his fingers elongated into claws.

"......Traitor......." muttered Sonic as Ten advanced

Why that low monster! Attacking a man while he's down? Now that has got to be the lowest thing he's ever done! I thought furiously

"If you lay a fing-...er... claw on him I'll do what I'm about to do again!" I shouted as I used the most powerful Chaos Inferno I've ever used on Ten. He flew through three walls a T.V. and a tree after I hit him (The low life robot is in the military so that's probably the only reason that he was at the tree house.).

A few hours later, Sonic was in a makeshift medical wing. Tikal walked by and I tried to tell her that it was a mistake to attack Sonic, but the second she saw me she gave me a look that visibly stated that she hated me.

"Sonic, My Official boyfriend, wants to talk to you," She said coldly "Probably to kick you out!" she added nastily. I bowed my head and prepared for the crushing pain in my heart when Sonic told me to give up my key, but it never came.

"Listen Shadow... Thanks for what you did back there you...you saved my butt." is what he said. After that Sonic and I became fast friends.

Chapter 5: The Recruits Attack

"Alright! Summer Vacation here we come!" I shouted as we got on the bus for the last time for 3 whole months!

"Uhhhh... Shadow...Ten's about to come on..." said Chance fretfully. You see the last time we had seen each other we fought and he won. He has a sword now. I'm very jealous (it's about 3 months later, nothing's really happened).

"Shadow...don't fight him here... wait till we get to the tree house..." said Tikal. I nodded and sat down. No sooner had I done so when the said robot entered the bus. He was still limping from the Chaos Inferno that I hit him with three months ago. I still had 5 large cuts on my forearm from were he slashed me with his stupid claws. He shot a laser at me as way of greeting; I dodged it and replied sarcastically

"Good to see you too," He glared at me and sat down.

The next person who came on made me cry out, "What the heck?!!?" for he looked exactly like me-That is black hair, red eyes, red shirt, black pants-! (Did I have a stalker???????) He sat down next to Ten. After he did, someone who looked like Tikal walked in-orange hair, blue eyes, white tank top, multi colored skirt- and sat down in front of the one who looked like me. This continued until there was a double of everyone in the 'Sonic Team'. The only difference in them was the fact that they all had a scar over one eye. All of them! (There was even one of Cheese! It was a Dark Chao! So that one was completely different. Oh sorry I went off the subject again...) as we started to drive Ten leaned over and said

"I guess you noticed my new friends or do you always have that dumb, confused look on your face?" I lashed out at him but Knuckles held me back

"Come on Shadow, you know the deal...you attack Ten on the bus, I tell the military where you are..." said Rouge tantalizingly (She's a government spy...evil bat she is...ahhh, sorry Rouge don't hurt me...) I glowered at her and sat down

"The people that you think are stalkers, Shadow are actually your dark sides!" said Ten.

"Uh, What?" I replied

*Sigh* "Must I explain everything to you? The dark sides are just like you except Evil!" said Ten.

"Hmmm? So they look like us but there evil..." I muttered nodding "They'd be perfect for ambush attacks against the 'Sonic Team' right Ten?"

"Exactly! I'm planning on attacking them tomorrow! I'll switch Shadow with his Dark side and, and Awwwww... you made me spill my plan!" whined Ten as Knuckles and I gave each other Hi-fives.

By the time we got to our stop, we had gotten all kinds of info out of Ten! Although he gave us one disturbing little tidbit... He likes Tikal (she's still Sonic's girl, but she'll probably dump him soon… he keeps …ahem…pulling stuff on her)! Ten and his dark buddies got of first, followed by the 'Sonic Team'.

"Last one to the Tree house is a rusty robot called Ten!" I shouted to get on Tens nerves.

"THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHADOW, ATTACK YOUR LIGHT SIDE!!!!!!!!" barked Ten

"With pleasure! Negative Inferno!" (Anything with negative in front of it is 1. an evil attack, 2. something that I am extremely weak against) Shouted my Dark side. I instantly got hit with the attack from behind and collapsed in intense pain.

"I'll finish him off…" said Ten viciously advancing slowly on my twitching body.

"Stay away from him you jerk!" shouted Tikal throwing a rock at Ten. He turned and started towards her. He extended his claws and prepared to slash her across the chest,

"Tikal!" I shouted as I pushed myself up and jumped in the way of the blow. Ten's aim was true; the slash hit my chest and sent me flying. I hit a tree and blacked out.

Chapter 6: Recovery

"It's amazing that he survived the combined force of the Negative Inferno and the slash not to mention-" said a familiar voice somewhere above me

"Please, Tails *sniff* don't remind me of what happened…" said a female voice-also quite familiar,

"Personally, I can't believe he didn't die of blood loss-" said a voice that I knew even if I was semi-unconscious. It was Knuckles.

"Shaadoooowwww…………" said my brothers' voice. I tried to open my eyes but they seemed to have a mind of their own. Every time I tried to open 'em they'd close tighter!

*Gasp* "I think he's waking up!" said the female voice that I recognized as Tikal's.

"Unnnnnn…wha…Tikal…...What am I-I mean Where am I?" I muttered incoherently.

"Ohhh…Shadow!" said Tikal throwing her arms around my sore body.

"Ow! Tikal… Get …Off!" I said as she hugged tighter.

"Tikal you're hurting him!" said Chance. She got off and was immediately replaced with Chance and Luna clinging to my arms.

"Chance…Luna…I appreciate all the affection but, GET OFFA ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Yeah, you're back to your old self Mr. doesn't know how to socialize." said Knuckles

"Awww, come on Knuckles I know how to socialize…"

"You…*sigh* you don't even know how lucky you are!" said Tikal worriedly.

"You guys worry too much! Don't ya remember what I looked like when you first found me?"

"You bet I remember! You were in the hospital for weeks! I even have pictures! Want me to go get them?" said Sonic excitedly,

"No, no thank you Sonic…Anyway I didn't really have time to thank you… so thanks." said Tikal.

“No…” I began to say, but I passed out before I could finish.

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(A/N normal P.O.V)

"So, you didn't manage to kill him…and yet the injury's should have done it…This is what you're telling me, correct Ten?" said Metal Shadow sounding very irritated,

"Umm…ummmmm…Yes Sir Metal Shadow Sir!" said Ten petrified at the thought of what Metal Shadow might do to him,

"Well then, you're a failure again. Now can you get Shadow close enough for me to fight him? Can you at least accomplish that?" asked Metal Shadow skeptically

"Umm yes…yes sir…He will be captured…" said Ten

"Don't even try, you'll just fail. Just set up a tournament where I will fight him. Got it?!"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now go. Set this tournament up before I-" Ten made a noise that sounded remotely like a mouse and muttered, "Yes sir."

The second he left Metal Shadows room he was back to his dominant, bossy self.

"Eleven? Twelve? I want you too to set up a tournament in which the Sonic Team will go against us. Their dark sides, except Shadows, and our Boss will be entered. Shadow MUST fight Metal Shadow. Got it?"

"Yes sir! One tourney every thing but the Dark Shadow on it!" shouted Eleven.

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Chapter 7: The truth of shadows past

A few days later we got a phone call from Ten.

"What do you mean we hafta go into this tournament?!" I practically was yelling into the phone,

"Either you do, or your idiotic red haired friend meets his maker!" Ten was also yelling I was holding the phone a foot away from my face and I could still hear the stupid robot. Sonic was hovering near the door apparently lost for words and looking at me as if I was crazy (Which I most certainly am not!).

"How dare you threaten me with Knuckles?!?" I yelled,

“Ohhh…so his name is Knuckles… Eleven make a note of that!"

"That, you stupid robot is COMPLETELY OFF THE SUBJECT!!!!!!!!!!"

“So? It could be of use to us.”

I sighed “Yeah, well, when is this stupid tournament?”

“As soon as you're in fighting condition”

I stubbornly hung up the phone as Tikal walked over to ask what the conversation was all about.

“Ten wants to fight us in a Tournament, if we refuse Knuckles dies, and it's scheduled for the second I'm in good fighting condition.”

“That's a problem considering that you'll be fine in a couple of days!” said Sonic finally coming in to the room that I was lying in. He immediately wrapped his arm around Tikal's waist. His hand began to stretch towards her butt, but she smacked him before he got very far.

“So I guess we'll have to do this…” I muttered

“Looks like it…” said Sonic rubbing his face with one hand and reaching towards Tikal with the other.

“Um, Tikal?”
“I got it Shadow.” She back fisted Sonic in the nose, knocking him over.

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(A/N normal P.O.V)

“Argh! That stupid cocky Hedgehog!” raged Ten as he slammed the phone down after Shadow hung up on him.

“I mean if it wasn't for me he wouldn't even be alive!”

Why did I save him? Ten thought as he stared at a hologram of Shadow that showed what he was doing at all times.

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(A/N Flashback normal P.O.V)

Shadow ran through the military base as thousands-well it seemed like thousands-of sirens screeched an alarm to alert the officials who captured him of his attempted escape. As he ran Ten appeared next to him matching his speed exactly.

“Shadow! You know you can't escape!” he shouted as Shadow attempted to loose him.

“Even so, I can still try!” Shadow replied as he put on an extra burst of speed, leaving Ten far behind.

As Shadow rounded the corner, the base began to shake violently. He didn't notice a piece of the ceiling as it began to fall. The huge stone landed on the boy's leg. He screamed in pain and looked up in time to see many more about to land on him. He screamed again and covered his head. The blocks of stone landed on and around him.

All of the military officials were mortified by what happened. Ten could see one hand exposed and watched as it twitched slightly. His eyes widened and he ran over to the pile of stones that Shadow was under. He prodded the hand and swore that he had heard a moan from under the rock.

What should I do? He thought, as he heard Shadow moan again, My hatred for him tells me to leave him, but my instincts tell me to help him…why? Of course! The fact that I was also created by Maria, so… is this…brotherly affection that I feel? I'll help him today, but next time he won't be so lucky!

Ten destroyed all of the stones that covered Shadow. He lifted the boy up and cared for him until he was well enough to leave. He had told him many times that this was the only time that this would happen.

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(A/N flashback over! ^_^ normal P.O.V)

“That's right; I only saved him because I felt like his older brother… I just ignore that feeling now. Love is so pathetic.” Muttered Ten after viewing the memory file.

“A pathetic emotion…hmmmmmmm… maybe I should just have Eleven remove the part of me that feels brotherly to Shadow…hmmm…I think I might keep, it might come in handy…I don't know how, but it might…”

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Chapter 8: The Tournament

When the day that the tournament was to take place dawned, everyone was uptight and looking at me as if it was all my fault. I was just as nervous as them, I just didn't show it. When we left for the designated spot, an old stadium, Tikal held out a small package.

“What-?” I began but she cut me off.

“Take it. It might come in handy.” She replied putting the package in my hand.

“But what is it?”

“Something you told me you never wanted to see again.”

“The necklace?”

“Yes,” I held the necklace and rubbed my finger on the shards rough surface. I remembered how Maria had given it to me when I had nearly died trying to save her. She had told me keep it with me always, and for years I did just that, I never let it out of my sight. That was before she died, and afterwards, I never looked at it or touched it. So I had tried to give it away, but now that I had it again, I felt that I had Maria with me. I felt stronger and more confident. Little did I know that I was about to lose all of that confidence.

We entered the stadium and took a first look at who we were fighting. I felt my stomach drop, it was my team versus Tens and I was against the worst of Eggman's creations: Metal Shadow. I had never thought I would have to fight him again. I enjoyed fighting Ten since we were evenly matched. But Metal Shadow had a huge advantage against me. In truth he was only a little stronger than Ten but since Metal Shadow and I were briefly united in spirit, he knew all about me. My likes, my dislikes, my strengths and my weaknesses. I had always suspected that he was the one that created the earthquake that nearly killed me at the military base all of those years ago. I started shivering involuntarily, even Ten was afraid (Barely!) of Metal Shadow. Ten's claws could double his finger length, but Metal Shadow's were as long as swords. Not only that, but if he got close enough to me, then he could take my body over, (then again, so can Ten…hey! That rhymes!) When Metal Shadow does, it's very painful.

Everyone else's battle went uneventfully, besides the fact that Knuckles sent his dark side to the hospital. Out of the ten battles, my team won five and Tens won five. My fight with Metal Shadow would decide who won the tournament. I wrapped my necklace around my hand in case of emergency, and entered the ring.

Metal Shadow stood on the other side of the ring, Ten behind him sulking (apparently, he wanted to be the one to kill me). Metal Shadow was like my double in human form, but when we showed our true forms, you could see plainly that he was a robot. His deep blood red eyes looked playful as if this was all one big video game that he was winning. He looked me over,

“That's it? This is the Shadow that you can't seem to kill, right?” were the first words out of his mouth. His voice was deeper than Tens but had the same malevolent tone to it. But, unlike Tens, if you listened carefully his had a metallic tone to it. Which was interesting, they had both been created by Eggman, hadn't they? He never made anything differently; (besides more armor and power and less brains…) they were all the same.

“Yes sir... That's Shadow… don't you recognize him from your last fight?”

“Ahh yes! This is the same pathetic little boy that I beat in one hit last time?” His voice now sounded challenging as though willing me to attack him first. I just glared at the pair of them.

They're just stupid buckets of bolts who want to get on your nerves. Don't let them make you lose your temper…I thought as I shifted in to my guard stance. Okay, he'll probably cheat and use a sword, a heavy one, I can dodge that, but claws I can't block or dodge… but I've got the emerald… I might have to resort to using THAT…no I can't… the Ultimate Inferno uses way too much energy…I'll only use it as a last resort.

I lunged at Metal Shadow with a side kick to the jaw. He took the blow, grabbed my leg, and pulled sending me to the ground fast. He extended his claws and would have killed me if I hadn't chaos controlled out from under him at that second. He pulled his claws out of the ground and began to advance on me slowly. Then quick as a flash he charged and dug his claws into my arm. I cried out in pain and he began to speak to me a horrible grin on his face.

“You're going to die, Shadow…there is nothing you can do about it, you may have lived the last time we fought and at the military base but now you will die!” He tossed me in the air and appeared above me before delivering a crushing blow sending me crashing down to Earth. I slammed into the ring creating a small crater around me and breaking a few ribs. I coughed up blood as Metal Shadow landed in front of me. He began a slow advance

“I'm going to kill you Shadow…and nothing anyone does will stop me.”

At this point death seemed so…inviting. I was loosing so much blood that everything was getting hazy anyway.

Maria…I'll be seeing you soon… I thought as Metal Shadow grew closer extending his claws to there length.

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(A/N Normal P.O.V)

Ten stared as Metal Shadow grew close to Shadow who seemed close to death anyway.

What? Not this feeling again…I can't save him…I know…I may want him to die but not at this stupid robots hands…this time I'll save him to kill him another day… Ten thought and nodded. He disappeared and appeared in front of Shadow. He took the blow for Shadow. Sparking madly he rose and slashed the amazed Metal Shadow a lot. When the robot was busy attempting to get up, Ten turned to the semi-unconscious form that was Shadow.

“Shadow! You've got to use the ultimate inferno, now!” Shadow nodded and shouted the words that would drain him of half of his remaining energy. Metal Shadow went flying out of the ring as Shadow passed out.

**********************************************************************************

(A/N Shadows P.O.V and a few days later)

“Unnnnnn……do I have to get up?” I muttered as Tikal rewrapped my wounds for the fifteenth time.

“No you don't, you have to stay right where you are.” Off in a corner Ten muttered something that sounded like “stupid hedgehog”

“Awww, come on big brother, heh this is gonna be so fun!” I said as Ten glared at me.

“Actually, Shadow, that was the last time that I will help you. During the repairs, Eleven removed the part of me that felt that way for you. Ha!

“Oh, and may I just say that we are enemies again after this, and Metal Shadow hates you even more.”

“I didn't know that was possible…” I muttered as Tikal giggled.

“Oh, yes here is what you won.” Said Ten reluctantly. He held out a small package. Dropping it on my bed he disappeared. I reached inside of the bag and pulled out a pure black emerald. I pulled the necklace off of my neck and removed the shard. I carefully made a shard of the same shape and put it on the necklace.

That night I opened my closet. I left everything that reminded me of Maria in there. I looked at the green shard one last time before placing it next to my favorite picture of Maria. Tears silently ran down my face as I said quietly “Good bye Maria…I'll never forget you…”

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