B.C.E.

"Mew?" Her ears perked slightly at that. "I remember stories..."

*

She followed him, lifting her tail out of the water. "Just like you? What do you mean?"

Kale sighed. "Dammit Anton, Psych's gonna have our heads if we don't get something accomplished... Let's check out that building. Maybe the people there know where we can find the cross-breed..."

Shadow did his best to control his emotions.

"The leaders of the echidna tribe didnt know how we survived the master emeralds wrath, especially seeing how me and echo were dead as we left our mother's womb. They decided we were just reflections of life: accidents brought about by the vast amounts of power unleashed. Tha's why were called 'Shadow' and 'Echo'."

&

"Me and Shadow run around looking for trouble-" He said, panting.

"And so do you! We should hang out!"

&

An orange Ehinda wandered into the clearing ahead of Anton and Kale. She looked about for a moment before shouting.

"CHAO! CHAO!" Se rushed over to some bushes, despretly trying to find that which she lost.

The hedgecat frowned. That was sad...

*

"I don't look for trouble," she corrected. "But okay."

Shadow noticed her countanence change. He smiled falsely, trying to cheer her up.

"It's not that bad. We're alive.....I guess....and that's good!" He really needed Echo. He wasn't the least bit eloquent when stuff like this happened.

(

"Sweet. And they said Shadow and Echo would never make new friends." Echo suddenly stopped.

"I think this is it."

"Yeah... Um... You... You don't care that I'm mixed?"

*

"Let's find out." The water was to her knees now and she didn't like it one bit... Frowning, the dog opened up the ceiling.

"Not at all." He said, approaching her again.

$

Echo and Sunny appeared behind the Ophanage. Shadow and Star were visible about 50 yards away near the forrest line.

She didn't back away that time. "You won't hurt me?"

*

Sunny grinned and started towards them.

"No. I won't." He said soothingly, then he took her hand.

&

Echo followed. Then he pointed at Star.

"Looks like Shadow made friends with the half breed." He said cheeringly.

The hedgecat blushed, but didn't pull away.

*

"She's not half anything," the dog snapped. "She's a person like anybody else."

Shadow blushed aswell, then looked at the others.

"Looks like our firends are back."

^

"Ok ok!" Echo said. "It's cool. Im not rasist."

Smiling, the hedgecat darted to the dog and hugged her tightly. "Sunny!"

"Hi," the dog greeted, hugging back.

Echo and Shadow hi-fived.

"Whose the new friend?" Echo asked.

"Star." He responded.

"Star, this is Echo."

"Hi," she said shyly. "Um... this is Shadow."

"Oh. Hey."

Kale sneaked behind the building, just as a precaution, and he saw the four. He ducked back behind the corner before he could be seen, motioned to Anton, and peeked around the corner again. "Yep, it's them. Now listen, here's what we're gonna do..." His voice was barely audible as he quickly described his plan. Anton began sneaking around to the other side.
"...Now!" Kale shouted, and they surrounded the group on either side, between the orphanage, themselves, and the thick forest. "Stop!" Kale readied himself to leap out of the way should Sunny try anything.

The dog growled, created a wall that surrounded them on all sides. "Definitely not safe here..."

"Anton, do it!"
The huge cat began beating on the wall, steadily reducing it to rubble.
[Around them or around Anton and Kale?]

[around the kids]

Sunny's ears went flat and they were suddenly underground in another tunnel. "Run!" she snapped and the hedgecat made no qualms - quickly darting away.

Anton broke through the wall not 30 seconds later, Kale urging him from behind. When the wall gave, he rushed through the tunnel in pursuit, Anton struggling to keep up. "Hurry up, Anton! They're getting away!"

"Shadow do something!" Echo yelled. He grabbed Shadow and stopped right there. Shadow graed onto Star and Sunny.

"CHAOS CONTROL!" They vanished instantly.

%

Tikal fond her chaos and brought it back to the masr emerald's shrine. SHe had just set it down when se saw a glow comming from behind it.

%

Shadow and he kids appeared on the steps. He attempted to get up but was to shakey and fell back onto star.

"Takes a lot outta me." He huffed.

"What are you doing here?" Tikal asked.

%
Echo stood his ground, readying shadow's abilites to aid him in the dark.

[Remeber, inside the tunnel is absolute darkness]

Kale sighed as he felt around in the dark. "That didn't sound like them being scared. That sounded more like them escaping." Suddenly he felt a presence. "Anton, stop. ...Who's there? Unless your dream is to be a red stain on the ground you'd better speak up!"

Echo summoned two Chaos Spears, illuminating te area around him.

"Here's the deal. Either you both leave right now and never come back...or else!" Echo cringed a how bad that sounded.

%

"Why is it always him who has to stay behind?" Shadow sat down on the marble flooring.

"Idiot always throws himself into danger for nothing...."

Kale flinched at the sudden light and the danger of the weapons the other wielded.
"W-Whoa, just... Just take it easy now..."
[I forget, do they home in on their target?]

Star frowned, hugging the hedgehog. "I'm sure he'll be just fine."

Sunny scowled. "Idiot... I coulda helped..."


[Okay, guys, this is it for me for a while. I'm going home tomorrow for a week. I may not post again until next Sunday]

[No.]

Echo backed away slowly.

"Now then. Just back off and we can do this without anyone getting hurt."

)

Her put an arm around her too.

"Yeah. You're right."