Sonic walked inside the Freedom HQ as Y/N was helping Tails with the data.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous...! Where the heck is Fiona?"

"I don't know..." Y/N sighed, looking down a little.

She noticed Tails' expression was sad as if he knows something. Knuckles walked in after with the Extreme Gear and Kirby on his shoulder as his fur was puffed out and messy, but he sure look like he had a lot of fun.

Y/N giggled at the sight and patted his fur back straight.

"No-show on the mission. No-show about any other time... Yo, Tails! Have you seen her lately?"

Tails said nothing and was about to leave when Y/N walked over to him.

"Tails?"

"I... I can't say."

She frowned.

"Why? Don't you trust me?"

His eyes widen and shook his head.

"No. Of course I trust you! It's just... I don't want you to get hurt emotionally..."

"Why? At least, tell me."

"I... I'm sorry."

Tails quickly fly off, leaving her in thought.

"I... I don't understand."

"Are you two fighting?" Knuckles asked.

"I don't think so." Y/N said.

"Is Fiona still disappearing on you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm really beginning to wonder if..." Sonic started.

All of the sudden, Tails fly back in with wide eyes.

"Sonic! Y/N!"

"Ha! I knew he'd come around!"

"Tails? What's wrong?"

"It's Shadow! He's headed this way, and he's under attack!"

"What?!" she exclaimed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Indeed that Tails is right as Shadow was running away with a disk in his hand and six hairs in the other from the two red robots. They send out bolts of electricity which he quickly dodged them, but it grazed the disk he was holding, damaging it a little.

"No!"

Y/N, Sonic, and Tails came in on time and destroyed two robots into pieces.

"We've got to stop meeting like this." Sonic smirked.

"Shadow! Are you alright?" Y/N asked in concern, walking over to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but..."

He looked down at the disk and saw a burnt mark on the edge.

"Oh..." Y/N frowned, guessing it must have answers for Shadow.

"You couldn't show up ten seconds earlier!" he yelled at Sonic.

"Why, you're welcome, Shadow. I'm glad we could help your profuse gratitude is touching."

Shadow sighed, looking away.

"...You're right. I apologize."

"...You do?"

"You are?"

"You and Y/N are the only one I can turn to. This is the diary of Professor Gerald Robotnik. This disk contains all the answers. Who I am. What I'm meant to be."

He handed Tails the disk.

"Please, Sonic and Y/N. I need to know who I am."

"No worries, Faker. We've got you covered."

"You know, I've always told you that you can't find answers from books, DVD's, computers, or anything. You have to find it yourself from your heart, mind, and soul. But if you really want to know who you are, then I'm willing to help, Shadow."

"Thank you, Y/N." Shadow smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A short time later...

"I don't know how much we can do for you, Shadow. The data is so old and i's so damaged that a lot of the information is corrupted. If we tried to dig into what's left, it might corrupt the whole thing." Tails informed.

"I refuse to turn back now." Shadow declared.

"If I may— If you were to physically interface with the data, you might be able to find out what you need." Nicole said through the screen.

"You can do that?"

"It will take only a few minutes of preparation."

"Then, yes, let us do that."

"Emphasis on 'us,' Faker. I'm not letting you have all the fun." Sonic said, elbowing him.

"I'm in." Y/N said.

"Pooteetah." Kirby joined in.

"Don't worry about Freedom HQ. I'll keep an eye on things here." Knuckles said, leaning against the door frame.

"Cool. And tell Fiona I'm looking for her, if you see her."

"Let us hope. Sonic... Y/N... Shadow... We're ready." Nicole said.

In a flash, they are now inside the hallway. Y/N recognized the place as they're back in Space Ark.

"Wow! Haven't been here in a while."

"I still remember like it was yesterday."

Y/N smiled fondly at the memory of her singing to Shadow while looking at the window where Earth is. Kirby who's on her shoulder was looking at the window too in awe with a gasp.

"Yeah." Shadow smiled, remembering as well.

"It's just as I feared. Our very presence is accelerating the degradation. We need to be quick." Nicole said, appearing next to them.

"Nice look." Y/N complimented her with a smile.

"Thank you, Y/N. I've run into some difficulties, but..."

"I thought you said we need to be quick." Shadow said, already moving.

They entered the room and what Shadow saw surprised him.

"Shadow! Welcome back!"

Standing before them was Maria Robotnik as Y/N remember seeing her in Shadow's memory.

"You! Maria... I thought I'd lost you forever." he said, taking her hand.

"Don't be silly, Shadow. As long as you hold me in your heart and thoughts, we'll never be apart!" Maria smiled down at him and turned to the group. "Who are your friends?"

"Friends...?"

"Hi, I'm Y/N. And this my friend Kirby and my brother Sonic. It is nice to finally meet you in person."

"Hello, Y/N, Kirby, and Sonic."

"Yeah, hi, we're still here. We're here to get some answers, remember?" Sonic reminded.

"Of... of course... Maria, I have been in captivity for the past fifty years. I've forgotten my purpose... Who I am... Please, tell me..."

Maria gasp.

"Fifty years? We need to speak to grandfather right away!"

She ran down the hallway as they followed her.

"We may have to cut this short. The data is fragmenting fast..." Nicole warned them.

"I'm not leaving until I know everything." Shadow said.

"Then know everything, you shall..."

In front of them is Gerald Robotnik.

"Hello, son. Fifty years is a long time to wander in the dark." Gerald greeted him as Maria wrapped her arms around his left arm.

"Yeah, can we get the abridged version, professor? We're short on time here." Sonic said.

"Of course. In short, Shadow.. You are the ultimate protector of life on Mobius."

"I am?"

"Initially, your body was to be the source for a cure. Maria developed the rare neuro-immunodeficiency syndrome. There is no cure, and I hoped to make one in you. But there were barriers I could not break in my research. Desperate, I sought of the aid of Black Doom, a monstrous alien who wanted you to be his greatest weapon. He helped me create you... the ultimate life form... and give you his rare skills in Chaos Control. Little did Black Doom know that I would later change you to be a champion for Mobius against him and his Black Arms. The Black Arms will return to Mobius in fifty years."

(A/N: Pretend it happened like in different times.)

"Already happened, Professor."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They attacked Mobius two years ago. Luckily, Shadow defeated Black Doom and send the Black Arms to leave and never return." Y/N confirmed.

"Really. Well, I'm very proud of you, Shadow."

"So... What am I, then? A cure? A weapon?" Shadow asked.

"You are a savior, Shadow. I'm so sorry so much has to be put on your shoulders, but you are well prepared. You were created with my love for the people of Mobius so that you may protect them."

All of the sudden, the floor beneath them began to disappear.

"Whoa! No more floor!" Sonic gasped.

"The digital matrix is collapsing! We have to get out! I'll make us a way out. You get Shadow!" Nicole said, creating a door.

"Way ahead of you, Nicole!"

Sonic and Y/N ran over to Shadow.

"Shadow, we have to go!" Y/N said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No! I still have questions! I can't leave Maria again!"

"Shadow..."

Maria placed her hands on his cheeks.

"You have to go and protect everyone now. And you'll always have me..."

"...If I hold you in my heart...! Goodbye, Maria." Shadow shakily said with tears in his eyes.

Maria smiled and turned to Y/N.

"Take care of him. It was nice meeting you."

"I will. On my honor. You too."

"Pooteetah." Kirby waved her goodbye.

Then, Sonic, Shadow, Y/N, Kirby, and Nicole all ran through the door back in the Freedom HQ before it disappeared. They landed roughly on the ground. Kirby looked a little dizzy from rolling around while Y/N and Shadow are on their belly with Sonic upside down.

"Whoo-ha! What a ride!" Sonic cheered.

"Sonic! Y/N!" Tails called. "I'm glad you guys are back!"

"Ditto! Did Fiona ever—?"

"Snively's attacking outside, and Knuckles is fending him off all by himself!"

"What?! Why?!"

"He wants his hair back!"

"That's it?! Such a child he is!!" Y/N growled in anger.

Shadow ran towards the table that is nearby and picked up the six hairs and ran out of the HQ. Sonic, Y/N, Kirby, and Tails went after him as they caught up to see Shadow standing on the destroyed red lobster robot glaring down at Snively. Y/N ran over to Knuckles who's holding the claw open that stopped closing in on him.

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. I am the union of ideals dark and benign but ultimately built in the name of love."

Shadow threw the hairs at Snively who flinched.

"I am the ultimate lifeform. I am the protector of Mobius. Run home to your master and tell him. This is who I am."

Snively nodded and grabbed his hairs and flee in full speed. Y/N smiled in proudness as Knuckles landed on the ground next to her.

"Hmph. Show-off."

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be as moody and brooding as ever." Sonic said.

"I wouldn't even say that, but call him whatever you want." Y/N said, shaking her head.

"Well... after all that, what do we go?" Tails asked.

"We find out why Fiona is vanishing lately. It's time we got some answers!"

"You're right. And once we do, I need to have a talk with her." Y/N said, looking down at Kirby in her arms who gave her a nod.