Disclaimer: I own all the original characters except Mona whom is owned by Imperfection07 and the Sonic gang which is owned by SEGA.

Rants and Raves: I'm finally back on schedule for a bit and plan on finishing this story soon. There will be a slight twist at the end so I hope you've enjoyed it so far. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while but that was because I've just finished my PCS and am now at Kadena AB, Okinawa Japan. I'm still getting settled in and until I do, the stories will be posted on a chance basis but it won't take more than two to three weeks max till the next one. I know I posted quickly at the beginning but I'm right now using a friends computer her to post and I still have to wait for my belongings to arrive here and my internet to be hooked up in my new room. Looks like this may take a bit so I'll post as soon as I can again. Also thanks to all my dedicated fans. I'm extremely glad you didn't bail on me when you saw the gap inbetween chapters. I'll try to make it up to you as soon as I can.

Chapter 74: Aether Gate part 3

"How do I get this blasted gate open?" Shadow said to himself in anger as he looked over a gigantic steel wall with only a large fifteen foot tall gate for an opening. The wall ran through a plain with nothing to stand on to try and climb over. "I've came this far," he continued as he paced back and forth, "No stupid gate is going to stop me."

"I thought my machines picked up an intruder," a voice said from behind Shadow which made him quickly turn around for a fight but instead found a holographic image of a heavyset man dressed in a red jumpsuit and a black open penguin tailed jacket that was yellow at the cuffs and had medium sized yellow strips that started wide at the shoulders and came to a tip about three quarters of the way down the coat from the shoulders. On his face he wore a pair of solid lensed reflective sunglasses and a pair of weilding goggles ontop of his head along with a bushy gray mustache that extended beyond the edges of his mouth.

"Eggman Nega I presume," Shadow said to the hologram as it looked a little amused at the lack of fear from the black hedgehog.

"That is who I am," the hologram said in response and looked like it was typing something into a computer from the way the hands were stretched out and going through typing motion. The hologram paused for a moment before raising one hand to his chin. "Your not in my database of all living creatures on this planet," it responded to its look of minor surprise, "Mind telling me who and how you got here?"

"My name is Shadow and I've came to make a 'deal' with you," Shadow said in response as he placed his dark determined look on his face.

"What kind of a deal?" the hologram asked as it stood before him with arms crossed over it's chest area.

"Let me in and I'll tell you about it," Shadow replied as he turned a bit towards the door to signal what he was saying.

"Under one condition," the hologram said in response.

"What?" Shadow replied with a moments hesistation.

"Kill the ones that are following you," it replied back with an evil look on its holographic face.

"Fine," Shadow replied back as he closed his eyes and waved his hand at the hologram in an I don't care motion, "Now let me in and once we finish the deal I will kill them."

"Oh, you get me wrong. I want them dead before you enter," the hologram said with a large evil toothfull smile as a small laughter came from his lips as a female wolf burst from the edge of the woods and spotted Shadow talking with the hologram. "You can start with that one," the hologram said as it pointed towards her and Shadow recognized exactly who it was. He didn't know what to do at that moment because he didn't expect this to happen and he knew if he didn't do as he was told then his entire plan would be ruined.

"I wish to kill this one slowly," he said back as an idea came to his mind, "May we capture her instead for now?"

"I guess we could use her for some of my experiments," the hologram said as the door opened up and three figures stepped out from the shadows. All three looked robotic except they all had biologic parts still placed on them as if they were turned that way against their wills. "These toys of mine will capture her and bring her in," the hologram said as all three raced forward and he watched as Mona drew her sword to fight them off but in a short battle she was easily overwhelmed. A tear fell from Shadow's right eye as he watched the fight as he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"I want to be the one to kill her," Shadow said as he quickly regained his senses and turned back towards the hologram once more, "I know this one and it would be true fun for me."

"I'll let you do that once I've had my fun," the figure said as it fizzled out as the figures finished carrying her inside and the doors slammed shut quickly behind them.

"DAMN IT!" Shadow yelled out towards the sky as he threw his arms out from the sides with his fists clenched and eyes closed as he knew his plan was figured out from the first word.

Meanwhile with Sonic and gang

"Damn it," Sonic said in a whisper as he watched the three figures carry Mona into the fortress, "We were to late."

"Do you really think Shadow is turning on us again?" Tails asked as she was stooped below a bush that was on the outskirts of the forest edge.

"He's up to something but I have a feeling that it just failed," Harisaki said as he watched Shadow yell to the sky at its failure.

"I really wonder what gave you that idea," Sonic said in a sarcastic way as he also saw the scream and Tails had to hold back a laugh as she saw the look of half anger half surprise on the tigers face from the comment made towards him.

"Nows not the time for this," he quickly responded as he shook the stupor from his mind and resumed his determined look, "Right now we have to find a way to help him and now save Mona."

"I agree," Tails said as Sonic sat near them in thought.

"Do you still have the climbing gear with you?" Sonic asked after a moment of silence as they all watched Shadow pace back in forth in the open.

"Its in the bag back at the camp," Harisaki said as he looked back towards Sonic as the two then noticed Tails looking up at the canopy of the forest.

"We have rope," Tails said as she pointed up towards a vine that was hanging above them, "Now all we need is a hook or heavy anchor." The other two just nod at the idea as they both took to a tree and began to climb.

Meanwhile inside the fortress

"I can't believe that stupid hedgehog let me capture one of his friends," Eggman Nega said to himself as he stood in front of a computer and a bunch of monitors that showed all around his fortress and one that showed a group of animals heading his way. "They are making this to easy but I... WAIT!" he called out as he recognized one of the animals in the group, "She was one of the ones that helped stop me from collecting all of the emeralds about five years back," he said as he quickly punched in a sequence into his computer as it zoomed in on the face of a pink hedgehog that was within the group. "I will get revenge for what happened and I think I will use my new 'guest' as bait." he said as he turned around and just when he did, the doors to the room opened and the three figures walked in with Mona in their arms. Laughter was the only thing that could be heard from that room for a few moments longer before it turned to complete silence.

To Be Continued

End Chapter 74

I'll write responses to the reviews with my following chapters. Yes I know this chapter is short but I've got little time on this computer to use and a lot of things to do. I promise to post a longer chapture next time so please be patient and who knows, I might even extend this story a bit once I completely start up again.