You know, some point in a person's life, someone has to ask: "How does this begin?"

I am often asked about the origins of my AI artwork. I often answer them that I wrote a fanfiction called "Alpha Identity"

The original version was far from what I had truely intended, for at the time I wrote it, I was still a closet Sonadow fan. So there was no Sonadow references at all.

In late 2003, about the time that the first season of Sonic X launched in America, I had started to write a rewrite of AI, but this time centering it more around the Sonic X series at the time. It was probably my best writing.

Alas, the rewrite was not to last, for my laptop had fried somewhere in the middle of my writing the third chapter. And I was too depressed to go back and finish it.

Until now.

Now that I am far far out of the closet, I have revisited and reread over my AI stuff (because people keep asking me about it), and so I feel...confident now, to continue where I left off, and write AI in the version I had intended, with some new ideas injected in.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present at long last: ALPHA IDENTITY UNCUT.

Last thing: Shalita from the previous 2 chapters is now "Siren"

Chapter 03: "Shadow"

Siren was all too glad to lead Sonic down through the city, headed back for Central Command. A large crystal palace overlooked Hope City, and Siren escorted her guests inside.

In the Foyer, Siren was greeted by Sophia, who waved to the others.

"Hey Sophie, can you show our guests to their rooms? I'm going to show Sonic to the medlab."

Sophia nodded with a smile. "Naturally." She leaned in close that only Siren could hear. "You-Know-Who is waiting in the lab, and he's NOT in a good mood."

Siren rolled her eyes. "Lemme guess. The dreams. AGAIN."

A quiet nod from Sophia was all Siren needed to sigh. "I'll deal with it. Sonic, Chuck, follow me."

Once in the medlab, Siren gestured around. "Alright Chuck, feel free to look around. Sonic, come sit here on the table..."

She smiled and patted a spot on the medical table for Sonic to sit at. As Sonic sat down, Siren gestured to a lab table. "Chuck, when I get your medical samples from Sonic, you and I can check them out over here."

Chuck nodded. "I gotcha."

Siren turned towards another door. "Just...give me a few minutes. I have another patient to deal with..."

"No problem Sy," Sonic said, as Siren slipped behind a door.

Chuck shook his head. "What a strange day this has been."

"Hey, you're not the one getting hunted by some crazy lady vampire chick," Sonic pointed out, folding his arms.

"Touche."

While Chuck was checking out the lab equipment, Sonic was sitting on the table, thinking to himself. Something felt weird as he sat there, and he couldn't help but wonder that there was this strange feeling of deja vu. At that point, Sophia entered the lab. "Hey Chuck, can you give me a hand for a moment? I got some equipment out in the hallway here, and I need to know what you guys are gonna need to check out blood samples."

"Sure thing," Chuck replied.

Sophia nodded, taking Chuck's hand and leading him out from the medlab. Sophia poked her head back in for a moment to look at Sonic. "Be right back."

Sonic waved his hand at her. "Hey, no problem. I'll be right here..."

Sophia nodded and closed the door, leaving Sonic alone for a bit. As Sonic sat there, his ears were able to pick up some noise going on in the other lab. Was he imagining things, or was he hearing the sound of fighting coming from the other lab? A loud THUD moments later, and all was quiet. Sonic blinked. What was that all about? "Uh...Siren? Is everything okay over there?"

Suddenly the sound of footsteps were heard, and the door opened. But it wasn't Siren standing in the doorway. In fact, it was a male black hedgehog, bearing red stripes, red eyes, and a white tuft of chest fur. Sonic seemed to pale at what he was seeing, reconizing the other. "Sh...Shadow...?"

Ruby eyes transfixed on the other for a moment, reconizing the blue hedgehog silently, before he stepped forward, making his approach directly towards Sonic. Sonic's eyes widen. He thought Shadow had died after the ARK had been destroyed. But here was, approaching Snic with a determination in his eyes. The first idea that came to Sonic was to bolt, but he knew the other hedgehog was just as fast, and twice as deadly. But he didn't want to become a sitting duck, either. Sonic's ears flattened finally, glaring at the black hedgehog. "What're you doing here? What happened to Siren???"

Sonic bolted to his feet, hands up in a defensive position, but was rather taken by suprise when Shadow grabbed his hands and pushed them away, leaving Sonic wide open. Though with Shadow's hands being preoccupied holding Sonic, what could Shadow possibly do now, Sonic wondered.

The answer, he found, was MUCH more suprising, for, as if in a drunken stupor, Shadow leaned in and pressed lips to his, taking Sonic by suprise, his eyes widening. Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic's most hated rival...was kissing him?

Sonic tried to move his arms, though admittedly doing it feebly so. He felt so weak in body. Surely Shadow was not THAt strong...was Shadow getting stronger? He didn't want to admit to getting weaker, and yet...those lips. They were suprisingly soft and gentle...and his breath...it had a sweet, yet spict scent...cinnamin and pepperment? Eyes slipped close, and Sonic felt his mind drifting away from reality...

The door opened and Chuck and Sophia came in, both carrying a box of equipment and chattering up a storm.

"-so the energy output becomes so great, it takes time for the portal generator to warm up," Sophia said.

"Amazing," Chuck marvelled, looking up. "It must take a lot of-HOLY HANNAH!"

Sophia gasped as Chuck dropped the box of equipment, staring ahead towards where he was viewing Sonic and Shadow kissing. Sophia stared and blinked before she dropped her box of equipment and ran for the ajoining lab.

Chuck didn't know what to do or say, staring at the two hedgehogs. On one hand, he could see now that Shadow, a hedgehog once focused on destroying the world, and saved it, was alive.

On the other hand, he was LOCKING LIPS with Sonic...another GUY.

And apparently Sonic wasn't aware of anything that was happening, until he heard a large CLANG, and Shadow fell away from Sonic, unconcious. Behind Shadow, Siren stood with a large, heavy medical tray in her hand, having wacked Shadow upside the head with it. Siren sighed as she set the tray aside. "Shadow is NOT gonna be happy when he wakes up."

Sonic blinked, as if in a daze. He looked up to Chuck, then to Sophia, and Siren, then down to the unconcious Shadow. "Wha...what jus-"

"Uh-" Chuck started to speak, but Sophia disrupted.

"YOU WERE K I S-"

"SOPHIA!"

Siren cut Sophia off before turning to Sonic. "I am so SORRY Sonic. Shadow's been having problems as of late, so I tried giving Shadow a drug to help him sleep. But something about it made him go insane, and he knocked me out for a moment. He must of been sleepwalking or something just a moment ago."

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck as Siren and Sophia helped the unconcious Shadow up and took him from the room. He looked up towards Chuck blankly, who just stared back. "...what...?"

Chuck finally shrugged and went to pick up the box of equipment. "Other than the fact you looked like you enjoyed that-"

it finally dawned on Sonic what Chuck was saying and hit the panic button. "Now look man-!"

Chuck actually laughed. "Calm down, Sonic. Nothing's gonna be said."

Sonic breathed a sigh of relief. However, as Sophia and Siren were coming back to the room, he added. "Just...be careful of what you say and do around Shadow. You don't know how he truely feels yet."

Siren agreed as she went to set up the medical equipment. "Yea, you never know. The truth will set your heart free."

"Okay, enough!" Sonic demanded. "Let's just get this thing done and over with..."