Another character I've been fascinated with is the black and red hedgehog that shares the all too familiar silhouette of our favorite hero Sonic. Of course I'm speaking of Shadow the Hedgehog. I find the mysteries of his past intriguing, so I decided to write my idea of his story. I hope you all will enjoy reading about….

The Origin of Shadow the Hedgehog

Chapter One

"The Awakening"

"Who am I….and why can't I remember anything?" Shadow tried to remember his past as he hovered over a red planet. "All I know is my name and that I work for Black Doom, everything else is a mystery."

Traveling the universe alone has given him lots of time to think. He looked around at the vastness of it all. "Space…my home. Who else is as lucky as I who can travel the galaxies? To watch stars being born…and dying? To see the universe and all it's glory? And yet… I feel confused, uncertain. Where do I come from….why do I serve?"

He had the ability to travel from planet to planet in search of the Chaos Emeralds. Shadow had no idea of why his master needed such things but search for them he must.

Searching took him from planet to planet with little luck. Whenever Shadow found a planet that contained high levels of energy, he would give the signal for his master to come. Black Doom would invade and consume the planets' energy and everything that inhabit it.

Here Shadow found himself once again giving the signal of yet another planet for his master to invade. Out of the skies came the black creatures, calling themselves the Black Arms. The mysterious alien army by their sheer numbers and power would leave a path of destruction in their quest to overtake the universe.

As Shadow looked on, the planet was engulfed in fire and explosions as the Black Arms tattooed their presence in red. He continued to watch as space ships would take off from the planet in attempt to escape the intrusion. "Time after time I have observed wanderers forced from their homes, having to leave their planet in order to escape the black arms as they invade and destroy, yet never does the sight cease to be a bitter one. Why does it cause me so much pain and confusion to see these creatures suffer?"

As he continued to watch the total destruction, a dark diabolic creature arose from the ashes, their leader, Black Doom.

Shadow gazed upon his master and remembered back to the day he first recalled meeting Black Doom while floating in space in suspended animation. It seemed ironic that this meeting was as far back as he could recall. He remembered as if it was yesterday. Black Doom had freed and spoke to him as if he knew him.

"Shadow…I have brought you back from the abyss for I have great need of the powers you possess. You were created with the ability to seek out high energy life forms. There are emeralds that possess great power. These Chaos Emeralds, have been scattered to a world somewhere in this infinite universe. And I need you to help me find them! I will bestow upon you a source of my own power. Cosmic bolts of awesome power shall be yours to behold." Shadow remembered the intense heat surging through his body, and yet, felt no pain. Black Doom continued, "And now, neither the frigid cold of the deepest space nor the blazing heat of the closest nova shall harm your shielded body. Even your own mind will be a page for which I shall write! I shall give you the means to travel faster than the fastest star ship, so that you may soar to the ends of the universe and beyond. The day of reckoning will soon be here!"

Shadow could feel the energy flowing into his body, into his soul. He could feel the ultimate power increasing inside of him. "Master, I am ready to serve…"

Black Doom spoke, an evil grin across his face, "Good, now go forth Shadow, with all the power I have given you. Find the Seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me!"

Perplexed by the dark figure who somehow knew him by name, Shadow was left wondering what clues Black Doom held to his past and what was meant by "the day of reckoning."

Back to the present, Shadow now looked down upon the now lifeless planet. He continued to watch as the black arms, complete in their mission, return to the skies from whence they came.

Shadow did not mind serving Black Doom, but spending time alone can bring lots of questions to one's mind. He wondered, as he often did, when Black Doom will tell him about his past. "I must ask him again, for I must know who I am."

The jets on his feet flew him up toward the one he served. As he approached Black Doom, he asked the questions he had been pondering while in the vastness of space, "Master, I've been wondering, how is it you knew me when we first met? And why was I in suspended animation when you did?"

The Black Doom turned toward the black and red hedgehog, "Always with these questions Shadow. All that should concern you is that you retrieve the Chaos Emeralds as promised. For the day of reckoning will soon be here. All shall be revealed to you Shadow once I find that of which I desire….Now go and bring them to me!"

Shadow flew out towards space in his search once more. But he couldn't help ponder his conversation with the Black Doom.

"If he says he knows the truth about who I am, then like it or not, I have to believe him. The only way I'm going to get the secrets to my past is to get those Chaos Emeralds!"

*to be continued….

Thanks for reading, and I promise it'll get better in the chapters to come. Please read chapter 2 and let me know if I should continue this story or not.