Firon ran slowly through the trees of the Great Forest, trying to avoid crashing into the trees or tripping on any branches or tree roots. His thoughts were mostly centered around the dream he thought he had. He remembered about the death of the evil dictator, Eggman, along with the destruction of Robotroplis, and the dark image of a black hedgehog. For some reason, all of this seemed real to Firon, but he refused to believe it was real.

"Just all a dream...a really bad dream," he kept telling himself. He felt a urge to stop and look back, where Robotroplis was, but he kept his mind on going back to the Freedom Fighter Camp.

"A bad dream?...no, it was a nightmare," a faint voice said inside Firon's mind. The gray hedgehog tried to stop, but was too late as he tripped over a branch jutting from the ground. He fell to the ground, onto his stomach. He got back up, regaining himself

"What was that?" Firon asked himself, looking around him. No one was in sight, and all he could see were trees, grass, and bushes.

"Do not act like you forgot me...we met, in your so-called dream," the voice grew familiar to Firon as he began remembering. It was the voice of Shadow Shade, his dark side. Firon's eyes grew wide, but he kept his expression mild as he spoke.

"Where are you?" the gray hedgehog asked, looking everywhere "I don't see you anywhere,"

"In your mind...finding the key to becoming free...this should just take a while...ah, here we are," Shadow Shade replied calmly.

"What are you doing? What in the-?" Firon's voice was cut off by a sudden movement in his head. He felt his skull crack, and his head hurting from what seemed like hard stabbing in his skull.

"What...are...you...doing? It hurts..." Firon gasped, falling to the ground on his knees. Blood dripped from his mouth, and unbearable pain spread through his entire head.

"Look far, and you will see the truth...you had no dream...and now, I will take control, and fulfill my destiny...to destroy the world!" Shadow Shade yelled out in glory. Firon lifted his head slowly, his eyes landing on an open path leading out of the forest. Far in the distance, Firon could see black smoke rising into the air. The destroyed ruins of Robotroplis. Firon wasn't too shocked, for pain overtook him and he couldn't even yell for help. He fell to the ground, blood spilling out of him like a fountain.

Searching the forests, was Sonic the Hedgehog and Firon's half-brother, Speedix the Hedgehog. The two of them were searching for Firon, who they thought disappeared yet again to kill Eggman, and go against the laws of the Freedom Fighters once again. Sonic and Speedix walked through the dense forest, only to hear pained gagging nearby.

"What was that?" Speedix asked Sonic in curiosity, looking to where he thought the source of the sound was.

"I dunno, it might be a survivor, lets go check it out," Sonic replied, heading further into the forest, with Speedix following him.

Firon laid completely still on the ground, his fur beginning to turn black, and his eyes turning red.

"What...are you doing to me?" Firon asked in hopelessness. Shadow Shade didn't reply for any reason, he sensed the presence of two hedgehogs coming nearby. Finally, he replied in a evil and crooked voice.

"Ending your misery...and bringing a new beginning...and ending to this world...just give up, and your suffering will end..."

"No...I can't....no..." Firon's body was halfway covered in black, his eyes no longer resembling his regular blue eyes. Sonic and Speedix came rushing through the trees, seeing Firon's suffering form on the ground.

"Firon?" They both said in despair as they stared in shock at Firon becoming fully black, and his eyes turning red everywhere. His spikes and spines jutted upward and a newer, fully-grown and longer spine struck out the back of Firon's head to join his other eight spines, pointing downward.

Firon stood up from the ground, now looking completely like and turning to Shadow Shade. Sonic and Speedix were far from shocked, and stood in attack stances. Shadow Shade turned his view to them, his hand slightly raised and aiming at Speedix.

"Why hello there, brother...and goodbye" the dark hedgehog said in disgust and hate, shooting a spear of energy from his palm, which drove itself into Speedix's chin and through his chest. The red hedgehog's face had a paralyzed look, showing that he had just died. Blood flooded from out of the burning wound in Speedix's chest. Shadow Shade removed the energy attack, revealing a clean, stainless hole that showed what was on the other side of Speedix through it. Speedix fell to the ground without a sound. Sonic was overtaken by fear, with Shadow Shade turning his attention to the blue hedgehog.

"I don't have time to mess around with you...I have a whole world to destroy..." the black hedgehog teleported behind Sonic, kicking the blue hedgehog with extreme force. Sonic zoomed into the trees, breaking many of them in half before finally crashing into a strong bark tree, and stopping him.

"I'll be seeing you later, Sonic the Hedgehog...Chaos Control!" the black hedgehog disappeared within a ball of red and white energy, with the energy ball quickly disappearing into nothingness as Shadow Shade teleported through time and space. Leaving Sonic to lay unconscious in the forest.