Amy hummed quietly to herself as she sprayed perfume around her neck. She wanted everything to be perfect tonight. Why? Tonight would be her first date with her love. Yes, she finally got Sonic to go on a date with her. And more importantly, it was going to be a double-date. Shadow and Tikal were going to be there as well, and Amy wanted everything to be just perfect (and romantic).

Taking a deep breath, she stepped back to examine herself. She furrowed her eyebrows. How was she supposed to know how she looked without someone else's opinion?

As if on cue, the doorbell to her apartment rang.

"Coming!" she called, and stepped away to answer the door. To her relief, it was Tikal.

"Hey, Tikal. What are you doing here so early?" Amy greeted, stepping back so the echidna could come in.

"I just wanted to come in so I could get an opinion on my clothes," the apricot echidna answered as Amy closed the door.

Amy's heart raced with joy. "Really? Same here!"

Tikal smiled, but then asked, "So, how do you think I look?"

Amy held her breath as she turned around. Tikal was absolutely gorgeous. Her necklace and accessories were shining as if they had their own pride, and her white sleeveless dress that went below her knees twirled slightly. To tell the truth, to Amy, she looked like an angel.

"Wow, Tikal. That's beautiful. Shadow will LOVE that!" Amy breathed.

Tikal blushed at the compliment. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, how do I look?" Amy quickly asked, turning in a circle.

Tikal smiled. Amy didn't look so bad herself. Her normal rings that were around her gloves were shined to perfection, and her red dress was similar to Tikal's, except for the fact that she had a translucent red fabric that draped behind her back and around her arms. Instead of her normal red boots, she wore red sandals like Tikal's white ones.

"It's wonderful," Tikal commented, bringing her hands together.

Amy looked at Tikal, her eyes full of hope. "You really think so?"

Tikal smiled, and laid a hand on the nervous hedgehogs shoulder. "I know so."

Amy smiled back. Just then, Amy's alarm clock beeped. The pink hedgehog looked at her watch.

"Oh my. We'd better hurry if we want to get to the restaurant on time," Amy informed.

Tikal nodded, and the two exited the apartment, their hearts beating in anticipation.

………

Sonic paced with his hands behind his back. Shadow sat on a nearby bench, patiently. Neither of the two were dressed up for the date, but both were nervous.

"Sonic! Shadow! Finally!" both hedgehogs turned to see Rouge running up to them.

"Rogue! What took you so long?" Sonic asked, seemingly relieved.

The bat took a moment to recover her breath. Then, she replied, "It took a while to convince Knuckles to be in on this, but he finally agreed." She held out two ear plugs, one for each hedgehog. "Here, these are the speakers in which we will talk to you in. We will be hiding around here, following you guys. Just listen to us, and you two should be okay."

"SHOULD be? Isn't there a more convincing way to say that?" Shadow asked, putting his earplug in.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. You to WILL be okay. Just stay calm and try not to arouse the girls' suspicions, okay?"

Sonic and Shadow gave a thumbs up. Rouge smiled back, and then turned heel and ran.

Shadow turned to the blue hedgehog beside him. "Are you sure Knuckles knows what to do on a date?" he asked.

"Well…you never know with THAT Knucklehead, but at least he'll make sure Rouge won't make us kiss them or anything…" Sonic replied.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, you know Rouge. She's always being so…well, you know. Sometimes, I think she reads too much romance novels," Sonic answered.

Shadow stifled a laugh. "I know what you mean."

Sonic smiled, and looked behind his friends shoulder. His eyes widened. "Hubba…hubba…" he muttered.

Shadow furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

Sonic raised a finger, and pointed. "Hubba…."

Shadow shook his head and turned around. His mouth dropped open. "Hubba…hubba…"

Amy and Tikal smiled casually, walking up to the two.

"Hi, Sonic," Amy greeted gently, smiling.

"Hi, Shadow," Tikal said, smiling the same way.

Sonic and Shadow slapped a hand over their mouths, muffling another, "Hubba…hubba…"

Amy and Tikal exchanged glances, giggling.

"Sonic! Don't just stand there! Take Amy inside!" Knuckles ordered through the earplug.

Sonic shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Shadow, you too!" Rouge commanded.

The two exchanged glances. Luckily, Amy and Tikal couldn't hear the advice they were being given.

"So, um…Tikal, would you like to come inside?" Shadow asked.

Tikal smiled. "Sure," she replied.

"Good job, Shadow! Okay, now, take her arm—GENTLY—and lead her inside," Rouge informed.

As Tikal started to walk by, Shadow (even though he didn't want to), wrapped his arm around hers and walked with her.

"Same goes for you, Sonic!" Knuckles said.

Sonic gulped.

"Aren't you going to take me in, Sonic?" Amy asked, confused.

"Uh…yeah!" he replied. He then cleared his throat, and did the same as the ebony hedgehog before him.

"Good job, you two!" Rouge complimented. "Now, pull out their chair for them, and let them sit down in it before scooting them in."

Shadow, being the first one to arrive at the table, pulled out Tikal's chair politely. Tikal blushed and sat down. As soon as she sat, he gently pushed the chair back towards the table. Sonic did the same. Then, the two sat down in their chairs.

Tikal leaned over to the pink hedgehog beside her and whispered, "Where did they learn all these manners?"

Amy shrugged. "Beats me." Upon seeing her friend's worried expression, she added, "It's probably nothing, Tikal. Just enjoy it."

Tikal nodded, sitting up straight again. She put her suspicion in the back of her head. Amy was probably right, she figured.

Sonic and Shadow exchanged nervous glances. Instantly, they both held up their menus to hide their faces as they discussed the problem.

"Do you think Tikal knows?" Sonic whispered.

Shadow shook his head. "No. But she knows SOMETHING is going on. We have to be careful, Sonic. Tikal is different. She can tell a person's feelings just by taking a deep look into their eyes."

Sonic's eyes widened. "Whoa. Freaky."

Shadow nodded.

"So…why are you going out with her again?" Sonic suddenly asked.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Oh just be quiet! The point is: we have to avoid eye contact! Or else she'll know EVERYTHING!"

Sonic shook his head in pity. "I feel sorry for you…she's your date and yet, you can't make eye contact."

"BE QUIET!" Shadow whispered harshly.

"Guys, is something wrong?" Tikal finally asked.

At the same time, Sonic and Shadow dropped their menu back onto the table, folding their hands and smiling.

"No, everything's fine," they replied.

Tikal nodded, but Sonic and Shadow could see that she wasn't firmly convinced.

"Way to go, faker," Shadow whispered through clenched teeth.

"Sorry!" Sonic whispered back.

Just then, the waitress came to the table. "Hello, my name is Charlene. I'll be serving you today. So, to start off with, what would you two lovely couples want to drink?"

All four of them felt their cheeks turn a light shade of pink at the adjectives Charlene used.

"Um…I'll just take an orange soda, please," Tikal said.

Charlene nodded. Her green eyes looked at the paper as she scribbled down the beverage. The squirrel turned to Amy expectantly.

"I'll have a raspberry iced tea, thank you," the pink hedgehog informed.

Charlene scribbled down the order, and then turned to Sonic.

"Lemonade," was all he said.

"SAY PLEASE!" Rouge scolded.

"…please!" he suddenly blurted.

The waitress looked at him oddly, and he merely smiled. Charlene sighed, shaking her head as she wrote it down. Then, she turned to Shadow.

"Coffee, please," Shadow gave Sonic a look that said, learn-from-the-pro.

Charlene nodded, writing the last one. "All right. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order." With that, the squirrel left.

Tikal immediately turned to look at Sonic, but the blue hedgehog held his menu up to hide his face. The apricot echidna furrowed her eyebrows. Shadow saw this, and so must've Knuckles (where ever he was).

"Start a conversation!" the red echidna urged.

"Um…isn't it a beautiful night?" he suddenly asked.

He heard a slap on his earplug. "Grand conversation, Shadow," Knuckles commented sarcastically.

Tikal and Amy both looked at him oddly. Tikal finally sighed, letting her suspicions go again.

"Yes…I suppose it is…" she informed dreamily, staring outside.

Amy got an idea. "Hey, Sonic?" she called.

The blue hedgehog put his menu down, but made sure to not make eye contact with Tikal. "Yeah?"

"Can we go out walking after we eat?"

Sonic and Shadow exchanged glances, awaiting advice from Knuckles or Rouge. None came.

"I guess…" he finally said, looking back at his date.

"Yes! Thank you so much, Sonikku!" Amy informed.

Sonic smiled. "You're welcome."

Suddenly, Shadow was struck with an idea. "Hey, how about we go walking on the beach tonight?"

Sonic's eyes widened. "No, I think it would be—"

"That's a great idea, Shadow!" Amy agreed.

Sonic closed his eyes in misery and let his head fall down on the table.

"NO! Sonic, sit back up—STRAIGHT! You do NOT let your head fall on the table!" Rouge scolded.

In an instant, as if he had been whipped, the blue hedgehog sat up straight and stiff. Shadow tried to stifle a laugh.

Tikal and Amy stared at him with puzzled expressions. Sonic tried to think of an excuse.

"I…uh…thought I smelled chili dogs, but I guess I was wrong," he quickly informed.

Amy relaxed, but Tikal furrowed her eyebrows. But before she could say anything, the waitress came back, giving them their drinks. After placing their meals and having Charlene leave to retrieve them, the group fell in silence.

Shadow reached for his cup of coffee, and brought it to his lips, just when he heard Knuckles on the other end yell, "PINKY UP!"

In a flash, the pinky was held high…but for some reason, it wouldn't stand straight.

"I SAID PINKY UP!" the echidna shouted again.

"Knuckles, calm down. He probably can't bring it up that high," he heard Rouge inform.

"Oh well, he's going to do it! PINKY UP!" Knuckles yelled.

"What if he can't?" Rouge shouted back.

"Then tough luck! Pink up and straight!" Knuckles commanded.

"All right, that's it! If you can't give orders properly, I will!" Rouge yelled.

"NO! You talked me into this, so I'm not going to have been away from my Master Emerald for nothing!"

"Give me that microphone!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!'

"No!"

Shadow and Sonic held a hand up to their ears. Both of them were wincing from the pain.

Tikal and Amy saw this.

"Sonic? Is everything all right?" Amy asked.

The blue hedgehog nodded stiffly. " Yeah, I think we just got an earache."

"An IMMENSE earache…ow…" Shadow winced.

Tikal stood up, throwing her napkin down. "All right, that's it! Something is going on—and don't try to give me any excuses!"

Sonic and Shadow exchanged glances as the apricot echidna walked over.

"Uncover your ears," she ordered.

The two hedgehogs just looked at her.

"BOTH of you!" she exclaimed.

Slowly, Sonic and Shadow did as told.

Tikal looked closely in Shadow's ear. She gasped, and pulled out the earplug.

"What is…?"

Sonic and Shadow exchanged glances. Shadow sighed in defeat.

"It's an earplug so then we could get advice from Knuckles and Rouge…" he admitted.

"You mean…all this…was an act?" she asked. Shadow looked up.

"No…it wasn't an act. We just didn't know what to do—"

"On your first date. So, this is how it's done? By trying to have manners?" Tikal asked.

Shadow sighed. "I don't know why you are making a big deal out of this," he muttered.

"Why? I'll tell you why! When you suddenly think your boyfriend changed to a gentleman, and you figure out it was all because he was told how it's done, you just…" Tikal felt tears swell up in her eyes. "…you just think you have been played." With that, the heart broken echidna ran out of the restaurant.

"Tikal, wait!" Shadow called, running after her.

Sonic and Amy sat in silence for a few moments. Every else in the restaurant had been staring at their table, but then went back to their usual conversations.

"Is it true?" Amy asked quietly.

Sonic looked up. "Hmm?"

"Is it true that you were being told how to act the whole entire time?" she asked again.

Sonic sighed, and pulled out his earplug.

Amy looked at it for the longest time.

"Look, Ames. I'm sorry—"

"No. There's no need to be."

"What?" Sonic stared at the pink hedgehog across from him, surprised.

"I understand what you were trying to do. You didn't want to make me angry for not having proper manners, did you?" Amy looking her hero straight in the eye.

Sonic hesitated, but then nodded.

The pink hedgehog sighed. "Although it does make me angry, I understand that all you wanted to do was make me happy and impressed." She took another breath, walked over, and sat in Shadow's chair.

Sonic began to get nervous.

"Sonic…next time, you don't need advice from some people who have been on a date before. You learn as you go. That's the fun in dating. You learn what to do," Amy informed.

Sonic looked down. "Okay…I guess…I'm sorry…"

Amy smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I forgive you."

Sonic smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

………..

Tikal ran through the calm dark night. She ignored the constant calls of her love, and just focused on ahead. She'd be much happier when she was in her own apartment again. How she wanted to forget what happened back there!

"Tikal! Tikal, where are you?" Shadow kept calling.

Tikal sighed. She knew Shadow was much faster than her, and probably would find her in no time. With a troubled heart, she stopped running, and called, "I'm right here!"

"Tikal!" Shadow sounded much closer. In a flash he was standing in front of her.

"Tikal, I'm sorry about what happened back there. I just didn't want to make you angry," Shadow informed.

"You could've thought about that before you came," Tikal answered, avoiding eye contact.

Shadow sighed. "I wanted to show you that I could be the kind of hedgehog you wanted—"

"The kind of hedgehog I wanted!" Tikal gawked. "Shadow, you should know better!"

The ebony hedgehog looked down.

"The only kind of hedgehog I wanted was you!"

Shadow looked back up, surprised.

"Shadow, I didn't want you to try to be something you're not! I wanted you to be you—even if that meant that you wouldn't have manners!" Tikal took a deep breath, and continued more quietly, "I love you for being you, and that's all it ever will be. It will never be for your strength, or your speed. It will be for who you are. You are Shadow the Hedgehog, the hedgehog I loved ever since I first met him."

Shadow was stunned. "Tikal…I…I don't know what to say…"

Tikal smiled gently, blinking back her tears. "Well…you could say you're sorry and go back in to get dessert."

Shadow smiled back. "Very well, then. I'm sorry, and let's go back in to get some dessert, shall we?"

Tikal opened her mouth to answer, but someone else spoke for her.

"Or we shall not!"

Tikal turned around and gasped.

"Eggman!" Shadow yelled, quickly standing in the way of Tikal.

"Ho-ho! Look who's all pretty and dressed up!" Eggman noted, eyeing Tikal. The echidna coward back at his gaze.

"Keep your unwanted remarks to yourself!" Shadow spat.

"Well…being a little defensive there, aren't we?" Dr. Eggman replied.

"Stop fooling around! What do you want?" Shadow exclaimed.

The scientist grinned. "I've been waiting for you to ask that…my want is something very, very simple…"

"Well, most likely, you ain't going to have it! But since I am such a good-natured hedgehog, I'll lend an ear and listen to your wish," Shadow informed.

"Very well, then. I want you and that blue hedgehog friend of yours to meet me in the deepest part of Mystic Ruins—ALONE. Bring your two chaos emeralds with you, also," the scientist grinned.

Shadow furrowed his eyebrows. "NEVER!"

"Never, eh? Well, then…I'll just have to get rid of your girlfriend, here, won't I?" To Shadow's surprise, suddenly, a tentacle-like part of Eggman's hover craft slithered in front of him, wrapped tightly around Tikal.

"Shadow! Help!" Tikal cried, struggling to get free of the tentacle's strong grasp.

"I can easily squeeze her right here, right now, if you do not comply," Eggman informed.

Shadow took a glance behind him to see if it was a trick, but it wasn't. That was the real Tikal in Eggman's hands.

He looked at the mad scientist, defeated. "All right…when do you want us there?"

Eggman laughed. "I knew you'd come to reasoning! Meet me there, TONIGHT. Oh, and I'll know if you bring anyone else…I'll know…"

With that, the mad scientist flew off, laughing. As he did, Tikal and Shadow's eyes met for a second, both worried for the other. Once they were out of sight, Shadow's eyes didn't leave the place where he last saw his love.

"Shadow!" he heard Sonic call for him.

"Tikal!" that was Amy.

"Where are you two?" Sonic yelled.

Shadow sighed. "I'm over here!"

"Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed, and in a flash, both of them were in front of him.

"Shadow, we were so worried about you! You missed the meal! And…" Amy looked around. "Where's Tikal?"

Shadow looked down. "She's gone."

"What?" Sonic asked.

"She's gone. Eggman has her. He wants us to meet him at his base in the deepest part of the Mystic Ruins—with both of our chaos emeralds—ALONE," Shadow answered.

Amy gasped. "No…"

"And what if we don't?" Sonic wondered, dreading the answer.

Shadow looked up, worry in his crimson eyes. "He'll kill her."