Round and bright. Two words that described the Ferris Wheel completely. People laughing, time rushing by, and a lone pink hedgehog, standing by the lake that separated her from it all. Amy Rose, in her trademark red dress and pink quills, had been waiting for the day. The day when she could finally go to Station Square's latest attraction on the water- the Lotus Fair. It had arrived a couple of days ago in the middle of the night. There were roller coasters, cotton candy, an arcade, booths, everything one would expect to see at a fair and more- especially the Ferris Wheel. The sparkling wheel towered above everything else. Even as she stared at the rippling waters, she could see it, reflecting and invading her vision. The water gently splashed against the wooden platform that kept Lotus Fair above the lake and for a moment, Amy was at peace. At least, she wished she was.

"Mademoiselle, why look so lonely here by the Fair of Dreams?" a masked stranger said, gliding towards her. His nebulous reflection appeared beside Amy's pink one. "One shouldn't have any negativity here." Then he chuckled. "It's basically forbidden."

Amy's head tilted slightly towards the stranger, but she didn't look at him- she only stared at his reflection. "Who are you?"

"Your guide to the wonders of Lotus Fair. Come." His hand unfurled, asking for hers.

Amy hesitated. Her mind lingering on the firm grounds of Station Square.

Then she let him whisk her away onto his gondola.

The two set sail for Lotus Fair. The magnificent attraction grew larger and larger. Amy's guide started humming a lovely melody, so she closed her eyes and listened. Without her notice, the lullaby weaved around her, adorning her with silky snowflakes and twinkling crystals. When she opened them again, they had arrived. He got off first and gave her his hand once more.

"Mademoiselle." he said.

"Thank you." she replied.

She took his hand and stepped onto the land of Lotus Fair. The view from up close was spectacular and Amy was breathless, letting the rose lace of her white gown trail on the water's surface as she made the crossing. As she walked towards the lights and noise, her hands lingered in the masked stranger's. The moment she let go, she stopped and turned around, but the gentleman was gone. No trace of his presence. Amy's ears twitched in confusion, setting her glass earrings tinkling. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but the wind blew at her, wanting her to forget. Forget and enter Lotus Fair.

So she did.

There was something calling her. In there. Vibrating off the steels of the Ferris Wheel. The moment she passed through the gates, the music started. It was lively and joyful. But Amy couldn't quite get herself to join in the fun.

"Mademoiselle."

Amy looked up into the silver surface of one of the booths nearby. In the reflection was her guide, dressed in a tuxedo and looking composed- still wearing the same Italian mask.

"Why are you dressed up?" Amy wondered out loud.

"Why wouldn't I be? If I didn't. I would stick out like a sore thumb." he chuckled.

That was when Amy noticed the other people around her. Everyone was dressed up in some way or another. Sparkling fabric and silky velvet. Rainbow of colors scattered about. When she looked back towards her stranger, he was gone. Instead, Sonic stood in his place.

"Sonic." Amy acknowledged.

Sonic looked into Amy's jade eyes and smirked his trademark smile. "Hey, Ames. Enjoying the festivities?"

Amy sighed, tilting her head back in order to see the black night. No stars. No moon.

"Amy!" a couple of more voices called her name.

Her attention refocused to her friends. Cream, Tails, Rouge, Knuckles, Vector, Espio, Charmy, Big, and even Sally Acorn. They all stood around Sonic, waving and smiling at her. "Join us!" their eyes said. Sonic stepped forwards and opened his hand for her to take it.

"Come on, Ames. Let's go have some fun." Sonic smirked again.

"Ok." she agreed and everyone cheered. But she did not take his hand. She merely let her friends surround her, losing herself in their chatter.

The gang rode the roller coasters from which Tails got sick, played in the arcade where Sonic couldn't win a single game, got a few prizes at a couple of booths where Rouge and Knuckles' competitive action went from death match to lovers' teamwork, and a lot of other things. Time was a thing of the past. They left the world behind them. It must have been hours later when they all decided to take a break.

Amy looked back up at the sky, but it was dark as ever. She was sitting alone. Her friends were all in the bathroom. If they weren't in the bathroom, they were in the food court, getting some goods for them all to eat.

It was odd. She wasn't feeling very excited or happy.

"Mademoiselle."

Amy's ears twitched towards the sound of his voice. She could feel the beat of her heart beneath her chest. And there he was. Her masked stranger. Reflected in the cascade of the Greek-styled water fountain.

"Stop calling me that." Amy snapped, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "And quit disappearing. It's weird. Don't stand way over there if you're going to talk to me. Don't you want to sit down?" She gestured towards the empty chair across from her.

The male walked closer until he was standing right behind her. His breath tickling her ears. His aura enveloping her like a warm blanket. His touch just millimeters away from her skin.

"To sit by you is an honor I have yet to gain." he whispered. "And I will only disappear when you will me to."

"What?" Amy's voice left her like a ghost in the air. Barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

"You are lovely." he whispered again.

"Don't try to flatter me when you've just confused me." Amy huffed. "It's not very nice."

The stranger smiled. Amy stopped breathing. She forgot to frown. His hand circled around from behind her and ever so lightly, he caressed her neck. His fingers skimming over her skin so softly, it was as if he was touching her without touching her at all. She shivered and he was gone.

"Hey, Amy, are you okay?" Rouge and Knuckles walked over to her table, holding a plate full of fries and chili dogs. "You're red all over."

"Yeah. I thought you were a pink hedgehog..." Knuckles commented.

Amy whipped out her hammer, her face flushing even more. "Not. Another. Word. Understand?"

Rouge and Knuckles froze in terror. "Yes ma'am."

Amy flinched and put down her hammer. Something was wrong here. There was no way that threat would have worked. But the moment she thought that, Rouge and Knuckles' faces shifted until Amy was staring at collected yet amused smiles on their lips. Was it just her imagination?

"Riight. Like that'll work." Knuckles coughed.

"Hey, where's Sonic?" Rouge wondered aloud. "I didn't get this plate of chili dogs for nothing!"

"CHILI DOGS! WHOO!" Sonic appeared out of nowhere and dove straight for the plate, crashing into it and making a mess of everything.

Everyone laughed. No one found the mess annoying. Even the other people nearby laughed. It was just one big joke for the world.

But Amy couldn't shake off this foreboding feeling. It was as if something was looming over her. But she wasn't exactly scared. No. It was more the unknown that was bothering her.

"Not yet, mademoiselle." his voice swam with the light breeze travelling by. "Not yet."

Amy's ears strained to figure out the source of where it came from, but to no avail. It was as if it didn't have a source at all. The breeze died and Amy realized that she had wandered away from her friends. She couldn't hear any of them. With a shrug, she decided to just walk around, explore a little.

It didn't take long for her to realize that she was in the shopping district. Wait, what?

"Miss Amy! I finally found you!" a familiar sweet rabbit ran up to Amy and hugged her. "I knew you would be near the shopping area! See Mr. Tails, what did I tell you?"

Tails came up to Amy and Cream and scratched his head. "Yep, you sure did. Glad we found you, Amy. Rouge was looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh, sorry. I kinda got lost for a minute there." Amy apologized, smiling sheepishly.

"That's okay take a look around here until the others find us." Cream smiled.

With that said, Cream and Tails each took one of Amy's hands and guided her deeper into the shopping area. Time sped forward a bit more during their time there. Jewels and clothes and all the exclusive little things blurred by Amy until she couldn't tell if she had already seen some things before or what time it was. The sky gave no clues. It was black and dark as ever.

"Hey, Cream. What time is it?" Amy looked up from staring at the garnet necklace in her hands only to see the reflection of her masked stranger in the little mirror in front of her. "Oh."

"Bonsoir, mademoiselle. That necklace would look lovely on your exquisite neck." He let his tongue slide down his fingers. "I highly recommend it."

Despite herself, Amy blushed, remembering their last encounter. Her eyes gazed longingly on his lips, lingering on his gentle hands. The stranger smirked and walked closer until once again, he stood directly behind her without actually touching her. Embarrassed and self-conscious, her eyelashes fluttered down so that she was no longer looking at him. He bent his waist a little so that his lips were level with her ears.

"You shouldn't look at me with those lustful eyes. You never know what I might do." he whispered again, his voice inviting and enchanting.

Her eyes flashed back to the mirror, but surprise surprise, he was gone. Again.

Did she really want that or was he joking when he said that she had the controls? Amy stared at herself in the mirror. The formally familiar jade eyes were not her own. The eyes she saw in the reflection were lit with gold- like a doe in love. Impossible. But her heart spoke truth. The unsteady heartbeat was racing. Racing as if it was running away from the world's fastest cheetah. Speeding. Crashing.

This was not how it was supposed to be.

Amy opened her mouth to call out his name, but alas, she did not know it. She didn't know how to summon him nor did she know how to find him.

But there was one clue.

The Ferris Wheel.

"Amy?" Cream's worried voice called her name, but the pink hedgehog was preoccupied. The name shrugged off of her shoulders and slithered into the streets. Vanished.

Amy Rose picked up her skirts and ran. People seemed to jump out of her way. Her legs seemed to be moving into a blur. Her dress were her wings, lifting her towards paradise. Towards the Ferris Wheel that continued to gleam and glow, spinning endlessly in perfect order.

She wasted no time. Time was forgotten. Not anymore.

The lights of Lotus Fair were dimming. The ones closest to the edge going out first. The Fair was closing. The night was falling asleep. Day was coming. Laughter ceasing.

She made it to the ring before the sun. There was no line. Only the Ferris Wheel had its lights on now. Panting, she let her skirts fall back into their natural place and looked up, staring at the Fair's main attraction.

"You made it just in time." the operator said. "The Ferris Wheel's about to close up. You're the last one. Enjoy."

Amy thanked him and took a seat in the contraption. Up she rose- like a balloon sailing on hopes. The dawn glinting in the horizon.

"Mademoiselle."

Amy smiled at the vague reflection of her stranger on the glass around them, but then timidly, she turned away from the glass to face him directly. Staring right into his beautiful ruby eyes. She took in his black opal quills that were striped with garnet streaks and his soft diamond mine of a chest fur. With discrete slowness, he took off his Italian mask, staring at her the entire time with an emotionless facade.

"Shadow..." Amy breathed his name, letting the words flow out of her mouth in perfect harmony.

Then he smiled the most gentlest smiles she had ever seen.

"You finally called to me, my Rose." Shadow rejoiced.

Amy got up and stepped closer to him, her eyes lingering on his lips. As if in a trance, she tasted them. And he let her. The dawn had risen and they were at the highest elevation in Lotus Fair, but the two didn't seem to notice.

Time had stopped at that exact moment.

Amy Rose's eyes fluttered open as she took in the white room. The white curtains fluttered around like dove wings, bringing in crystal sunlight into the bare room. However, there was one hedgehog beside her that contrasted sharply against the innocent room. A red chaos emerald in his hands.

"Shadow." Amy called to him, stirring him awake. Her hands lovingly soothing back his quills. "Shadow, wake up."

Shadow's eyes flashed open and Amy giggled. He frowned in response.

"How can you sleep like that? My back would kill me if I slept sitting straight up like that." Amy giggled in between phrases.

Shadow merely shrugged, refusing to open his mouth.

Amy's eyes travelled down to the chaos emerald.

It gleamed radiantly, shining with noble truth and wisdom.

"How's the head?" Shadow said roughly.

Amy patted her head to show its good condition. "All good."

A silence passed in between them.

"Why are you here, Shadow?" Amy asked.

Shadow closed his eyes. "Don't ask silly questions."

"It's not silly. It's simple."

He did not respond.

Amy groaned, capturing the attention of Shadow's ruby orbs.

"Do you hurt somewhere?" he asked. His voice barely giving away the deep concern he felt inside.

"That piece of rock in your hands is more honest than you are, Shadow."

He wasn't quite sure what she meant, but it sounded like an insult. His eyes flashed annoyance, but quickly turned into a pleasant shock when Amy's lips brushed against his.

As Amy watched, the surprised look faded, replaced by hungry lust. In the next second, his lips were crashing against hers, desperately tasting her and engulfing her in passion.

"What are you up to, Rose?" Shadow growled in between kisses. "What's with this turn of affection?"

"No reason." Amy replied in moments of gasps for breath. "Just realized my true lover."

"Me?"

"Who else?"

"Sonic."

Amy pushed Shadow away long enough to look straight into his eyes and say, "I can love no one but you this way."

Shadow's lips returned with more fervor.

"I love you, Shadow." Amy sighed.

"Just shut up and let me love you." Shadow growled, making Amy purr with pleasure.

Thank you, chaos emerald~!

My second oneshot!

Hope you enjoyed the ride through Lotus Fair's revealing truth.