Author's Notes: Well, I don't have much to say aside - enjoy! Oh wait, yes I do. For anyone interested in Smash Brothers Brawl, there may be a bit of a spoiler in here, if you really call it that since the game's out in Japan already... But if you're really Anti-spoiler, well umm you've been warned.

AN2, the PS: Yes, there's a strong 'scent' theme in the story. Fortune's original stories Petal Hinges and Thorn Latch which inspired this story also used smells, though less drastically. I'm enjoying playing with Shadow's senses... :3

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The following day, Shadow found an abandoned building in which to take up residence. It was only a block away from Amy's apartment, and nobody would come snooping. He contemplated what to do as he sat on an aging hardwood floor. Light peeked through a partially boarded up window, stopping just shy of the hedgehog's shoe-covered foot.

This had better be just a phase... Shadow thought inwardly. His stare was creepy? He looked through people? He guessed he couldn't argue, but he didn't always want to come across that way. Was it his eyes? The girls had spoken a lot about Sonic that evening...

"Sonic's emerald eyes are just dreamy!" Amy said with a spoon full of cookie dough in her hand to Sara's laughter. "Oh come on! Tell me they aren't gorgeous?!"

"Well umm...they're nice...green eyes. I like the determination behind them," Sara replied with an odd look on her face.

Determination, huh? Shadow had plenty of that, but determination wasn't a physical trait. Even if it could be shown in a pair of eyes, Shadow had nothing to be determined about. He was very much a leaf in the wind. He assumed that's why he was interested in Sara at all. True, there were other Mobians in Station Square, even in the Regal Plaza section, but it wasn't like he was a social character by nature. Well, he had determined he wanted to meet her again and that he wanted to leave a better impression than a fly-by crash.

He lacks...social graces, Shadow thought irritably. Well then, he'd just have to... learn better.

By the time Shadow got to Amy's apartment, she and Sara had left already. The scent was strong enough he could easily trace it, and he did so. Fast as he was, it wasn't hard to catch up. Amy had stopped off at a diner where she was apparently a waitress. Sara's scent didn't end there, but Sonic's scent was present where Amy's left off.Great...

Not about to chase after the two of them, Shadow determined his day would be spent at the library again, this time looking at books about manners and re...la...tion...ships... Shadow shook his head; nah, it was far too early to think about a long-term commitment with a girl who's scent both repulsed and...attracted him.

He stood still outside the tinted windows of the diner, lost in thought. His contemplative leer looked back at him reflected in the glass for about ten minutes before he even realized he was staring. Maybe my gaze is creepy, he thought as a waitress inside dropping a coffee pot snapped him out of his train of thought.

His stomach decided to speak up, though, and in a lucky break, there was a crumpled $10 bill lying on the ground. He grumbled again... Life would be so much simpler if he didn't have to worry about a next meal or a bathroom. After pitting his inner demons against hunger, hunger won, and he pushed the door to the diner aside and walked in quickly.

Inside, he was immediately hit with the sights and smells of a bona fide grease pit. Surely this place had seen its share of ambulances; the place was a heart attack waiting to happen. The interior was a dark wood, with dim gold lighting attached to ceiling fans. The tinted windows did little to improve the place, and he could smell the smoke in the air from some customer's cigarettes. It wasn't just bad for your health; it made Shadow queasy. But that aside, he chose a booth by the only non-tinted window, which let in a nice stream of white light on the maroon upholstered seating.

"Why me?" Shadow twitched an ear, hearing Amy's voice clearly from the passage between the kitchen and the seating.

"Well, he is your species," another waitress' voice said in a hushed tone.

"Come on, girlfriend, isn't he cute?" came yet another voice.

"I... Cute?! You know who that is?" Amy protested.

"Sorry, Amy, you can't pick who you wait on; it's your table! And if he's not taken, you ought to think about it...that Sonic boy isn't going to settle down any time soon!" Shadow smirked slightly at the first waitress' scolding.

Amy was gently shoved out into the diner, sighing at how open and vulnerable she was. Sighing softly to herself, she strode toward Shadow as business-like as she could. She sat a menu down in front of Shadow, and coughed to get his attention. "Hi...I'm Amy...I'll be your waitress today. Can I get you some coffee?"

Shadow snorted lightly, "You can cut the crap...and I don't drink coffee...water is fine."

"Oh uh...fine... Umm..." Amy looked down at the menu. "I'll just give you a minute to..."

"I want the Sunshine Special." Shadow pointed to a table tent sitting next to him. "That's hash browns, eggs, and toast, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah..." Amy blinked. He certainly was decisive. "Umm...the eggs can be any way you want and the toast...we have white, wheat, rye, or our famous Kaiser rolls, cut and toasted."

"Nnn... Scrambled and I'll have the rye." Shadow managed to sound annoyed. Couldn't she read his mind or something? He just wanted the Sunshine Special, not a game of Twenty Questions. About ten minutes of waiting and tapping his fingers later, Amy returned with the breakfast and a second plate, piled high with pancakes, which she sat across from him. "Huh?"

Amy said nothing for a moment and sat across from him, setting down a glass of orange juice and taking off her apron. "It's my break time...you don't mind, do you?" She cast a glare back at the entry to the kitchen, letting Shadow know she was pressured into this. It comforted him to know that somewhat.

"Whatever." He took a sip of the ice cold water and then started in on his meal. He paused in mid-bite as he noticed Amy neatly folding her hands together and uttering a quiet prayer. He set his fork down and mirrored her hands. "...Thanks for the food..." he muttered.

"So what brings you here?" Amy said in a cheerful voice as she spread butter and syrup on her pancakes.

"I was in the neighborhood." He paused. "I can pay." He held up the crumpled bill.

"Umm if you mean for me too, that's not needed. I eat for free here," Amy replied politely. They ate in silence for a few minutes before she spoke up again. "I usually don't see you out and about...I mean I know...I mean, you live somewhere around here, right?" Shadow nodded. "So why are you here? I mean...what are you up to?" She shifted uncomfortably.

Shadow thought a minute as the hash was disappearing off his plate. "I'm not really doing much of anything...just checking out the area." Well, that much was true. He did want to learn the area now that he had a reason to be there, and since the object he was after was with his rival, his plans had been derailed.

Amy took a mouthful of the fluffy pancakes. "Mm..." She finished before speaking again, "If that's all, I can show you around after work... OH, well...I was going to the Twilight Park Mall with Sara…she's Sonic's cousin...you wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Uhh..." Well, he knew where she'd be now, but he was still uncomfortable with the thought of hanging out with girls... He also suspected a good deal of their time would be spent in clothing shops.

"You don't have to," she said quickly before returning to her breakfast. "Ahh...I should've had the cocoa...it's soo tasty!"

"Right…. Thanks for the offer...I guess." He poked at his food now. His mind was contemplating again, and Amy's uneasiness increased tenfold at his gaze. Before long, most of the food was gone and Amy presented Shadow with a bill. He left the whole ten dollars, which Amy took up the change as her tip. There was something ...off about him...not quite right...and the pink-quilled waitress felt relief when he left.

At the abandoned apartment building, Shadow had brought a stack of books from the library. They ranged from books on proper etiquette to medical books detailing brain functions and theorizing on why people act a certain way. Some of the more interesting material revolved around the Vomeronasal organ (VNO), or Jacobson's Organ.

The VNO detects certain chemical compounds, most notably but not limited to pheromones. The VNO, the book noted, is a significant presence in a wide range of mammals and is also present in humans. It's not so much the smell that it picks up, but the chemicals send signals to the brain, affecting behavior. That certainly explained to Shadow why so many women he passed smelled like deer... All that musk perfume was an attempt to get that animal magnetism. Even he had to be amused at that. Though the book was written before Mobians came to Earth, he assumed that their kind also had a VNO, and that could certainly explain his preoccupation.

He mulled it over a little while as he waited for the sun to go down some more. The book had also mentioned a number of unknown factors, like why some pheromones would have a drastic effect on one animal but not another. Human testing was also limited when it came to the VNO, so the data was inconclusive. Could relationships really boil down to a bunch of chemical signals? Then again, even Amy had been kind to him in the diner.

It was beginning to sound like a soap opera to him. He grimly recalled being mistaken for a cat one time by a little old lady. She had offered him cat food and was hard of hearing and had poor eyesight. She insisted he stay in out of the rain and since he had been on the verge of illness at the time, he had reluctantly agreed. Just 15 minutes of daytime TV made him think the elements didn't look so bad... By the end of his stay he was sick of the overpowering perfume, had grown a tolerance to unsweetened tea, and had a very distinct disliking of soap operas. Everybody was trying to stab each other in the back and shifting between love/hate relationships. Oh well...it was time.

Twilight Park Mall was bustling with the comings and goings of humans and Mobians alike. A number of smells reached Shadow's nose, mostly from the food court, but also the perfume and candle shops as well. With only the faintest of scent trails to follow, he made up his mind and grudgingly slipped into the crowd.

The place was wide, open, and white. Brass rails lined the catwalks of the upper floors, and fountains and benches adorned every open area. The crowds were noisy and thick, and Shadow was feeling thoroughly uncomfortable in the large mega-mall. Scents and Nonscents threw his nose completely out of whack, and relying on his nose to guide him would now be a lost cause. His nasal frustration only increased with Yankee Candle Company, Bath and Body Works, and several other scent-themed stores on the way.

A foreign import store caught his eye, and he moved in to investigate. It was filled with oriental swords, bamboo plants, silk outfits, and other beautiful things. "Ahh youkoso... Welcome," came the voice of a little old woman wearing a silk uniform. Shadow grunted a reply, "Anything of interest here?" She shrugged. "The last hedgehogs to come through here liked some of the candies I have to offer."

"Hnn?" That drew Shadow's attention. "Hedgehogs? Girls?"

"Yes. You know each other? I could suggest a few herbs if you're lovers...they really help a relationship."

Shadow felt his cheeks flush. "Ahh no...not even...I was just...trying to catch up with them," he answered truthfully.

"Oh? Well, secret admirer, then? Nothing makes a woman feel better or more appreciated than a nice gift. Here at Orient House, we have a number of fine gifts I could suggest." The woman smiled amiably. Shadow scowled a bit. Even pausing for a second, their scent could be wiped away amongst the humans and hot dogs…. "You know women really enjoy chocolate? Some people say it is an aphrodisiac."

"...You're kidding, right?" Shadow quirked a brow. Then again, Amy and Sara did seem to be having fun centered around the fudgy-sugary sweets they made the previous day. Chocolate, it occurred to Shadow, was the one thing Amy talked about as passionately as she did Sonic. Sighing, Shadow reached into his left glove, and pulled out a couple dollar bills. Two boxes of Pocky later, his search continued...

Having tracked them through most of the mall, he'd found Amy's scent more prevalent in clothing stores like GAP, GAP Kids (taking into account they were smaller-sized patrons), GAP Mammals (the new division of the GAP), Banana Republic, and Claire's...as well as Kay Jewelers, Bath and Body Works (after Shadow overcame the foul stench in the air), and several other places. Sara's scent seemed to linger around movie and game stores, RetroJunkie, and Hot Topic, and at the food court he finally caught sight of them at Olga's Kitchen. Seating himself behind a menu, he peered at the two hedgehogs.

"Are chilidogs really Sonic's favorite?" He heard Amy say.

Sara suppressed a laugh, "Mmm...he's been known to wipe out a whole pizza on his own from time to time. I can say chilidogs are one of his favorites, though…. My dad makes them the best."

Great... More 'Sonic this' and 'Sonic that'... Sonic...Sonic...Sonic... Shadow grumbled softly.

"Would you like to order?" a waitress said warmly.

"Huh?" Shadow blinked, having forgotten he was at a restaurant. "Oh uh...just water for now." She frowned a bit and walked back to the kitchen.

"I couldn't believe that huge Sonic figure they had next to Mario in the GameStop, though!" Sara beamed proudly. "You know he's going to be playable in Brawl?" she chuckled.

"Waa... Oh yeah I know." Amy blushed. She wasn't much of a gamer, but she had put in a pre-order for the game thanks to Sonic being in it.

"Sonic told Mr. Naka and Mr. Miyamoto he just wanted a small cut of any royalties, and the rest are going to various charities," Sara continued. "I can't believe we have the same game systems on Mobius, though. My Odnetnin SD works with the Nintendo DS games just fine!"

As the conversation went on, Shadow learned some facts about Sara and her likes and dislikes. She did not like tomatoes, she loved cheesy things, she didn't like Mexican, and flatbread was different from pita pockets. She adored Chinese food, though. The impatient staff forced him to make a choice on the menu after a while, and he chose the low-carb flatbread burger. She also seemed to completely love video games and enjoyed being in the human world because of the Internet. She had basically taken over Amy's computer while she was staying.

Shadow filed away the information, trying to disregard Amy's bringing the topic back to Sonic every two seconds. He scoffed. Sara seemed to consider her relationship with her cousin somewhat distant and gave vague answers to Amy where she would have liked to delve deeper. Honestly, her obsession was getting in the way of his.

He was doing a much better job of hiding and keeping a low profile this time, until there was a loud shattering noise on the floor. Sara and Amy turned their heads suddenly at the sound of the noise. A waitress had fumbled a bowl of soup and some glasses, but their gaze also took them straight to Shadow. His pupils contracted tightly in alarm."Shit..."