The entire drive to Indianapolis, at first, was a silent sickness. Rachel could barely even drive, and was half considering asking someone else to take the wheel. Her already-sick gut was screaming even louder, and for the first third or so, tears were still coming down her face. The road ahead was a blur.

To her… it was really all a blur. It was also a surprise she could stay on the road. The situation likely would have turned out differently had there really been anyone else on it.

What would Silver ever think of her? Would he understand that Blaze had become a damn zombie and had no hope left? Or would he curse the day Rachel was ever conceived for killing off his best friend? Was she supposed to just leave her be so that she could be found? Oh, Chaos… She was, wasn't she?

Not that it mattered as much as it would have in the past. But it still mattered.

Sonic was completely lost on why everyone seemed to be so hit by something. Rachel had done it, Shadow had encouraged her to do it, and Amy stumbled upon it all when she returned from the bathroom. Sonic was waiting by the car with a few supplies as the three weary souls trudged to the car.

"How'd you guys do?" he'd asked.

He'd got no answer. His casual tone perhaps made everyone even more angry at the world.

He was clueless.

So he asked once more.

"Guys…" he huffed. "You all are so quiet. Something happened."

"…Yeah," Amy nodded, on the brink of tears. "Something happened."

"If you must know, you blue idiot," Shadow growled. "One of our friends had become a zombie, and we had to put her down."

"W-Which one?" asked Sonic, finally seeming to grasp reality.

"Blaze the Cat," Shadow sighed, quivering a bit.

And then, that was all four of them that remained silent through that portion of the ride.

A few minutes later, a broccoli cloud of smoke, ash, and fire rocked the world from just a mile or so off the road. Shadow and Rachel looked at it, but nobody really said anything.

The entire world was silent from then on until Sonic piped up "Hey, can we take a stretch break?"

Rachel obliged, pulling over and sighing in relief that she was no longer putting everyone's lives on the line with the car. For the moment.

They all got out, and for a second or so, they all coughed violently. Had the ash from that explosion gotten all the way over here?!

As soon as they recovered… two different things happened.

Amy spotted an old fox sitting in the distance. He was perched upon a rock, looking about the world and… smiling? He was also holding several bags of food from various restaurants, and the smells of those caught Sonic's attention.

He and Amy walked over to him, Amy for the soul food and Sonic for the actual food.

"Ah, young whippersnappers," the fox smiled. "It's great to see people getting by out here in these wastelands."

"We're trying our best," Sonic sighed, making Amy jump a bit. She hadn't known he had followed her.

"Are you all alone, sir?" asked Amy.

The fox got a solemn look on his face and shifted his gaze down to the ground.

"Most of my crew left me and my son behind, thinking I was one of the diseased," he sighed. "He's in the forest letting nature call. …I suppose I can't blame 'em. The disease turned my brother into one of those damned things. It's ruthless. You can't take any chances with it."

"Well… are you?" asked Sonic, earning an elbow to the stomach from Amy.

"No, I haven't been bitten," the fox answered. "You're alright to ask."

"How do you get by out here?" asked Amy. "With everyone dying, and all the hopelessness, and losing the ones you love?"

"…Have you young people ever read 'Candide?'" asked the fox.

"No, I have not," Amy replied.

Something within Sonic began to hurt. Oh, please, not one of these talks…

"It was written several hundred years before even I was born," said the fox. "One of Candide's friends, the philosopher Pangloss, says that it's the best of all possible worlds. Everything happens for a reason, kids. See, in the story…"

Meanwhile, Rachel had sought solace in something on the ground. It waited on the dirt like a fresh painting.

A fishing pole and a can of worms. Side by side, lifelong buddies. Their previous owner must've left in a hurry, seeing as the top to the can was ajar just enough for a worm to try to make its escape. Rachel quickly rushed over and closed the top, trapping the worm back inside. Perhaps he'd be the first victim.

She looked around. Surprisingly, none of the green things were to be found, no matter how hard she read between the trees in the distance. This was left near a river. Sonic and Amy were talking to some guy, and Shadow was God-knows-where.

She hadn't fished in years. This was going to be fun.

Fortunately, there still seemed to be half of a worm on the hook. Gratefully, Rachel checked her surroundings, sat down, and cast the line into the water. All that could be heard was the water's haste and the conversation between the old man and Sonamy over there. Perhaps she'd listen in on it.

So she did for about a minute or so. A story. What she picked up was something about a guy who got kicked out of a castle for romancing the baron's daughter.

Her furs rose in shock when she heard a second voice chime in "Clever idea. Where did you get this stuff?"

She looked up. Ah, it was Shadow. Wherever he'd come from.

"It was actually on the ground right here, believe it or not," Rachel laughed, looking back at the bobber in the river. "Where have you been?"

Shadow rose a brow and replied "You wanna know?"

"…Maybe not, I guess," Rachel laughed.

Shadow sat down beside her, watched the swaying bobber, and listened to the story the old man was telling in the distance. He'd now gotten to a part about this man named Candide being alerted that the love of his life had been killed.

With a slightly quivering voice, Shadow noted "It reminds me of the stories Gerald encouraged us to read."

Rachel looked at Shadow. Was he getting a bit misty-eyed there? She'd only be able to give him a one-armed hug, if it came to it. She could vaguely remember the once or twice it had before.

"He loved his library," Shadow went on, not looking away from the river. "He'd always talk about stories like Candide. There was another one called The Odyssey, about a man going off to sea and leaving his family behind, then venturing to go back. I always pictured Maria as Penelope for some reason. Then there was a play known as Waiting for Godot. Two guys were waiting for a mysterious figure known as Godot, who ultimately never shows up. Two acts, two days… Nothing happens, twice. I always pictured myself as Estragon and Maria as Vladimir. Picking me up, all happy, lulling me into a peaceful sleep…"

Rachel glanced into his eyes. They were halfway shut. Tears? Were those seriously there?

She'd read Candide as part of a school project. Penelope was Odysseus's wife.

"You've said so much about Maria in the time we've known each other," she commented. "It's almost how one love would talk about another."

Midway through the sentence, Shadow latched onto what she was saying and glared at her as if to protest. He had his mouth open… but nothing came out. What he was about to say… sort of fell short.

He barely noticed as the bobber in the river began to make some noise. Rachel was quick on the draw and reeled in an octopus.

"I don't remember this being a river creature…" he commented as he reached out to unhook it.

"Huh…" Rachel said. "…Anyway, it always seemed like you loved Maria."

"…That's not true," he stated, resting his arms on his knees and closing his eyes. "I just felt happy whenever I was with her. She could brighten my day even if I felt death, that's all. Nothing more than my taking amazement in everything she did."

Even Shadow was realizing what he was saying. He looked at Rachel, who was looking back at him and giving him this smile of victory.

"…Maybe I just don't understand you people," he said. "Your… 'feelings' and your 'love.' Flirting, and-"

"That's love, brother," said Rachel. "The happiness you feel with them overpowering any and all negativity in your life. Taking amazement in everything they do. They become your everything. Your dreams, your inspiration… your #1 reason to smile."

Damnit… she was right. He supposed he… loved Maria… O-Or maybe…

"That can happen with sibling-like relationships too, can't it?" Shadow tried to argue. "And best friendships!"

Even Rachel could tell he was purposefully trying to find something.

"Sure," Rachel nodded. "But friendship and siblinghood have no capacity to make your heart feel like it's flying all the while. Only love can make you feel as if you're in the air, in beautiful clouds of joy. Only love can make you sigh. Only love clouds your mind."

…Damnit, she was absolutely right. And Rachel, while saying all that, had reeled in a bass.

In the distance, the tale the old man was telling was just starting to end. This Candide and his friends Pangloss, Cacambo, Cunegonde, and an old woman were living their lives and cultivating gardens as if nothing had happened.

"That's an amazing story," Amy marveled.

Sonic had a headache.

"I-If it would be no trouble…" said Amy. "W-We have four people in our crew. The others are named Shadow and Rachel. Shadow's sort of down on life. He's all serious. Rachel's the hopeless romantic who believes everything is always for the best."

"Yes, I'll offer you some food," said the old fox, taking two of the bags he was holding and handing them out to Amy. This woke Sonic right out of the doze he'd drifted off into.

"Thank you, sir!" Amy smiled.

The old man took Amy's right hand with both of his.

"Thank you for listening to an old hag like me," the old man shook. "I've wanted to tell my grandchildren that story for years. They're always on about dating and gossip."

"Oh, kids…" Amy said sheepishly. She had to admit, she was guilty of the exact same stuff.

Sonic, meanwhile, was confused about why this hand contact didn't feel so great. Why did he want to punch something?

Meanwhile, Shadow was holding two water creatures, and Rachel was hoisting the fishing pole over her shoulder and standing up.

Right on cue, they heard the now-familiar groans of a green thing. With fear, they looked over to see that it was more than just the one. There were approximately three small hordes of them heading their way. Eyes on the prizes, each and every one of them.

And nobody had their gun with them.

Rachel just opted to run toward the car and shout "What are we going to do?"

Shadow skated past her to the SUV. He opened the back door and grabbed his rifle.

"I'll take them down," he said. "You get Sonic and Amy in the car. There may be more where these came from."

"Fine," Rachel obliged. "But the MOMENT they become-"

"GO!" Shadow shouted.

"GUYS!" Rachel shouted, running toward Sonic, Amy, and the old man.

Noting the fear in her voice, they all looked at her. Gunshots, dozen by dozen, rang through the world as Shadow tried to combat the hordes.

"Zombies!" Rachel screamed. "Dozens! We! Leave! Now!"

Sonic didn't have to think twice before dashing back toward the front passenger door of the SUV. Amy, however, looked back at the old fox. At that very moment, a second series of gunshots started happening alongside Shadow's.

"That's gotta be my son," the man smiled. "He's hot on his feet. We'll be fine. See that house over there?"

He motioned toward a white two-story house that was a distance down the road.

"It's been abandoned," said the man. "We're gearing to take it for ourselves."

At this, Amy waved to him, and he waved back, before Amy followed Rachel back to the SUV.

Shortly, they were back on the road.

"I think we got them," said Shadow.

"We were all already in the car, anyway," said Sonic. "May as well move on."

"I hope those two are okay…" Amy sighed.

She was looking out the back window. She wouldn't take her eyes off the road they were leaving behind.

Sonic didn't like this. He had no idea why it concerned him, but something felt off about it. He had to do something to comfort her.

"A man wakes up in a hospital after a serious accident…" he began.

Rachel already let out a laugh. She'd heard this one before. Either way, it put a smile on her face. Never heard Sonic tell it before. Maybe he'll make it even funnier somehow.

Amy was looking at him now. Good!

"He cried 'Doctor, doctor! I can't feel my legs!" he went on. "The doctor tells him 'I know! I amputated your arms!'"

Somehow, this sent Rachel into a hearty fit of laughter. For Shadow and Amy, it may have taken a second… but Amy was soon chortling too. Shadow got it, but didn't let out much more than a smirk.

And Sonic smiled. To heck with Shadow. This was all he needed to see.

Author's note: They say Candide is a satire. May have been back in 1759… but it's not funny anymore. Unless you like that sort of writing, don't waste your time. The Odyssey's boring, too. Waiting for Godot, though, I recommend. Makes you think.