(A/n)

Hey everyone!

I'm writing this right after wrapping up the story. It didn't make sense for me to shoehorn it into the final chapter, since I didn't really know how long I'd make it. So I'm making it its own separate one. Yay? Yay!

Alright so...

Boy, where do I even begin.

Let me just marvel real quick on how I absolutely clutched this shit. I'm surprised I pulled through.

Now that I've reached this point, it's really hard finding the right words to say. So sorry if I straight up start waffling. It's 8 AM and I haven't slept, though, that doesn't mean much considering how late I woke up the day prior. I'm just going to lay it all out while I still can. I have a bit of last minute holiday shopping to do soon, and then I'm going to sleep for a bit and then participate in Christmas party shenanigans.

Also, I'm writing this from my bathroom because why the hell not. I think better in there.

So I started We Will Always Be Enemies (damn that's a mouthful) in 2011. I was fifteen at the time. Sonic the Hedgehog was one of my favorite fictional characters and I would spend hours reading different fanfiction stories with him and co. It all held a very special place in my heart, and nostalgia plays a big part in that. Some of my best memories involve the childlike wonder of playing Sonic's video games.

I've had a love affair with Shadow the Hedgehog since I was first introduced to him by accident, while flipping channels one Saturday morning and seeing his cartoon face glare at me like I owed it money. Something about him really captivated me. Sure, he was a color swap of Sonic, but I felt there was more to him than that and the mystery intrigued me. The more I learned about him, the more I fell in love with the character for reasons I sort of shake my head at now. One thing that really stood out to me was his relationship with Maria, and how much he loved that girl.

I had to create someone new for him to love on my own because I knew the canon universe would never do that for me. At first I wanted to fill in Maria's role with Helen from Sonic X. Blonde haired, blue eyed, sweet girl who suffers from health issues. I realized though that I wasn't sure how to write a story with a girl in a wheelchair. So I settled for the next best option, create an OC from scratch. Oh yeah and while we're at it make them kiss, because why the fuck not!

I'd been writing fanfiction for a short while when I first submitted this story to the website and was SUPER amateur. So much so that I've gone back and revised pretty much every chapter. Fun Fact: I can't remember what number it is, but the chapter where they escape Tragaria is the only one that hasn't been edited. The truth is, I DID go through the whole thing and tweak stuff here and there. Problem was, I was doing it in in a car while on an eight hour drive, where I get extreme motion sickness from looking at screens. I accidentally didn't save the document, and at that point was too sick and angry to try it again. Maybe some day, though I probably won't count on it.

Anyway, I can actually remember uploading chapter two, waiting a day, and then coming back completely floored by the fact that I'd gotten two reviews. TWO REVIEWS. CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY. Slowly over time, it started to garner more and more attention, and I was so happy to be writing for more than just my own satisfaction. People enjoyed it, and were actually waiting for new chapters. I had an audience! People who frequented the story and sent me such lovely PMs and boosted my ego through the roof. It was such an exciting thing for me, and probably why this story became as long as it is. I love writing, and having people who read the story made me love it more.

I reread the whole thing at least twice in the eight months I'd been M.I.A. There were things I noticed that I wanted to include in the final draft, and I might have missed them. But overall I'm incredibly satisfied with the way it's ended. Not the best of endings, but at the same time I'm not the best of authors. I'm not a professional, I'm a learner, and hope to keep it that way for a long time.

The story began with a girl that was younger than me, and slowly I outgrew her and am now three years her senior. In that time, I've seen such a significant change in the way I write, and noticed how easy it is for me to do without burning out as quickly. Seriously, if you want to get better, just keep practicing. I can't stress that enough.

I know there were a lot of things that may have been unclear as far PLOT goes, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in a review or PM me. I will answer them as soon as I see them. Reviews in general are also appreciated, though at this time I've completely stopped enforcing them. 404? SERIOUSLY?! It's like that Knife Party song! You guys are the absolute best.

Now that a near four year journey is over, I honestly don't know what to think. It's incredibly surreal. I know I've expressed this many times, but I'm amazed at how much I've changed throughout this story, both within it and beyond, and in that regard it's very special to me. But it's also special in so many other ways, and you guys played a major part in that.

Will I ever write another Sonic fiction? Mm, I'm not sure to be honest. A lot of other things that I'd like to write about have sparked my interest. I have a current Breakfast Club reimagining that I have going, and it's Sonic oriented, but given it can't be considered my own story material, I find it hard to consistently write for.

I'm curious what will happen now. Will more people read it now that it says "complete" in the description? Will I follow suit and actually finish every story I make from now on?

All I know is, whatever lies in store, I'm looking forward to it. Despite there being so many things about the story I wish I could change, I regret absolutely none of them.

Alright . Obituary over.

This isn't the best fanfiction you'll ever read, nor the most popular, but it is an absolute treasure to me. Not because of the content, but because of the journey. I can't help but be overdramatic about it. Thank you all so much for riding this rollercoaster with me. It means the world to me in more ways than you can imagine. I'd cry if I weren't so tired.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Have a Happy New Years!

And again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

-FIN