Memoirs of a Loved One…
"Thanks a lot-a, Princess Rosalina, for helping me-a save Peach." Peach and Mario exited the Comet Observatory of the lovely Princess Rosalina. "You're very welcome. Anything to reunite you and your love," Princess Rosalina said as she let out a small chuckle, then a sigh.. "This may be the last I see of you, Mario…" She hovered down to him, and gave him a peck on the cheek. He felt the heat rush to his cheeks as she floated back up the platform ramp. "Watch for my comet the next century, if you're still around." Mario and Peach watched and waved goodbye as the observatory lifted and disappeared into the night sky…
"I have to pottyyyyyyyyy!!!" one Luma exclaimed. "Me too!" another shouted. "I really have to go, bad!" "Where's the bathroom?" "Gotta pee, Gotta pee!" "Waaaahhhhhh!!!" A familiar looking black Luma appeared. "Look, the next planet we pass, we'll go." "But we have to go now!" "Yeah, real bad!" The black Luma sighed as he hovered up to a fair-skinned, pale-blonde woman in a teal dress. "Princess, the Lumas are getting rowdy. Should we do something? Rosalina?" The woman stared off into the distance of the vacuum of space, then turned around to her assistant. "Polari, can you help man the controls?" She looked at him, not altering her facial expression. "Yes, Ma'am!" He gave a quick salute, then ascended to the main control panel above. "Polari, turn the ship and aim for that planet over there." "The blue one?" "Correct." The Comet Observatory shifted routes, and groaned while doing so. The Lumas got quiet as soon as they heard the whine of the ship, but soon noise was at an uproar once again. The smallest one floated over to Rosalina, and she caressed him as her favorite Luma. He wasn't like the other brightly colored Lumas. He was born almost completely black, but the corners of his star-like shaped were a reddish color. His eyes were a type of red, almost crimson. His dark appearance did not affect his personality, though. He was one of the most energetic Lumas she had ever met. "Mama, when can we go potty?" He looked at her with concerned eyes. "I really have to go, really!" She squeezed him tighter and stroked the little Luma curl on his head. "Soon," she answered. "Soon…"
They landed directly in the middle of an open field, hoping to avoid attracting unwanted attention to themselves. The pressure released on the ship's hatch with a hiss, and the ramp unfolded, allowing the Lumas to calmly get out of the ship… "Outta my way!" "Move!" "Me first, me first!" "I'm the oldest, I get to go first!" The cramped Lumas exploded out of the ship, looking everywhere for a sign of a bathroom. Rosalina descended down the ramp, and watched the Lumas fly off in bunches or individually. She felt a slight struggle in her arms, and she realized that she was still holding the Luma. "Sorry, Tyke," she apologized. She released her grip, and he floated off to who-knows-where. She turned to Polari, who was holding a small map. "So," Rosalina started, "where are we?" He flipped the map a couple times and examined it closely. "We are on the planet… Mobius," he said, obviously proud that he figured it out by himself. "Ah… so…" He turned to her with a confused expression. "What?" She laughed a little to herself. "What?!" he whined. She turned to him with a slight smile. " We created a whole Comet Observatory with an entrance that bends reality by allowing you to travel to a planet with an eternally beautiful night sky, a fully stocked kitchen, a beautiful fountain, a grassy terrace, a comfy bedroom, a working engine room powered only by stars, a hidden garden that's almost physically impossible, and a filled library with every book you could need all topped off that it's a mobile spaceship, but we didn't include a bathroom?" He was stunned at this realization, but he soon was laughing about the situation. Rosalina's smile faded and she sighed. "I hope they're alright…"
Some of the bunches of Lumas agreed to get together to find the bathroom. Somewhere, a blue blur was surpassing everything at hyper speeds. The Lumas were still looking for the bathroom, when they noticed the blur heading straight for them. "Doo, doo, doo, Whoo! Rollin' around at the speed of sound! Got places to go, gotta follow my rainb-" The immense strength of the combined Lumas flying at him knocked the speedy blue fellow to the ground. "Ow! What the…?" The Lumas started talking to him simultaneously. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down." They stop talking, looking at him in curiosity, some with tears in their eyes. "Now…what?" he said, still pinned to the ground. "We have to pottyyyyyyy!!!" they yelled all at the same time. "Where's the bathroom?!" "How should I know?" They flew off him, and continued crying and yelling. "Weird," he said, rubbing his head, then he continued on his run.
Tyke was racing about, when he heard someone muttering something. He looked around and discovered it was coming from behind a medium-sized oak tree. He floated silently over to it to discover a dark, animal-figure. It had spiked quills that pointed upright and had red streaks up and down his body. He was holding a picture of two people, but he couldn't tell who they were. Tyke's child-like curiosity kicked in and he flew into the tree above to get a better look. The leaves rustling stirred the dark figure, and he leaped up, hiding the picture in a notch in the tree. "Who goes there?" he asked, starting to pull out a switchblade. "Whoa!" Tyke lost his balance and fell out of the tree. He looked up at the figure with large, excited eyes. "I guess I goes here." He started laughing, and he brushed himself off. "Hi." He floated up really close to the brooding animal's face. "I'm Tyke! I'm a Luma. Who are you? Wow, you look like me! Or I look like you! Ohmigosh, this is so cool!" He wrapped around his waist. "We're like long lost twins and…" He pushed Tyke off himself and held him at a distance. "I'm not much a fan of physical contact. As for my identity, that's a need-to-know basis." The Luma suddenly remembered something incredibly important, and gripped onto his stomach. The figure rolled his eyes and sighed. "What is it?" Tyke looked at him with distress. "Where's the bathroom?" "Bathroom?" "Yeah, I really have to goooo!" He jumped up and down, trying to hold it in. "The closest bathroom is…" He shivered at the thought.
Ding-dong… "Hello?" the voice said without opening the door. "Hmph." "Oh, it's you, Shadow…" the feminine voice responded. "I need a favor, Amy." "Whatever it is, I'm sure you can handle it yourself." "It's not for me…" She paused and the door clicked open, but only slightly. "…It's for him." He held out his hand and the Luma emerged, still holding it's stomach. "AWWWW! SO CUTE!" Amy rushed out and grabbed Tyke as fast as she could. "How did you end up with someone so adorable?" she said as she squeezed him tight. "I just found him hanging around, and he needs to…" The Luma was almost unable to breathe in her grip. "Please don't squeeze me. I have to go!" "Go where?" "Potty!" Shadow looked at her. "That's my favor," he answered grimly. "Oh," she said, letting go of Tyke. "First door on the left." Amy pointed behind herself. He raced down the hall, seconds from bursting. "So," Amy asked. "Why do you have him?" "He just showed up in a tree that I…" He stopped, not wanting to give the details of the location. "He's gotta belong to someone, right?" They heard a flush and a brief running sink. Tyke floated down the hall, satisfaction painted on his face. "All better." Amy turned and re-grabbed him. They walked a bit outside, looking for no one in particular. "Where did you come from, little guy?" He thought this over for a little while. "Up there," he exclaimed while pointing upward. "Oh…" was the only response she could get out while looking up. "Well," Shadow said as he looked back at Tyke and Amy. "Who do you belong to?" He thought this over briefly before answering. "…My mama." They started searching around for anyone who looked like him, only feminine and maybe larger. His eyes started to trickle blue star bits as he looked around. Soon, he was in an all out bawl. "Where's my Mama?!" he cried out in between sobs.
Rosalina's Lumas soon returned to the Comet Observatory. Polari and Rosalina counted them off as they entered the ship. "Okay," Polari started, "Ankaa." "Neptune" "Lumalee and Lumabop." "Claire." "Mimi." "Lumani." "Ooari." "Andromeda and Haley." "Lexi." "Astro." "Gemini." "Aries." "Cavea." "Estella." "Rosetta." "Roki." "Aura." "And… wait!" She looked around frantically and desperately. "Where's Tyke?" Polari recounted the Lumas and confirmed one was missing. "Should we look around, Miss?" "No." "No? But-" "He will come." She grabbed her wand and held it out in front of her. She muttered something under her breath, then her outline started to glow teal around her. She concentrated, and more light shone, as dazzling as the Northern Lights. The Lumas had to cover their eyes to keep them from burning. She opened her eyes and they were illuminated fully. The Lumas knew that this was an emergency.
Tyke floated in front of Amy, while Shadow trailed behind them both. They wandered aimlessly and somehow ended up back and Amy's apartment. They were on the verge of giving up when Tyke had a strange muscle spasm. Amy and Shadow watched in awe as he started to glow the same color teal around his outline as Rosalina. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them, allowing a teal illumination to shine through. "I know where Mama is…" "What?" Amy asked concerned. "I know where Mama is!" Tyke raced off into the distance at incredible speeds. "Mama! Mama!" he yelled as he flew. "Mama!" Shadow grabbed Amy's arm and they sprinted after him. "Mama! Mama!" the youngest Luma exclaimed as he flew across the plains and hills. "Mama!" He flew past a familiar oak tree, then he saw Rosalina. "MAMA!" he screamed in joy as he approached her. They both stopped glowing as he slowed down; He grabbed onto her, and latched on. Amy was first to come up over the hill into the field and ran over to them. "So you must be his Mama. Funny, I thought you'd be more… starish-shaped." Rosalina let out a small chuckle. "Most do." Amy gasped as more Lumas emerged from the ship. "There's more?!" she asked excitedly as she ran towards them. Shadow followed at a slower pace, and he saw her as she was gripping Tyke. Her light blonde hair, her beautiful blue eyes, the teal dress, it matched up perfectly. Visions of her face flashed through his mind and in his eyes. Maria, a voice whispered. Maria, it echoed again and again. He walked to the ship, bitterly clutching his head; he approached, utterly angry. "Well, there's your da-" He looks to see all the wide-eyed Lumas staring at him. "-rn Luma," he said in an angry tone. "I hope you're happy." He stormed off, and Rosalina let Tyke float off somewhere, but she was puzzled by what had happened. "D-did I do something wrong?" she asked Amy. "No," she said while looking at Shadow then back at her. "Although you may have triggered another memory of his. Shadow hardly talks about it, er, her, I think,but when he does… hello?"
Rosalina was floating down the hill, following behind Shadow, concentrating on him, trying to understand, trying to read him. "Can't believe… How could I even think… So stupid…" "Shadow." He stopped when he heard the soft feminine voice come from behind, but he then continued walking. He felt someone grab his shoulder and he tensed up. He tore his arm from Rosalina's grip abruptly. "Don't," he said through clenched teeth, "Ever Touch Me Again!" He started walking again, when he was soon encased in a slightly rainbow colored energy bubble. "What the?!" "It's an energy bubble powered on star bits." "Let me out, or I'll…" "I know about Maria." "…what…" "I really don't know how I know who she is, but I know you thought I was her." He punched the bubble with just enough force to weaken her strength. All that was heard after that was a simple pop. He walked off in rage, but he was soon trapped by bright rings around his body and one 'tying' his hands together. "Let me go. I swear I'll…" "Shadow, it's bad to hold in emotions like this. I can help you. I'll find her for you. I travel across the galaxies and…" Shadow scowled at the princess. "You can't help me. She's gone." He stared at her, and she notice that his eyes were a little more shiny. "We can find her. I don't want you to be depressed. You aren't meant to not be happy." "I can never be happy." "Of course you can. We just have to find…" "SHE'S GONE!" he said, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as he struggled to get out of the energy rings. "Wait, she's gone, as in…" He fought the burning tears from coming and he struggled from the grip of the rings. "Oh," she said sadly as she floated to the ground. "Is that why you're so dark and moody? Because someone you love is gone?" She stood in front of him, her shadow engulfing him. She looks at him, meeting eyes and trying to connect with him. "I know how you feel." "You can never know how I feel." She squeezed her lips together, remembering something. "I do. I've traveled in space for hundreds of years with a void in my heart that not even the Lumas can fill." He stopped trying to get out of the rings and looked at her with mixed emotions of anger, sadness, rage, and pity.
"The void was only filled with the love of my mother and father." She sat on her knees in front of him and put down the wand. The resulting action caused the rings to dissipate. Shadow had his chance to leave. He could have just walked off somewhere, but for some unknown reason, he felt he related with Rosalina in more ways than one. He rubbed his arms after his release, and continued to listen. "My father had a grand telescope. As a young girl, we went stargazing every night in our spot under a tree on a hill. It was the best! We saw all sorts of things. Many times, my mother joined us. One night, I grabbed my father's telescope from his study, but he was nowhere to be found. I waited at our favorite spot, but he never arrived. Neither did my mother. I looked around for my parents, but all I found was a spaceship with a Luma within it, and I found he was on a journey for his own mother too. I promised I would wait with it, and we searched the skies for years through the telescope. We feared it was a wait too long, so we set off on the ship and collected star bits to eat on the way. An ice comet passed and we boarded on it, hoping to find his mother. She was nowhere to be found, so we slept on the comet. Throughout the night, I dreamt of my own mother leaving into a bright light, assuring me that she would always be watching me. Soon, my tears woke me and the Luma. We assured each other that we would find our mothers, then we began to build a great observatory out of the tools and supplies buried within the ice of the comet. The observatory was much too large for both of us and we didn't know what to do with the extra space. We thought this over tea, but soon an apricot comet passed and many Lumas came and assumed I was their mama. I named them all and kept them as my own. After my 100th comet seen, I spied my home planet and I saw it. Our favorite stargazing spot, the tree, the flowers, and…" Her head slowly moved down and Shadow stood up. "My mother's tombstone. It was a terrible way to discover my mother's death. Surrounded by friends who are my family now, having a great time with each other, and then figuring out my mother died. I don't even remember my last words to her, but I was sure they were trivial to what I wanted to say to her at the time. I still don't know what, or who, deceased my mother, but I know that she and I were so close to each other. Closer than my father and brother combined." She sniffed a bit, but continued. "I demanded to go home, but I knew we were too far and it would be pointless, because visiting would not bring her back. My first Luma cheered me up by becoming a great comet that my ship sits on today." She looked up to Shadow who had a confused look on his face. She let her head slowly dangle back down. "The Lumas are a race destined to become different things like stars, constellations, and planets, for example. It helped for the time, and I do get to visit my home every hundred years, but…" she said, and her voice started to crack. "My… discovery of…my mother's death… was at an early age and…" She was sniffing so hard that she could hardly get the words out. Then, Shadow noticed that only one single, solitary teardrop stained Rosalina's dress. She was shaking a little, and then she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up as a teardrop slowly rolled down her cheek. A gloved hand was extended to her aid. She gently grabbed it and was helped up. So delicate, he thought. So fragile, just like…
"Maria?" she finished his thought while wiping her eyes. She smiled at him as he stared at her with a shocked expression. "Intuition," she answered before he asked. She grabbed her wand, but she noticed he was still holding her hand. Shadow quickly realized this matter and pulled back immediately. She sighed and turned to him. "You're a very easy person to open to. You should try it sometime instead of holding it in." She started towards her ship, but stopped, and turned around. "Would you like to come to the Comet Observatory?" she suddenly asked. He was surprised that this was so abrupt. "Okay, I guess," he replied awkwardly. "But," she said as she pointed at him, "I'm sure that Amy would like to join us." "I guess I'll find her." "No need." With a wave of her wand, Amy floated out in a rainbow bubble from behind the tree. "Uh, hehe, hi," she said while smiling and waving innocently. "Hello, Amy," she replied. "So, how long have you been behind there?" "From when Shadow popped your bubble." She turned to Shadow who's look said 'If that energy bubble wasn't there, you'd be smeared on that tree'. "So I hear we're exploring your ship," she said as the bubble popped, leaving nothing but sparkling residue. "Come on, then. Let's go!" Amy rushed up the hills; you could hear her singing how the Lumas were so cute all the way up. Rosalina started her way up the ascension, but she noticed Shadow staring at a certain part of the tree. He stood there until he felt the comfort of a hand in his. His face became warm and he turned to see Rosalina nose-to-nose with him. "Are you coming, Shadow?" Her breath flowed across his face and smelled of sweet honey. He looked back once more at the tree, then they started to go up the hill.
"Awww, look at them!" Amy exclaimed as she reached for every Luma she could find. "I wish I had one." She grabbed a blue one with white tips on it's first two corners and red tips on its bottom corners and held it close. All you need now are quills… she thought as she squeezed it harder. Meanwhile, Rosalina was discussing with Polari where they would be headed next, and Shadow was getting bombarded with questions from most of the Lumas. The one that was most interested in him was Tyke. "What's it like here?" "How do your quills stand up like that?" "Can you defy gravity like Mama?" "How are parts of you red?" "What's really under the glove?" "Do you like Mama?" "Yeah, do ya?" "Huh? Do ya?" "How come you have no pants?" Rosalina walked over to Shadow, who was now gripped on by many Lumas. "Children, Mr. Shadow has a thing called 'personal space'. You Lumas are invading it and may be making him uncomfortable." All but one Luma released their grip and scooted back. The last remaining Luma was Tyke, and he clung onto Shadow's top quill. She looked at him, and she remembered something they had discussed earlier. "Can you Lumas go visit Amy for a bit while I talk to Mr. Shadow?" They all replied at the same time, "Of course, Mama." They scattered off to various domes, looking for Amy. The only ones left were Rosalina, Shadow and Tyke. Shadow looked up at Tyke and cleared his throat, but he didn't budge. Rosalina leaned close enough that she just had to speak in a whisper to talk to him. "I doubt he's going anywhere."
Soon, Shadow and Rosalina were walking to the Library, but they were quiet most of the way. As soon as they entered the Library, she decided to ask the question: "Shadow, who is Maria?" Shadow tensed up at the mention of her name. "Please don't be upset." She grabbed his hand and his muscles relaxed once again. "I just want to know." She lead him to the circular felt chair that sat in the middle of the Library, and she scooted her rocking chair closer to him. "I want to help ease your pain." The Luma gripped onto the quill, trying not to slip off with every movement he made. Shadow looked away, but she gently turned his head so she could meet his eyes. "Please?" He hesitated a little, but her eyes were enchanting and the atmosphere was just right. The flames in the fireplace reflected off her eyes, giving contrast to her beauty, yet adding to it. Those conditions made Shadow sure that he could trust her. He released a sigh and started what he could remember of his story.
"I am the Ultimate Life Form, created by Doctor Gerald Robotnik on the space colony, ARK fifty years ago as part of the top secret military project, 'Shadow'. I was meant as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, but… when the military discovered exactly was going on…" "What was going on?" Tyke asked. "Tyke, he's trying to tell us. Please be patient. Continue Shadow." "They figured out about the deadly Eclipse Cannon that contacted the Black Arms for help in project 'Shadow'. They sent in the G.U.N soldiers with orders that no one was to leave the ARK alive… and to destroy project 'Shadow'." Shadow had an image of running down a long corridor… "But… Maria…" Back in the hall, he looks behind him to see a young, blonde girl quickly following him… "…Tried to save all of her grandfather's research…" Behind them, voices are shouting at them… they quicken their pace… "…So she placed the project into the only available escape pod." …He calls pleadingly to for Maria, who was both out of breath and out of reach at the control panel… "Was the project you?" Rosalina asked, finally after waiting for him to pause in his personal history. "Yes. The G.U.N. soldiers entered in and discovered what she was intending to do." …DON'T PULL THAT LEVER YOUNG LADY! "But…she didn't…" A gunshot rings out… "MARIA!!!" He finds he actually shouted, startling the Luma and Rosalina. He breathed heavily as they both recovered from the minor shock. …Shadow, please. For all those people down on Earth… "She…she made me a promise…" …Give them a chance to be happy. "…And I fulfilled my promise… but sometimes… I don't even know…" Rosalina stroked his quills, hoping to comfort him. "…If any of this is actually real… or just a memory…"
The same blue blur from earlier was running around as usual when he spotted the enormous ship sitting in an open field. Oh, come on, Eggman, he thought. This is too obvious. He headed for the ship, getting ready for the butt-whoopin' he was about to serve.
She realized that through his talk she had slowly moved to his chair. "Doesn't it feel good to get the pressure off by releasing your thoughts to someone else?" "Actually," he said surprised, "ye-" "Princess!" Polari rushed into the Library with a distressed look. "What is it?" she asked with concern. "Something is headed for the ship." "What is it?" "I don't know, but it's traveling at high velocity speeds…" High velocity speeds? Shadow thought to himself. "…its got red feet…" Red feet? Shoes, maybe… "…but the rest of it's body is blue." Blue, Fast, Red Shoes… "Well, we can't take any chances. Fire the Nega-star bits net," Princess Rosalina said. "On it, Ma'am." Polari flew up to the control panel and knew the perfect way to capture it. Shadow tapped on Rosalina's side and she knelt down to his eyelevel. He was stunned how beautiful she looked when she was worried or angry. "What are 'Nega-star bits exactly?" "They're a special star bit found only in Bowser's galaxy in the core of his planet. We found them when we went there. The first one to figure out that the star bit paralyzed on contact was Tyke. He thought it looked a little weird, but he's only a small child. He would have eaten the thing whole if it weren't for the fact that is was covered with spikes. One punctured his skin and he couldn't move for three hours. We collected a large load of them when we left his planet, and we now use them as a defense mechanism. Why do you ask?" "The person you're about to paralyze is actually a good guy." "…Oh-no."
Polari whispered something to Lumalee and Lumabop and they nodded in affirmation. They flew off to follow the instructions they were given, while Polari configured the coordinates of the Nega-star bit net. "That's Sonic the Hedgehog," Shadow explained. "Now, I have no idea why he's headed this way, but…" A loud yell was heard from outside and a thud, followed by a clap. They ran outside and saw Sonic wrapped in a net with spiky balls attached to it. "We did it!" the twin Lumas exclaimed, their hands clapped together. Polari floated outside and congratulated them. "You successfully distracted him long enough to… he doesn't look that evil." Rosalina turned to all four of the Lumas (Tyke finally let go). "That's because he's not." They looked at the spiky haired hero. "Ohhhh…" the Lumas all said at once. "I guess we have to bring him inside." Shadow headed to Sonic but Rosalina stopped him. "You can't touch him because of the spikes." "I know," he said as he pulled out a red-colored gem of some sort. "What's that?" Lumalee and Lumabop asked at the same time. "A Chaos Emerald." Rosalina nodded as if she knew what that meant. "I'll explain later." "No need. I've heard about these all over the cosmos." He stood over the unconscious blue hedgehog. "Chaos Control!" Sonic disappeared in a bright light. "Where did you replace him, Shadow?" she asked. "In the Engine Room, a place Amy would never even think to go." They all walked inside, but Tyke was stopped by Rosalina. They were the only ones left outside, so it was meant to be private. "Tyke, I have a favor to ask you. Something you can do for… someone later on." He nodded in response after she whispered her favor. "I promise I will." They both started up the ramp, following the group ahead.
They soon entered the Comet Observatory, but a familiar voice rang throughout the corridors. "I Smell Sonic!" she yelled. Rosalina, Shadow, and the Lumas could only watch as on the third floor balcony, the pink figure of Amy walked into the Engine Room. Rosalina floated up to the third floor as Shadow Chaos Controlled there. They expected the worst, but were surprised by the best case scenario. Amy had not only successfully untied Sonic without getting stung, but she had the net neatly folded to one side, and a pile of Nega-star bits to the other side. "Aw, you're so cute when you're paralyzed." She gripped him, growing tighter every second. They all could tell she was not intent on letting go.
After they eventually dragged her off of the unconscious Sonic, they recreated the cure that they used for Tyke, and Sonic was back and running in no time. Sonic stopped for a moment and went over to Rosalina and Shadow. "Why do my lips taste like Smackers' strawberry lip balm?" They looked at each other, and Rosalina said, "No reason". His attention span giving out, Sonic raced off to various domes, trying to satisfy his need for something to do. Amy rushed up to them, out of breath. "Where's Sonic?" she asked while leaning on her knees. She raised her head up to see them looking at her. Amy looked at Shadow, then Rosalina. "Aww… Shadow. That's so cute!" Rosalina's cheeks became a bit rosy and Shadow looked like someone who was caught right in the middle of a crime spree, but his dark attitude returned. "She's not my girlfriend," he said a little too fast. "Okay, Shadow. But I never said she was." Amy smiled as she heard Sonic whizz past. "Oh, Soooniiiiicccc!" They raced off to different parts of the observatory with Amy tailing behind. Shadow scoffed. "They're so immature." "I think they're adorable." She let a slight smile slip through, which was caught by Shadow, but it soon faded, as all her smiles do. Tyke flew from the terrace back on top of Shadow's head. "I think he's grown to like you." Tyke hugged the quill as if it was life or death. "So…nice…" he muttered as he gripped the quill harder and closed his eyes. I can't believe that… annoyance thought she was my… "Girlfriend?" she finished. "I'm beginning to think this intuition is ESP," he said suspiciously. "It's not. It's more of a… feeling than a reading."
Rosalina finally separated Amy and Sonic in each of their own energy bubble. "So," she asked as she looked both of them in the eyes. "Would you like to join the Lumas and I for an afternoon tea?" She turned to Shadow. "You too?" He looked up at her crystal-clear blue eyes, and couldn't refuse. They set up the table in the garden with tea, water, and star bits. Of course Amy sat next to Sonic. Across the table, Shadow sat by himself, almost regretting this choice of accepting the offer. He stood up, about to leave, but he soon felt a warm presence beside him. He turned to see that Rosalina had joined him at the table. He saw that she wanted him to stay there, so he sat back down, the only thing keeping him there being her. The Lumas (except Tyke, who was still on Shadow's quill) floated freely around the garden, occasionally stopping to grab a star bit. "Eat and drink as much as you like. If you don't prefer star bits, we have many other options in the kitchen. Although I recommend the star bits, because they vary in flavors, if you're biased to your opinion, Polari will get you anything you would like from the kitchen." She motioned her hand to Polari, who was reluctantly playing a game of tag with the younger Lumas. Amy nodded in response, but she grabbed a pink star bit and gave it a small bite. She found it flavorful and continued to eat it. Of course Sonic grabbed a blue one and took a bite out of it. "Wow… these are awesome!" He scarfed it down and grabbed another. "And sweet." He grabbed another. "And good." Rosalina took a yellow one and calmly ate it, savoring every bite. Shadow even snuck a purple one off the tray, and he took a small bite. These are actually tasty. He took another hidden bite. I expected it to be too sweet but… "So you like them?" Rosalina pointed out. Shadow looked surprise that she noticed he took one. "…yes. It's… very nice." "Good. I hope you're enjoying your visit," she said as she finished her star bit. She sipped her tea and replaced her cup on the table. She looked at Amy from across the table who was staring longingly at Sonic. "Are you related or are you dating?" "Dating," Amy said lovingly. "Neither!" Sonic exclaimed, muffled with his mouth full. Rosalina laughed a little to herself and could tell their feelings were not mutual. "I see." She was the only one that noticed that Shadow had grabbed another star bit and left, unknowing that Tyke was still latched on.
Rosalina had followed Shadow silently to the entrance to the hidden planet. He entered without a second thought and without looking back. Rosalina could tell something was wrong, and she had a feeling it connected to Maria. She waited a bit before entering the dome that allowed interplanetary travel. She saw Shadow looking into the night sky on the platform where Rosalina used to have alone time away from the Lumas. In one hand, he held a teal colored star bit, but in the other was a replica of the picture he had earlier. He watched as the stars shot across the sky, some exploding in a color of lights. He sighed, and then she heard Shadow. "Maria…" he whispered silently to himself. He gripped the star bit in one hand a little tighter, but he pulled the picture to his face. He closed his eyes shut, and gripped the picture, but he quickly loosened his hold, hoping not to have wrinkled it. He set it on the stone wall and smoothed it out. "She's an appealing young individual." He was surprised that he hadn't noticed Rosalina floating behind him, looking over his shoulder. "Yeah!" Tyke agreed. "I can see why you love her," she said as she put a hand on his shoulder and looked into the sky. "The sad news is that neither of us will be able to join our loved ones because…" She looked at him in the eyes, almost looking through him. "…our lives go on… and on. A never-ending chain of events." They looked at each other, sharing a connection like no other, then they looked to the sky. "Wherever they are, wherever they float, wherever they watch us from, they're still there." She moved her hand to the picture and their hands met. He gasped at her sudden touch, and they locked eyes once more, feeling like they've known each other for a long time. Like they were… best friends, or possibly more. He dropped the star bit in surprise, and it rolled off the platform. She looked to the star bit, then she looked up to see a green-and-blue speck in the sky. "Come on. I have something to show you." Her telescope floated in from the entrance in an energy bubble, and she retrieved it delicately. She placed it on the stand that stood before them, and she adjusted it to the correct coordinates. "I want you to look at that." She pointed to the endless void of space, and he followed her gesture by looking through. "Is that…" "My home planet? You're correct. The telescope is adjusted to my father's stargazing spot…" She said, then she sighed. "…Where my mother now sleeps." Shadow looked up from the telescope to see Rosalina looking up, and he saw a tear rolling down her face. She felt something brush the teardrop off her cheek, and she looked down to see Shadow flicking it off his glove. "I loved it back home. The things my family did…" "The things Maria and I did…" "…Sledding with my brother…" "…Painting the ceiling of her room with stars…" "…Picnicking with my mother…" "…Her adorable, occasional soft pillow fights…" "…Stargazing with my father…" "…I still remember her laugh…" "We had the best time," they said simultaneously. They looked at each other with surprise. She let out a small laugh, and she turned to see Shadow, who she thought she saw smile for just a moment. They hear a yell, followed by crashing and threats for a restraining order. "We should check on them," Rosalina suggested as she floated through the entrance. He grabbed his picture and went to the exit, but stopped, turned, and grabbed the telescope, then walked through the doorway.
"Come here! You know you love me!" "Leave me alone! Why me?" "Because you're soooo cute!" "Well you're not!" "You totally want me!" "No, I really don't!" Rosalina and Shadow exited the dome, only to see blue and pink blurs running around the Comet Observatory. "Come here, sweetie!" "I don't want you!" Rosalina pulled out her wand, and soon Sonic and Amy were once again in their own bubble. "Are we interrupting something?" Rosalina dared to ask. "Not at all," Sonic said, relieved. "In fact, you got here just in time." The Lumas floated from behind them, and became saddened. "Awww…" "…we never…" "…get to see…" "…a chase like that…" "…because Mama…" "…doesn't chase anyone…." "…cause she never meets…" "…anyone she likes." Tyke looked down at Shadow, then over to Rosalina. "Can you chase him, Mama?" They both felt their cheeks grow warm when the comment was made by the youngest Luma. Shadow quickly handed Rosalina her telescope and they headed to the door.
The whole crew exited the Comet Observatory, and Sonic and Amy were still disconnected by energy bubbles. They were surprised by the bright, afternoon sun still high in the sky, and Rosalina allowed only Sonic out of his bubble to make sure that a catastrophe didn't erupt. "This was a nice time. I enjoyed it." She reached into Amy's bubble and shook her hand, then she walked to Sonic and gave his a kiss on the cheek. She looked to see Amy jaw-dropped, and then walked over to Shadow, who looked away, 'not caring'. She turned his head gently to face her, and she laid a small kiss upon his lips. He stood there, shocked and dumb-founded. "I'll miss you most," she whispered in his ear. "I may visit again sometime," she said aloud. "So be watching for me." She looked back at Shadow. "Take care of him." She boarded the observatory, allowed Amy out of the bubble, and waved goodbye over the balcony. Shadow watched as the observatory floated to the sky. "Are you… crying, Shadow?" Sonic asked. What? he thought to himself. He felt his cheek and it was indeed wet. "Of course not," he said as he wiped his face and went back to his monotone voice. "It was obviously the sun's glare." "I think you were." Shadow glared at Sonic, and scowled. "Okay, okay, you're not. Sheesh." Sonic started to walk off when he was tackled to the ground. "I'm ba-ack!" Amy sang. "Nooo!" Sonic managed to slip her grip and took off. "Come back, my love!" She pulled out her Piko Piko mallet and the chase was on. 'Take care of him' he thought. Shadow was confused by her last statement, until he felt something move his quills. "So," a small voice called out. "I'll be staying here with you?"
Polari rushed over in a panicked state to Princess Rosalina, who was looking at the blue planet fade out in the distance. He was my favorite, she thought. That's why he's with him now. So he can remember me. Soon he'll turn into the constellation he was destined to be… 'Maria'. "Ma'am! Princess! Rosalina! He's not here! Tyke's gone!" She looked at him with a shine in her eye and a slight smile on her face. "…I know…"
Epilogue: In the later future, Polari learns that she purposely left Tyke so that Shadow could remember her; she told him about the favor she asked Tyke…
Flashback: "Tyke, I want you to find anything that Shadow describes as Maria and memorize it. When you feel it's his time to transform and leave, can you become a constellation in the form of Maria?" He nodded in response, and they went into the Comet Observatory…