PROJECT: Nightmare
Epilogue
With a groan and a grunt, Shadow arose to his feet with the help of his ally and friend, Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow's fur began to flash black, the flashes getting longer each time. The Chaos power was leaving him. Exhausted, he collapsed into Sonic's arms. With a heavy sigh, there was a white glow, and then, black and red. "It...it's done..." he heaved.
Sonic supported him as he stood up straight. They walked together alongside Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge. The seven Chao watched silently as they made their way to the opposite side of the platform. Shadow knelt down and stared over the edge into the deep dark abyss that was now Nightmare's grave...
And sighed.
"What a waste of life..." Shadow shook his head. "It's a damn shame what Robotnik had done to him."
"I guess so..." Rouge said, "but... you said he was made in your likeness, Shadow. Wouldn't he be immortal?"
"That's just it; I don't think he was." Shadow explained. "I followed you guys when you went to infiltrate Eggman's base. I wandered around by myself for a while and came across a diary of his progress with Nightmare. Apparently when Nightmare emerged into the world, he was already fully grown. When I emerged..." Shadow smiled, "I was a baby."
"I don't get it," Tails tilted his head. "How would that make a difference?"
"By emerging fully grown, Nightmare skipped many development stages that I went through. Besides that..." he turned his gaze back towards the darkness below, "There were some things that Professor Gerald knew that the Doctor didn't. Even if Nightmare went through those extra development stages, he may not have gotten the same results that the Professor had with me." Shadow bowed his head. Then he looked at his cobalt counterpart and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, thanks for trying to save him for me, Sonic."
Sonic smiled. "I did what I could."
Shadow nodded and turned to the seven Chao, who were staring at him intently. He held out his arms. "C'mon, Sunny-girl. Let's go home."
Sunny didn't move. Instead, she looked at Wave, Violet, Emerald, Shimmer, Cobalt and Flame. They all nodded in unison.
Shadow frowned. "Sunny, what...?"
Sunny stood in the middle of the other six Chao, who formed a circle around her. The balls atop their heads began glow white, and they started to sing. One voice was louder then the rest, and it began to change. It sounded more human-like.
Sunny began to lift into the air. The light given off by their Chao things was begining to take a form. It appeared, at first, to be a series of shapes joined together. Then it began to colour, forming the image of a young girl wearing a blue dress. Her eyes were a mysterious blue, like her dress. Her hair was a silky blonde, and flowed gently down her shoulders. She smiled with her pink lips. "Shadow..."
Shadow was completely stunned. Sunny was the spirit of... "...Maria?"
"Shadow, you did it!" She held out her arms.
Happiness surged through the ebony hedgehog. He felt his strength returning as he ran towards her. "Maria!!!"
He could touch her. Her silken hair, her delicate face, her soft embrace... She wasn't just some illusion or memory. She was real. And she was here. "Oh Maria... it's you!" He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.
"Oh, my Shadow..." she whispered, gently stroking his quills, "Yes, it's me. And I'm so proud of you!"
Shadow frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
She kept her warm smile. "You kept your promise to me, AND you fulfilled it, not once, but twice!" She hugged him tightly. "It's not every day that you find someone that dedicated, and..." she sighed happily, letting warm tears fall, "It makes me so happy, to see what you've established for us."
"For us? Maria, I... I'm afraid I don't understand."
She giggled. "Ah, you haven't changed a bit. Still curious... What I mean is, I'm happy that you've been able to fulfill not only our promise, but also our dream. Remember? I always wanted to live on earth, and you wanted to find the answers. You've established that, Shadow. You've found your answers. They're all around you, right now."
"All... around me?" He turned around, not letting go of Maria's hand.
Maria used her free hand to display Sonic and the others. "Look around you, Shadow. Your friends have established you. They are your answers... they are why you were brought into this world." She closed her eyes and looked down.
Knuckles bowed his head in respect. Maria was right. Shadow was brought into the world to help the lives of others. In fact, Knuckles realized, it was the same reason HE was born. One key to his destiny was that his destiny linked with others. Amy's books were in fact the Elemental Scrolls.
Shadow's gaze was soft, serene. "Oh Maria..."
She looked up again, and lightly touched his face. "I have to go now, Shadow. But do not let us part with sadness. Remember that I am always with you, and you are NEVER alone." She slowly let go of Shadow's hand.
(No sadness,) Shadow thought. Trembling, he let go of her hand and watched her step back, but he smiled the whole time.
She bowed in respect. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog. Until we meet again!!" Her form once again became a brilliant beacon of light, and when it receded, Sunny sat where Maria once stood, a questionmark over her head.
Slowly, Shadow approached her and knelt down. "Sunny?"
She looked up at him with her curious eyes and smiled, jumping into his arms. She nuzzled his neck and giggled.
The other Chao, not wanting to miss an oppertunity to get free huggles, followed Sunny's example and jumped on Shadow, knocking him over. They squealed in delight.
"WOAH! He-hey, stop that! That tickles! AhhahahhaAH! Hey Sonic, a little help here?!" Shadow managed to cry out amidst his laughing. "Ahh! Chao kisses!"
Sonic bent over, grinning mischeiveously. "What, Mr. Ultimate LifeForm can't take a little Chao affection?"
That's when they all noticed Sonic, and their first thought was "Yay!", so Wave, Cobalt, and Emerald jumped on him.
Shadow grinned. "Now, who can't take some Chao affection again?"
Amy sighed and shook her head. "You guys..." She scooped up Violet and hugged her. "I think, that after a fight like that, we could all use some Chao affection." She giggled as Violet curled up to her.
Nods and mutters of agreement surfaced as each character picked up a Chao... well, Shadow had two: Sunny and Shimmer. Sonic took Cobalt, Rouge picked up Emerald, Knuckles nuzzled up with Flame, and Tails grabbed Wave. They made their way back towards White Island, chattering happily amongst themselves.
From above, they were being watched. Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik watched in disgust as they walked away, all happy and joyous. They seemed to have forgotten he was there. "They probably DID forget..." he growled. "Those imbecilic morons! Thay have no idea what they've done! They just come on here and destroy my child like he was nothing!! Oh, but Nightmare is something, I'll let you know that!"
Still, as he watched the group walk away, he was reminded of Shadow's words.
//There were some things that Professor Gerald knew that the Doctor didn't...//
"I wonder what these 'things' are..." Eggman hopped in his EggWalker. "I suppose there's only one way to find out!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tails, I can't thank you enough."
"It was no problem, Shadow. Besides, it gave me something fun to do."
Shadow looked at the cylindrical contraption. "Are you sure it works?"
"Positive. It's spent a week in testing before I installed it here."
A week had passed, and Shadow the Hedgehog watched on as Miles "Tails" Prower packed up his toolbox. Tails had just finished his project of installing a teleporter in Shadow's new apartment. Shadow had come to the conslusion that a hedgehog didn't really belong in a Chao garden, so he decided to start a real life for himself in the city. However, he knew that the Chao would miss him terribly, so Tails offered to build two teleporters so that they could visit Shadow at any time, and then easily go back home. One was at Shadow's place, the other Tails had yet to install inside the garden.
"But what would happen if they come when I'm not home?" Shadow pondered with worry.
"That's easy." Tails grinned. "They'd eat your food, jump on your furniture, and leave before you got home and noticed."
"Heh, true." Shadow nodded. "But still, I think I should give you something for all your work! I wouldn't feel right knowing you did all this for me and didn't get paid."
"Well, if you insist..." Tails grinned ear to ear, "You can take me out for some dinner!"
"Deal!" Shadow said without missing a beat. "Where to?" They headed for the door.
"Well, first I have to set up the garden transporter, but when we're done, we can head out to this new buffet down the street...."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"That one?"
"That one."
"You think so?"
"Of course."
"Well... I dunno."
"Oh, c'mon. It has her name written all over it."
"I hope your right..."
"Am I ever wrong?"
Knuckles grinned. "No, I suppose you aren't, Sonic."
Sonic walked with Knuckles up the counter where the red echidna made his purchase. He took the small bag from behind the counter and fingered it nervously. "Oh man... I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Hey man, relax!" Sonic squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "She'll love it."
"I hope so..." Knuckles peered into the bag and pulled out the box. He opened it and stared at it's contents, filling ever more with anxiousness and doubt.
Sonic placed a hand over the box. "Don't think about it. Just take it little by little, like any other date."
Knuckles exhaled. "You're right, Sonic." He put the box back in the bag.
"Am I ever wrong?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amy paced around her bedroom, nervous as ever. Every few moments she would stop to check her reflection in the mirror, just to make sure her red evening gown wasn't torn, that her quills were still brushed down neatly, and that her white sandals hadn't busted a heel... even though there wasn't much heel on the shoe to bust.
"Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy." Rouge commented as she sat on the bed and watched Amy move back and forth.
"You know, you don't have to watch."
"But I can't give you my opinion if you don't stand still!!"
"Oh. Right." Amy sighed heavily, took once more glance in the mirror, and posed for Rouge. "Is this better?"
Rouge tilted her head. "Not quite... it's missing something."
Amy's face filled with horror. "I am? OH NO! What am I gonna do?!" She started running around in circles, panicking.
Rouge tapped her chin in thought. "Let's see... what else would she need to make this a perfect first date?"
"NO NO NO!! This isn't good! Sonic is gonna SEE ME and flip OUT because I'M NOT PRETTYYYYYYYY!!!
"I GOT IT!"
Amy stopped dead in her tracks. "You do?"
Rouge pulled a white blossom off of the bouquet that was sitting on Amy's nightstand. She placed it next to Amy's left ear, securing it by tucking the stem under her headband. "There. NOW it's done."
"Wow, really? Oh thank you Rouge!" She gathered the bat up in a hug.
"It was no trouble, Ames." She pulled away from the hug. "Now, I've got to go get ready for my own date. See ya around." Rouge headed for the door when she head the sound of Amy giggling. "What?"
"*snx* N-nothing...."
Rouge scratched her head, shrugged, and left back towards her own house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wave! Do you mind?"
The blue-and-turquoise Chao giggled at the tiny orange fox as he finished work on the teleporter. "Look, I know you're eager to raid Shadow's fridge, but I need to add the final touches." He knelt down and whispered. "Just a few more minutes and you can all the free food you want!"
"I heard that."
Tails turned to see Shadow grinning, with Sunny clinging to his head. "They'll have plenty of food here."
"Oh Shadow... back from seed hunting already?"
"Yep... Sunny knows what to do now." He set the blue-and-yellow Chao back down. "It's about time they learned to do things themselves. Now that Eggman's gone, White Island is safe for them."
"That's good, but Shadow..." Tails stood up, a look of worry on his face. "About Eggman... actually, about his lab... we have to destroy it."
"Ah yes... that would be good."
"The most efficient way would be to blow it up, but that might harm the Chao habitat."
"Mmm... that would be bad." Shadow set Sunny down and gave a pat to Violet. "Why don't we make plans to go through it? We can keep anything valuable, and burn whatever is necessary. As for the actual tree... well, we could always open a firewood stand!"
"Shadow..."
"I'm serious! That thing is made of a synthetic wood fiber, which would burn as well as real wood can."
Tails shook his head, smiling. "Well, if you say so. Why don't we talk about it over a nice meal?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rouge stepped inside the Welcome Buffet and gasped. "Oh wow... this is certainly different!"
Knuckles took her hand and led them to their table by the window. "I told you this date might be a little bit... 'unordinary'."
"Yeah, but this... God, it's beautiful! And you even got us reservations for such a nice table..." Rouge shook her head in disbelief. "It's all so wonderful...."
"I'm uh... glad you like it," he said, pulling out her chair.
"That's okay; I got it." Rouge seated herself and looked around. "Don't they give you menus?"
"It's a buffet."
"Ohhh... right." She noticed the other patrons dressed a bit more casually. She looked down at her sleeveless sky blue dress that hung to her knees and her white sandals. "You know... now I feel like I overdressed." She looked at Knuckles in his emerald green sweater and black pants.
"Ah, don't worry about it. This is one of those places that doesn't have a real dress code." He took her hand again. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry!" (Which is surprising, considering how nervous I am.)
"Y-yeah, me too." Rouge stood up and started walking towards the buffet table. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. "What in the world....? Is that... Sonic?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"...So Amy, what brings you around these parts?"
"I live here."
"Right! Right..." Sonic looked away, blushing hard. Why couldn't he think of the right thing to say? He reached for the sugar bowl. "So, how do you take your.... Knuckles?!"
Amy gave Sonic a weird look while calmly sipping her soup. "I take my knuckles on my hand, thank you."
"Nono, I mean... there's Knuckles!"
"Huh? Oh!" Amy grinned. "Who would've thought they came to the same place we did?" Then she frowned. "Sonic, you didn't tell them were coming here, did you?"
"No. All Knux said was that he had planned somewhere nice to take her."
"I'm not complaining," Amy said as she stood up to go get more food. "Maybe we'll get to watch him... Sonic, he IS doing to do it tonight, right?"
Sonic recalled the conversation he and Knuckles had earlier that day. "He'd better..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hello, how are you doing tonight?"
"Just fine. Can I have a table for two?"
"Right this way, Sir..."
Shadow winced. "Never call me 'Sir'..." he hissed quietly as the waiter led him and Tails to a booth near the buffet tables.
"Will this do, Sir?"
He twitched. "It's perfect..." he muttered through gritted teeth. Scowling, he slid into the booth opposite Tails.
"What's wrong, Shadow?"
"He called me 'Sir'! Now I know I'm old, but sheesh! Have I really aged THAT terribly?!"
Tails grinned. "I think it's just customary of the employees. I came here by myself last week, and they called me 'Sir'."
".....................oh. Well nevermind that," Shadow added quickly as he jumped up. "Let's get some grub."
"I'm game!" Tails followed. Humming to himself as he walked around, grabbing some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, he set the food down on the table. "Now for some o'dat chili!" He licked his lips in anticipation. "They really do a good job here..."
He grabbed a bowl, walked around the corner, and smacked into someone.
"Oh, I'm sor... Amy?"
The pink hedgehog looked up. "Huh? Oh hi Tails. What brings you here?"
"Shadow's paying me back for something. How about you?"
She grinned. "Sonic finally took me out on a date! Isn't he sweet?"
(And you've been bugging him for HOW long and NOW he takes you out?) Tails just smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, that was very thoughtful of him." He spooned out some chili and walked back to his table to eat, Amy on his heels.
"Knuckles is here, too."
Tails choked on a bean. "He what?! He's HERE?!"
"Uh huh. Rouge is with him, too."
"Oh my... is he gonna..."
"Is who going to what?" Shadow stood behind Amy, holding a platefull of food.
Both Amy and Tails pointed over by the window where Rouge and Knuckles were dining.
Shadow nodded. "Ahh... hehheh, good luck, Rad Red!"
Amy giggled and hurried back over to where Sonic was sitting.
"What took you so long?" Sonic asked.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rouge giggled to herself. "Don't look now, but I think we're being watched."
"Huh?" Knuckles glanced around and spotted Tails and Shadow glancing his way every few minutes. "...."
"And over there! Sonic and Amy are here, too!"
"?!"
"Yeah, I know... they keep staring at us..." Rouge shook her head and cut up some more of her grilled chicken. "I don't know why, either. I mean, do I really look THAT funny when I eat?"
Knuckles reached into his right pocket and fingered the box. He pushed it open and took out the tiny object inside, holding it firmly in his glove as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. (I was hoping I wouldn't have an audience... but it looks like it's now or never!) "R-Rouge... Can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing, Knux." She took a bite of corn.
Tails motioned to Shadow. "Look, there he goes!"
He stood up and slowly made his way over to her end of the table. "We... we've known each other for...for quite some time now, and..." he chuckled nervously, "And... well, I really like being with you..."
Rouge dropped her fork in surprise as he got up. (Oh God, what's he doing?)
Amy caught something red moving out of the corner of her eye. She turned and gasped. "Sonic, look! I think he's gonna do it!"
He kept his right fist clenched tightly. "And.... spending time with you gives me joy and freedom that I never through I could have."
(Oh my... is this...?)
"To... make a long story short..." Knuckles dropped to one knee and opened his hand, where a tiny ring sat in his palm. "Rouge... will you marry me?"
Time seemed to stop in the restuarant.
(It is! Oh my God!!) Rouge just stared. She felt her mouth drop as she glanced back and forth from Knuckles to the ring. It was a beautiful ring, with tiny blue topaz gems surrounding a clear, brilliant diamond. But for once, Rouge wasn't looking at the ring. She was looking at what it symbolized. She didn't dare speak.
Knuckles kept a smile on his face, but inside he had shattered. (She doesn't want it. Oh man, I'm an idiot!)
"Knuckles, I..."
He turned, quickly. "Yes...?"
"I... I never thought myself to be the type to settle down..."
He looked away, trying to hide his dissapointment. "Oh."
Then she grinned her famous coy little grin. "But for you... I think I'll make an exeption."
THIS caught his attention. "Rouge..."
She stood up and held out her left hand formally, like a princess. "Knuckles the Echidna, I accept your proposal."
He slid it on, carefully, but as soon as it was in place she grabbed him and kissed him deeply. When the finally broke off, Knuckles was astounded. "Wow, she said... yes. She said yes!" He started screaming; he was so happy. "GUYS, SHE SAID YES!"
Everyone in the place started to applaud. Rouge grinned, blushing deeply. She slid back into her chair and held her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Oh my God..."
Knuckles bent over. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I just... oh, it's all so... sudden and exciting. I never thought..."
Knuckles sat on the edge of the chair and placed his arm around her shoulders. "You know what? I never thought either. But here we are anyway."
She smiled widely. "I love you...."
He answered by tipping her head back and connecting his mouth to hers. "And I love you too..." he whispered when they parted.
Everyone cheered. They walked out of the restuarant, feeling giddy and high. "Knuckles, what do we do now?"
"I... don't know. Let's go do stuff."
"I'm game."
Amy ran to the window and sighed dreamily as the happy couple walked to Rouge's car. "Oh Sonic..." she cried to the blue hedgehog that was walking up behind her, "Isn't it romantic?"
"Yeah..." he replied thoughtfully, as he stared out the window. "Amy, I..."
She looked up at him with curious green eyes. "Yes?"
"I... I've been doing a lot of thinkng, and I came to a conclusion."
"Really? What is it?"
"I think..." he turned to her and clasped her hands. "I think I'm falling for you, Amy Rose..."
"Ohhh!" A wide smile spread across her tiny face. "Oh Sonikku..." she breathed.
Shadow watched from his booth as the blue and pink forms connected. "Man, if this isn't the night for romance..." he looked at the floor, a sad smile on his face.
Tails frowned from behind his dessert. "Shadow? Are you okay?"
"...I was just thinking. Those four don't truly realize how lucky they are. Sure, they only have one lifetime together, but I have eternity alone." He waved it off. "But that's the way things are. And I have to deal with it, whether I like it or not."
Tails swallowed some whipped cream in thought. "I wonder if I'll have a girlfriend someday..."
Shadow chuckled and reached across the table, ruffling Tails' fur on his head. "Don't rush it, kiddo. There'll be a girl for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And so, dear readers, this marks the end of "PROJECT: Nightmare". But I bet you're wondering what happened to the characters during the time after this eventful November evening. Well...
Sonic and Shadow went through Eggman's now vacant base on White Island. The Chaos Emeralds were given to GUN officials, who confiscated them all around the world for safe-keeping. Everything else was destroyed, except for the original files written by Professor Gerald on "PROJECT: Shadow", which Shadow requested keeping for his own purposes.
Rouge and Knuckles are doing quite fine. Rouge is making plans to move up to Angel Island shortly before their wedding, which is set to take place in about two months.
Sonic and Amy have gone on several more dates since their night at the Welcome Buffet. He is thinking hard about getting a ring, but has many doubts. Knuckles is doing what he can to push Sonic into getting one.
Tails has befriended Shadow quite a bit, and they recently opened a small shop together, where Tails uses his mechanical expertise to repair bikes, cars, and the like; and where Shadow sells firewood during the cold months. :)
Speaking of Shadow, he is doing rather well in his new apartment. He rents a place right above Amy, and they often get together with Sonic. The Chao come to visit him daily, and Shadow lends them a hand when they need it. Still, he has spent many a night on the balcony outside his bedroom, where he reflects on his fears on how he must always remain alone.
As for Eggman, well... that's another story for another day!
~*FIN*~
Epilogue
With a groan and a grunt, Shadow arose to his feet with the help of his ally and friend, Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow's fur began to flash black, the flashes getting longer each time. The Chaos power was leaving him. Exhausted, he collapsed into Sonic's arms. With a heavy sigh, there was a white glow, and then, black and red. "It...it's done..." he heaved.
Sonic supported him as he stood up straight. They walked together alongside Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge. The seven Chao watched silently as they made their way to the opposite side of the platform. Shadow knelt down and stared over the edge into the deep dark abyss that was now Nightmare's grave...
And sighed.
"What a waste of life..." Shadow shook his head. "It's a damn shame what Robotnik had done to him."
"I guess so..." Rouge said, "but... you said he was made in your likeness, Shadow. Wouldn't he be immortal?"
"That's just it; I don't think he was." Shadow explained. "I followed you guys when you went to infiltrate Eggman's base. I wandered around by myself for a while and came across a diary of his progress with Nightmare. Apparently when Nightmare emerged into the world, he was already fully grown. When I emerged..." Shadow smiled, "I was a baby."
"I don't get it," Tails tilted his head. "How would that make a difference?"
"By emerging fully grown, Nightmare skipped many development stages that I went through. Besides that..." he turned his gaze back towards the darkness below, "There were some things that Professor Gerald knew that the Doctor didn't. Even if Nightmare went through those extra development stages, he may not have gotten the same results that the Professor had with me." Shadow bowed his head. Then he looked at his cobalt counterpart and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, thanks for trying to save him for me, Sonic."
Sonic smiled. "I did what I could."
Shadow nodded and turned to the seven Chao, who were staring at him intently. He held out his arms. "C'mon, Sunny-girl. Let's go home."
Sunny didn't move. Instead, she looked at Wave, Violet, Emerald, Shimmer, Cobalt and Flame. They all nodded in unison.
Shadow frowned. "Sunny, what...?"
Sunny stood in the middle of the other six Chao, who formed a circle around her. The balls atop their heads began glow white, and they started to sing. One voice was louder then the rest, and it began to change. It sounded more human-like.
Sunny began to lift into the air. The light given off by their Chao things was begining to take a form. It appeared, at first, to be a series of shapes joined together. Then it began to colour, forming the image of a young girl wearing a blue dress. Her eyes were a mysterious blue, like her dress. Her hair was a silky blonde, and flowed gently down her shoulders. She smiled with her pink lips. "Shadow..."
Shadow was completely stunned. Sunny was the spirit of... "...Maria?"
"Shadow, you did it!" She held out her arms.
Happiness surged through the ebony hedgehog. He felt his strength returning as he ran towards her. "Maria!!!"
He could touch her. Her silken hair, her delicate face, her soft embrace... She wasn't just some illusion or memory. She was real. And she was here. "Oh Maria... it's you!" He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.
"Oh, my Shadow..." she whispered, gently stroking his quills, "Yes, it's me. And I'm so proud of you!"
Shadow frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
She kept her warm smile. "You kept your promise to me, AND you fulfilled it, not once, but twice!" She hugged him tightly. "It's not every day that you find someone that dedicated, and..." she sighed happily, letting warm tears fall, "It makes me so happy, to see what you've established for us."
"For us? Maria, I... I'm afraid I don't understand."
She giggled. "Ah, you haven't changed a bit. Still curious... What I mean is, I'm happy that you've been able to fulfill not only our promise, but also our dream. Remember? I always wanted to live on earth, and you wanted to find the answers. You've established that, Shadow. You've found your answers. They're all around you, right now."
"All... around me?" He turned around, not letting go of Maria's hand.
Maria used her free hand to display Sonic and the others. "Look around you, Shadow. Your friends have established you. They are your answers... they are why you were brought into this world." She closed her eyes and looked down.
Knuckles bowed his head in respect. Maria was right. Shadow was brought into the world to help the lives of others. In fact, Knuckles realized, it was the same reason HE was born. One key to his destiny was that his destiny linked with others. Amy's books were in fact the Elemental Scrolls.
Shadow's gaze was soft, serene. "Oh Maria..."
She looked up again, and lightly touched his face. "I have to go now, Shadow. But do not let us part with sadness. Remember that I am always with you, and you are NEVER alone." She slowly let go of Shadow's hand.
(No sadness,) Shadow thought. Trembling, he let go of her hand and watched her step back, but he smiled the whole time.
She bowed in respect. "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog. Until we meet again!!" Her form once again became a brilliant beacon of light, and when it receded, Sunny sat where Maria once stood, a questionmark over her head.
Slowly, Shadow approached her and knelt down. "Sunny?"
She looked up at him with her curious eyes and smiled, jumping into his arms. She nuzzled his neck and giggled.
The other Chao, not wanting to miss an oppertunity to get free huggles, followed Sunny's example and jumped on Shadow, knocking him over. They squealed in delight.
"WOAH! He-hey, stop that! That tickles! AhhahahhaAH! Hey Sonic, a little help here?!" Shadow managed to cry out amidst his laughing. "Ahh! Chao kisses!"
Sonic bent over, grinning mischeiveously. "What, Mr. Ultimate LifeForm can't take a little Chao affection?"
That's when they all noticed Sonic, and their first thought was "Yay!", so Wave, Cobalt, and Emerald jumped on him.
Shadow grinned. "Now, who can't take some Chao affection again?"
Amy sighed and shook her head. "You guys..." She scooped up Violet and hugged her. "I think, that after a fight like that, we could all use some Chao affection." She giggled as Violet curled up to her.
Nods and mutters of agreement surfaced as each character picked up a Chao... well, Shadow had two: Sunny and Shimmer. Sonic took Cobalt, Rouge picked up Emerald, Knuckles nuzzled up with Flame, and Tails grabbed Wave. They made their way back towards White Island, chattering happily amongst themselves.
From above, they were being watched. Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik watched in disgust as they walked away, all happy and joyous. They seemed to have forgotten he was there. "They probably DID forget..." he growled. "Those imbecilic morons! Thay have no idea what they've done! They just come on here and destroy my child like he was nothing!! Oh, but Nightmare is something, I'll let you know that!"
Still, as he watched the group walk away, he was reminded of Shadow's words.
//There were some things that Professor Gerald knew that the Doctor didn't...//
"I wonder what these 'things' are..." Eggman hopped in his EggWalker. "I suppose there's only one way to find out!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Tails, I can't thank you enough."
"It was no problem, Shadow. Besides, it gave me something fun to do."
Shadow looked at the cylindrical contraption. "Are you sure it works?"
"Positive. It's spent a week in testing before I installed it here."
A week had passed, and Shadow the Hedgehog watched on as Miles "Tails" Prower packed up his toolbox. Tails had just finished his project of installing a teleporter in Shadow's new apartment. Shadow had come to the conslusion that a hedgehog didn't really belong in a Chao garden, so he decided to start a real life for himself in the city. However, he knew that the Chao would miss him terribly, so Tails offered to build two teleporters so that they could visit Shadow at any time, and then easily go back home. One was at Shadow's place, the other Tails had yet to install inside the garden.
"But what would happen if they come when I'm not home?" Shadow pondered with worry.
"That's easy." Tails grinned. "They'd eat your food, jump on your furniture, and leave before you got home and noticed."
"Heh, true." Shadow nodded. "But still, I think I should give you something for all your work! I wouldn't feel right knowing you did all this for me and didn't get paid."
"Well, if you insist..." Tails grinned ear to ear, "You can take me out for some dinner!"
"Deal!" Shadow said without missing a beat. "Where to?" They headed for the door.
"Well, first I have to set up the garden transporter, but when we're done, we can head out to this new buffet down the street...."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"That one?"
"That one."
"You think so?"
"Of course."
"Well... I dunno."
"Oh, c'mon. It has her name written all over it."
"I hope your right..."
"Am I ever wrong?"
Knuckles grinned. "No, I suppose you aren't, Sonic."
Sonic walked with Knuckles up the counter where the red echidna made his purchase. He took the small bag from behind the counter and fingered it nervously. "Oh man... I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Hey man, relax!" Sonic squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "She'll love it."
"I hope so..." Knuckles peered into the bag and pulled out the box. He opened it and stared at it's contents, filling ever more with anxiousness and doubt.
Sonic placed a hand over the box. "Don't think about it. Just take it little by little, like any other date."
Knuckles exhaled. "You're right, Sonic." He put the box back in the bag.
"Am I ever wrong?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amy paced around her bedroom, nervous as ever. Every few moments she would stop to check her reflection in the mirror, just to make sure her red evening gown wasn't torn, that her quills were still brushed down neatly, and that her white sandals hadn't busted a heel... even though there wasn't much heel on the shoe to bust.
"Stop pacing, you're making me dizzy." Rouge commented as she sat on the bed and watched Amy move back and forth.
"You know, you don't have to watch."
"But I can't give you my opinion if you don't stand still!!"
"Oh. Right." Amy sighed heavily, took once more glance in the mirror, and posed for Rouge. "Is this better?"
Rouge tilted her head. "Not quite... it's missing something."
Amy's face filled with horror. "I am? OH NO! What am I gonna do?!" She started running around in circles, panicking.
Rouge tapped her chin in thought. "Let's see... what else would she need to make this a perfect first date?"
"NO NO NO!! This isn't good! Sonic is gonna SEE ME and flip OUT because I'M NOT PRETTYYYYYYYY!!!
"I GOT IT!"
Amy stopped dead in her tracks. "You do?"
Rouge pulled a white blossom off of the bouquet that was sitting on Amy's nightstand. She placed it next to Amy's left ear, securing it by tucking the stem under her headband. "There. NOW it's done."
"Wow, really? Oh thank you Rouge!" She gathered the bat up in a hug.
"It was no trouble, Ames." She pulled away from the hug. "Now, I've got to go get ready for my own date. See ya around." Rouge headed for the door when she head the sound of Amy giggling. "What?"
"*snx* N-nothing...."
Rouge scratched her head, shrugged, and left back towards her own house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Wave! Do you mind?"
The blue-and-turquoise Chao giggled at the tiny orange fox as he finished work on the teleporter. "Look, I know you're eager to raid Shadow's fridge, but I need to add the final touches." He knelt down and whispered. "Just a few more minutes and you can all the free food you want!"
"I heard that."
Tails turned to see Shadow grinning, with Sunny clinging to his head. "They'll have plenty of food here."
"Oh Shadow... back from seed hunting already?"
"Yep... Sunny knows what to do now." He set the blue-and-yellow Chao back down. "It's about time they learned to do things themselves. Now that Eggman's gone, White Island is safe for them."
"That's good, but Shadow..." Tails stood up, a look of worry on his face. "About Eggman... actually, about his lab... we have to destroy it."
"Ah yes... that would be good."
"The most efficient way would be to blow it up, but that might harm the Chao habitat."
"Mmm... that would be bad." Shadow set Sunny down and gave a pat to Violet. "Why don't we make plans to go through it? We can keep anything valuable, and burn whatever is necessary. As for the actual tree... well, we could always open a firewood stand!"
"Shadow..."
"I'm serious! That thing is made of a synthetic wood fiber, which would burn as well as real wood can."
Tails shook his head, smiling. "Well, if you say so. Why don't we talk about it over a nice meal?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rouge stepped inside the Welcome Buffet and gasped. "Oh wow... this is certainly different!"
Knuckles took her hand and led them to their table by the window. "I told you this date might be a little bit... 'unordinary'."
"Yeah, but this... God, it's beautiful! And you even got us reservations for such a nice table..." Rouge shook her head in disbelief. "It's all so wonderful...."
"I'm uh... glad you like it," he said, pulling out her chair.
"That's okay; I got it." Rouge seated herself and looked around. "Don't they give you menus?"
"It's a buffet."
"Ohhh... right." She noticed the other patrons dressed a bit more casually. She looked down at her sleeveless sky blue dress that hung to her knees and her white sandals. "You know... now I feel like I overdressed." She looked at Knuckles in his emerald green sweater and black pants.
"Ah, don't worry about it. This is one of those places that doesn't have a real dress code." He took her hand again. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry!" (Which is surprising, considering how nervous I am.)
"Y-yeah, me too." Rouge stood up and started walking towards the buffet table. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. "What in the world....? Is that... Sonic?!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"...So Amy, what brings you around these parts?"
"I live here."
"Right! Right..." Sonic looked away, blushing hard. Why couldn't he think of the right thing to say? He reached for the sugar bowl. "So, how do you take your.... Knuckles?!"
Amy gave Sonic a weird look while calmly sipping her soup. "I take my knuckles on my hand, thank you."
"Nono, I mean... there's Knuckles!"
"Huh? Oh!" Amy grinned. "Who would've thought they came to the same place we did?" Then she frowned. "Sonic, you didn't tell them were coming here, did you?"
"No. All Knux said was that he had planned somewhere nice to take her."
"I'm not complaining," Amy said as she stood up to go get more food. "Maybe we'll get to watch him... Sonic, he IS doing to do it tonight, right?"
Sonic recalled the conversation he and Knuckles had earlier that day. "He'd better..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hello, how are you doing tonight?"
"Just fine. Can I have a table for two?"
"Right this way, Sir..."
Shadow winced. "Never call me 'Sir'..." he hissed quietly as the waiter led him and Tails to a booth near the buffet tables.
"Will this do, Sir?"
He twitched. "It's perfect..." he muttered through gritted teeth. Scowling, he slid into the booth opposite Tails.
"What's wrong, Shadow?"
"He called me 'Sir'! Now I know I'm old, but sheesh! Have I really aged THAT terribly?!"
Tails grinned. "I think it's just customary of the employees. I came here by myself last week, and they called me 'Sir'."
".....................oh. Well nevermind that," Shadow added quickly as he jumped up. "Let's get some grub."
"I'm game!" Tails followed. Humming to himself as he walked around, grabbing some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, he set the food down on the table. "Now for some o'dat chili!" He licked his lips in anticipation. "They really do a good job here..."
He grabbed a bowl, walked around the corner, and smacked into someone.
"Oh, I'm sor... Amy?"
The pink hedgehog looked up. "Huh? Oh hi Tails. What brings you here?"
"Shadow's paying me back for something. How about you?"
She grinned. "Sonic finally took me out on a date! Isn't he sweet?"
(And you've been bugging him for HOW long and NOW he takes you out?) Tails just smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes, that was very thoughtful of him." He spooned out some chili and walked back to his table to eat, Amy on his heels.
"Knuckles is here, too."
Tails choked on a bean. "He what?! He's HERE?!"
"Uh huh. Rouge is with him, too."
"Oh my... is he gonna..."
"Is who going to what?" Shadow stood behind Amy, holding a platefull of food.
Both Amy and Tails pointed over by the window where Rouge and Knuckles were dining.
Shadow nodded. "Ahh... hehheh, good luck, Rad Red!"
Amy giggled and hurried back over to where Sonic was sitting.
"What took you so long?" Sonic asked.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rouge giggled to herself. "Don't look now, but I think we're being watched."
"Huh?" Knuckles glanced around and spotted Tails and Shadow glancing his way every few minutes. "...."
"And over there! Sonic and Amy are here, too!"
"?!"
"Yeah, I know... they keep staring at us..." Rouge shook her head and cut up some more of her grilled chicken. "I don't know why, either. I mean, do I really look THAT funny when I eat?"
Knuckles reached into his right pocket and fingered the box. He pushed it open and took out the tiny object inside, holding it firmly in his glove as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. (I was hoping I wouldn't have an audience... but it looks like it's now or never!) "R-Rouge... Can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing, Knux." She took a bite of corn.
Tails motioned to Shadow. "Look, there he goes!"
He stood up and slowly made his way over to her end of the table. "We... we've known each other for...for quite some time now, and..." he chuckled nervously, "And... well, I really like being with you..."
Rouge dropped her fork in surprise as he got up. (Oh God, what's he doing?)
Amy caught something red moving out of the corner of her eye. She turned and gasped. "Sonic, look! I think he's gonna do it!"
He kept his right fist clenched tightly. "And.... spending time with you gives me joy and freedom that I never through I could have."
(Oh my... is this...?)
"To... make a long story short..." Knuckles dropped to one knee and opened his hand, where a tiny ring sat in his palm. "Rouge... will you marry me?"
Time seemed to stop in the restuarant.
(It is! Oh my God!!) Rouge just stared. She felt her mouth drop as she glanced back and forth from Knuckles to the ring. It was a beautiful ring, with tiny blue topaz gems surrounding a clear, brilliant diamond. But for once, Rouge wasn't looking at the ring. She was looking at what it symbolized. She didn't dare speak.
Knuckles kept a smile on his face, but inside he had shattered. (She doesn't want it. Oh man, I'm an idiot!)
"Knuckles, I..."
He turned, quickly. "Yes...?"
"I... I never thought myself to be the type to settle down..."
He looked away, trying to hide his dissapointment. "Oh."
Then she grinned her famous coy little grin. "But for you... I think I'll make an exeption."
THIS caught his attention. "Rouge..."
She stood up and held out her left hand formally, like a princess. "Knuckles the Echidna, I accept your proposal."
He slid it on, carefully, but as soon as it was in place she grabbed him and kissed him deeply. When the finally broke off, Knuckles was astounded. "Wow, she said... yes. She said yes!" He started screaming; he was so happy. "GUYS, SHE SAID YES!"
Everyone in the place started to applaud. Rouge grinned, blushing deeply. She slid back into her chair and held her face in her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Oh my God..."
Knuckles bent over. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, I just... oh, it's all so... sudden and exciting. I never thought..."
Knuckles sat on the edge of the chair and placed his arm around her shoulders. "You know what? I never thought either. But here we are anyway."
She smiled widely. "I love you...."
He answered by tipping her head back and connecting his mouth to hers. "And I love you too..." he whispered when they parted.
Everyone cheered. They walked out of the restuarant, feeling giddy and high. "Knuckles, what do we do now?"
"I... don't know. Let's go do stuff."
"I'm game."
Amy ran to the window and sighed dreamily as the happy couple walked to Rouge's car. "Oh Sonic..." she cried to the blue hedgehog that was walking up behind her, "Isn't it romantic?"
"Yeah..." he replied thoughtfully, as he stared out the window. "Amy, I..."
She looked up at him with curious green eyes. "Yes?"
"I... I've been doing a lot of thinkng, and I came to a conclusion."
"Really? What is it?"
"I think..." he turned to her and clasped her hands. "I think I'm falling for you, Amy Rose..."
"Ohhh!" A wide smile spread across her tiny face. "Oh Sonikku..." she breathed.
Shadow watched from his booth as the blue and pink forms connected. "Man, if this isn't the night for romance..." he looked at the floor, a sad smile on his face.
Tails frowned from behind his dessert. "Shadow? Are you okay?"
"...I was just thinking. Those four don't truly realize how lucky they are. Sure, they only have one lifetime together, but I have eternity alone." He waved it off. "But that's the way things are. And I have to deal with it, whether I like it or not."
Tails swallowed some whipped cream in thought. "I wonder if I'll have a girlfriend someday..."
Shadow chuckled and reached across the table, ruffling Tails' fur on his head. "Don't rush it, kiddo. There'll be a girl for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And so, dear readers, this marks the end of "PROJECT: Nightmare". But I bet you're wondering what happened to the characters during the time after this eventful November evening. Well...
Sonic and Shadow went through Eggman's now vacant base on White Island. The Chaos Emeralds were given to GUN officials, who confiscated them all around the world for safe-keeping. Everything else was destroyed, except for the original files written by Professor Gerald on "PROJECT: Shadow", which Shadow requested keeping for his own purposes.
Rouge and Knuckles are doing quite fine. Rouge is making plans to move up to Angel Island shortly before their wedding, which is set to take place in about two months.
Sonic and Amy have gone on several more dates since their night at the Welcome Buffet. He is thinking hard about getting a ring, but has many doubts. Knuckles is doing what he can to push Sonic into getting one.
Tails has befriended Shadow quite a bit, and they recently opened a small shop together, where Tails uses his mechanical expertise to repair bikes, cars, and the like; and where Shadow sells firewood during the cold months. :)
Speaking of Shadow, he is doing rather well in his new apartment. He rents a place right above Amy, and they often get together with Sonic. The Chao come to visit him daily, and Shadow lends them a hand when they need it. Still, he has spent many a night on the balcony outside his bedroom, where he reflects on his fears on how he must always remain alone.
As for Eggman, well... that's another story for another day!
~*FIN*~