"Good morning, Shadow!"

Shadow yawned, and then groaned. "Is it really that good?"

"Well, considering we're alive, I'd say it's good! Now why don't we have breakfast?"

Shadow and Peach exited the tent and proceeded to have breakfast.

"That looks good!" said Peach. "What is it?"

Shadow swallowed. "If you must know, it's a fried chicken and bacon wrap with scrambled eggs."

"Sounds delicious! Still, I much prefer this yogurt and my favorite cereal bars." Peach had another spoonful of Dannon Triple Zero yogurt.

Shadow continued eating his breakfast. As he did, he wondered how Peach could wake up so bright and cheery when he himself wanted to explode like a nuclear bomb if somebody so much as thought about looking at him funny in the morning. Still, the breakfast wrap that Rouge made for him brightened his mood a little. Even so, the real coup de grace for Shadow's mood wouldn't come until he'd gathered some sticks and newspaper to make a fire, plus a few stones to contain it. He actually started the fire by taking a Rambo knife from his survival kit, removing a flint from the handle after unscrewing the pommel and then scraping the flint with the knife blade to produce sparks. He also grabbed a small metal stand for holding cooking pots and set it up over the fire.

"Oh, how nice of you!" said Peach. "I wanted to prepare some tea myself!"

Shadow also grabbed a percolator from his backpack, while Peach grabbed a collapsible teapot from hers. They got some water from the lake, and after Shadow had put some coffee beans in his percolator, they then hung the implements on the stand and waited for a bit. Even though he hadn't had any coffee yet, Shadow found that the mere smell was causing a bit of improvement in his mood. For some reason, Peach looked a bit more beautiful, too. He also enjoyed seeing her sit by the fire and smile as she anticipated a hot cup of tea. While he still didn't see her as a friend, the fact that she was willing to see the good in anyone and anything was growing on him.

Similarly, even though Peach wondered about Shadow, she was glad that she'd asked him to come along with her on this mission. Also, in spite of his hard, unflinching face, she thought he looked really cute when he was curled up by the fire. Eventually, the teapot began to whistle, which gave another boost to Shadow's mood, mainly because it reminded him of Rouge. It was some minutes after this that he perceived the coffee to be done, so he rifled around in his backpack and pulled out an Iron Maiden coffee mug, which he poured some coffee into. He was about to take a sip when he noticed Peach smiling and holding a collapsible teacup in his direction.

"What do you want to toast to now?" asked Shadow.

"How about to another wonderful day of friendship?"

"Fair enough." (Friendship? She already considers me a friend? Perhaps I should give her more credit than I'm giving her…)

Shadow toasted with Peach, and they drank up. However, Peach cut her sip a bit short because…

"Um…should you be drinking hot coffee that fast?"

Shadow lowered his coffee mug. "Don't worry. My body produces high amounts of a painkilling hormone, so I know the coffee is hot, but it doesn't hurt at all. My mouth is also able to withstand food and drink that would otherwise be painful to ordinary mortals. Hell, I could eat broken glass if I wanted to."

Peach gave Shadow a funny look, but otherwise continued to sip her tea. Given what he told her, she had to wonder how such feats were possible.

After finishing their breakfast and putting out the fire, Shadow and Peach took care of their personal hygiene and got dressed for their day.

"Hey Princess…"

"Yes?"

"Would you care to listen to some music before we head on out?"

"Sure! I love music!"

"Good."

Shadow pulled out a Bluetooth speaker, and once it was all synced up with his MP3 player, he played "Ride the Lightning" by Metallica and proceeded to headbang while making the "devil's horn" gesture with his hands. The moment she heard the opening guitar riff, Peach gasped and put her hands on her cheeks in shock. While she had been exposed to rock music before, she hadn't had much – if any – exposure to metal, never mind a subgenre as extreme as thrash metal.

"Shadow!"

Shadow ignored Peach and kept headbanging.

"Shadow, turn that off!"

Again, Shadow refused to turn off the music.

"Shadow, please, turn the music off!"

Yet again, Shadow was more interested in headbanging than in complying with Peach's pleas. Seeing this, she rushed over to the speaker and hit the "pause" button on it, which got Shadow's attention.

"What the hell was that about?" said Shadow.

Peach put her hands on her hips. "I had to get your attention somehow!"

"Why?"

"Shadow, how can you listen to such violent music?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "What's wrong with Metallica? They're a perfectly cromulent band."

Peach smiled and pointed one of her hands at Shadow, palm-up. "Wouldn't you rather listen to some happier music, though?"

Shadow let out an aggravated sigh. "Well, since you're so insistent, I do have some stuff that Sonic shared with me…"

"Ooh, this should be good!"

Shadow flicked through his music playlists and found one marked "FAKER'S ROCK MUSIC". Though he would much rather have been headbanging to his favorite metal tunes, part of him also didn't want to blow out Peach's eardrums, either. Thus, he opened up that playlist, but not being well-versed in more general rock music, the Ultimate Life Form found himself stymied in regards to what he should choose, so he just flicked back and forth through the playlist a few times before settling on a random track. In doing so, he ended up picking "Prologue + Twilight" by Electric Light Orchestra.

Upon hearing the slow, synthesized intro with the vocoded voice, Shadow wasn't quite sure what to make of the song and figured that Sonic might have slipped him a disco song. Peach, however, was more receptive and found it to be quite entrancing. Then, when the "Twilight" portion kicked in, the real fun came. Shadow found that he couldn't help but headbang to it, particularly because the tempo seemed "metallic" to him. Similarly, Peach found the song to be very fun and began dancing to it. Though still not overly fond of Sonic, Shadow decided that maybe his musical tastes weren't all that bad after all. Peach was also thankful that Sonic had chosen to share some of his favorite songs with Shadow. Overall, everything was fun.

Then, after the main part of the song had ended, a section with a choir singing amidst echoing footsteps kicked in, and after a few seconds of robot-like sound effects, the song ended, and Sammy Hagar's "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy" was next. Shadow liked this one somewhat better, and Peach was into it as well. Mainly, Sonic's rock playlist consisted of jams such as "Fool For the City" by Foghat, "Rock and Roll Fantasy" by Bad Company and "High Voltage" by AC/DC. However, it also contained the occasional metal-ish cut such as "Ace of Spades" by Motörhead. While Peach liked some songs better than others, overall, none of them made her want to cover her ears like Shadow's music did. Shadow also found the music to be generally enjoyable, especially considering there were numerous tracks that weren't very far removed from the heavy metal he loved. When the playlist got to "Man on the Silver Mountain" by Rainbow, Peach tapped Shadow on the shoulder, so he paused the music.

"What is it now?" asked Shadow.

"This was fun, but do you have any slower songs that we can listen to?"

Shadow nodded. "I do, as a matter of fact…"

Shadow backed out of Sonic's rock playlist and accessed a playlist that he never thought he'd be playing for someone like Peach: a playlist labelled "ANNE MURRAY". He commenced the playlist with the song "A Little Good News". Peach smiled when she heard the song and took Shadow's hands.

"May I have this dance, Shadow?"

Though not ordinarily one to say "yes" at this point, Shadow appreciated Peach's offer and nodded, so they began to dance. As he danced with her, he found himself in an unusually serene place. Ordinarily, he would've kicked somebody's ass for finding out that he was into Anne Murray, but with her, he felt better about opening up about his deep, dark secrets. Granted, he didn't want to talk about Maria, but he sensed that she was more trustworthy than he'd initially believed. Speaking of Maria, he couldn't help but think about their promise and how happy Peach must be to be dancing with him.

Peach really got a charge out of dancing with Shadow. She enjoyed soft music regardless, but this was her first time listening to Anne Murray. Knowing that a guy like him was into this music made her feel really good about him and made her reconsider whatever thoughts she'd had about him being a cruel, inhuman monster. Sure, he could be ruthless in battle, but when he was with somebody he cared about, he actually treated that person with courtesy and respect. She had to wonder just what kind of people were in his life to teach him to be so nice, although she also wondered why he would hide such kindness behind a cold, unflinching exterior. However, she didn't dwell on such things, instead choosing to enjoy the moment and dance to such classics as "I Just Fall in Love Again", "Just Another Woman In Love" and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do", the third one being a duet with Dave Loggins. After "You Needed Me", they concluded their little dance.

"Thank you, Shadow! That was really sweet of you!"

Shadow nodded. "Well, you asked nicely, so how could I resist?"

"Still, that was very beautiful music!"

"Yeah, I find that Anne Murray speaks to me in ways that no other musical artist does. That aside, where do we go next?"

Peach stroked her chin. "Let's see…since we're at Soda Lake, our next destination should be Magma Plains."

Shadow glanced off into the distance. "This could get serious. I better go full-auto."

"You're right; I think we were about due to switch weapons."

Shadow reached into the duffel bag with the weapons and pulled out his MP5A5. He also handed the Uzi, magazines and DeSantis rig to Peach, and she handed the Beretta + accessories back to him.

"How do I use this?" Peach gently thrust the DeSantis rig at Shadow.

"Put your arms through the loops with the magazine pouches under your left shoulder. There's a detachable loop that goes around the gun itself, behind the grip and before the rear sight. Here, let me help you…"

Peach put the DeSantis rig on just as Shadow asked of her, and he attached the Uzi to the rig while she put a magazine in the gun and two more in the pouches.

"Are you good now?" asked Shadow.

Peach nodded.

"Good." Shadow loaded his MP5, performing the HK Slap as he did so.

Magma Plains reminded Shadow of Volcano Valley Zone back in Mobius, only it lacked a lot of hills and valleys. It did, however, have some rock formations. Thus far, neither Shadow nor Peach had encountered any threats, though the heat from this area was starting to get to Peach. Soon enough, a threat caused Shadow's Hedgehog Sense to tingle, and soon enough, he spotted a Bully charging at them. Naturally, he took aim and fired, but he discovered that even a controlled burst from his MP5 only knocked the creature back a few yards. Putting two and two together, he waited for the Bully to get closer, and then smacked it with the butt of his SMG, thereby sending it to burn in one of the magma pits.

As Shadow and Peach progressed onwards, a few more Bullies charged at them. Following Shadow's lead, Peach decided to save her Uzi ammo and instead smack these foes with the butt of her gun. She almost mistimed one of her hits, but luckily, her and Shadow managed to dispatch these Bullies and move on. Bullies weren't the only foes they encountered here, however; a trio of Buzzy Beetles also tried to get the drop on them, but some well-placed bursts of 9mm ammo did them in, thereby getting Shadow and Peach that much closer to whichever castle they were headed to next. Additionally, they encountered a few Spike Tops, which while well-protected against melee attacks, were no match for some well-placed 9mm bullets. Thus far, things were going well for the two heroes. However, at one point, Peach tapped Shadow on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, Shadow…"

"What?"

"Do you mind if I pause to have some water? This intense heat is making me thirsty!"

"Go ahead. I'll cover you."

Peach lowered her Uzi and pulled out a pink water bottle from her backpack. While she was drinking, Shadow kept his MP5 at the ready. No enemies attacked them while they were waiting, but he knew that it always paid to be careful. Peach had just put her water bottle back in her backpack when she heard Shadow fire his MP5. She turned to see that a Buzzy Beetle had been dispatched. Furthermore, a group of three Bullies was headed their way. Not wanting to become magma soup, Shadow kicked the Buzzy Beetle's shell, which ended up knocking the Bullies into the magma.

As they progressed through Magma Plains, Shadow discovered that he enjoyed punching or kicking the Bullies into the magma more than he did shooting them. While he did enjoy the long-range killing power that firearms gave him – not to mention the "bad boy" image – there was just something so kinetic about using melee attacks against them and watching them burn to death. Again, he wondered why, given that he usually didn't derive sadistic enjoyment from killing other living beings.

Similarly, even though she wasn't "a badass warrior guy" like Shadow, Peach found that she didn't mind using firearms as a means of dispatching her foes. Granted, she wondered how she was going to live with this fact, but still, if it meant that she could stand up for her country and her people and show that she wasn't just some damsel in distress, she decided the tradeoff was worth it. It had to be worth it, too, for when they got to the next castle, they found a Big Bully guarding the entrance. Shadow charged at it and attempted to grab it, and in doing so, he got pushed back a few feet, but he managed to wrestle the Big Bully away and chucked it into the magma.

"Nice going, Shadow!" said Peach.

"Thank you."

Shadow and Peach entered the castle.

This castle was lit similarly to the other castles they'd been in, though it was noticeably warmer. Even so, it was cooler than being outside. However, what really struck Shadow about this castle was that when him and Peach entered, they found themselves on a bridge above a lava pit. His Hedgehog Sense told him that this bridge was rather dodgy and that it would behoove both of them to get to solid ground as quickly as possible. He was also alerted to a Magikoopa materializing out of thin air, so him and Peach waited for their foe to fully materialize before blasting it and moving on. Shortly thereafter, another Magikoopa appeared before them, and while Peach was able to fill its guts full of lead, Shadow's Hedgehog Sense alerted him to another that was materializing right behind them. He managed to blow it away, but not before it released a magic spell in the form of a spinning square, circle and triangle.

"LOOK OUT, PRINCESS!"

Without thinking, Shadow grabbed Peach's hand and jumped with her, just managing to dodge the dead Magikoopa's spell. Though it missed them, it did turn a section of the bridge they were on into a Koopa Troopa. Knowing that the Magikoopas could destroy the bridge they were on, Shadow and Peach made it a point to get across as quickly as possible. Having machine guns equipped was certainly an advantage for them, but ultimately, it was their sheer determination and will to succeed that got them across.

After getting across, they dodged another Magikoopa and into a small door. This led to a short hallway with nothing of importance save a couple of Fire Bars, but this also had another door that led to a larger hallway with shifting walls.

"What are we going to do?" said Peach.

"Just run through. I'll hold the walls for you so we don't get squished."

"Are you crazy? You'll get squished doing that!"

"Trust me; I won't."

Peach gulped as she tried her best not to think about the distinct possibility of both of them becoming living pancakes. Nevertheless, she compliantly followed Shadow as a gap opened up before them. She followed him and jumped over a lava pit, where he shoved a Dry Bones into another nearby lava pit. Another gap in the wall opened up, and after dodging a Fire Bar, they continued on, dodging more lava, Podoboos, Fire Bars and Dry Bones. At one point, the walls began closing in on them, and Peach was sweating furiously, knowing that the moment of truth was coming for them. Shadow slung his MP5 over his chest and extended his arms out to the side in an attempt to stop the walls. The walls finally closed in, and…the one that was moving ground to a halt thanks to Shadow's inhuman strength. Peach dropped her jaw when this happened.

"H…how did you do that!?"

"Let's just say my creator blessed me with certain strengths."

Peach shrugged. The moving wall backed away from her and Shadow, and they were able to continue on unharmed. Granted, another wall did end up blocking their way, but once it moved, they were able to progress past a couple more Dry Bones, Fire Bars, Podoboos and lava pits into another big red door, where…

"YAY! The Princess brought someone else to play in my circus!" said another Koopaling.

"Correction:" said Shadow. "She brought somebody else to kick your lousy ass…whoever you are."

"My name is Lemmy Koopa, and I don't wanna fight you, but if it means more fun for me, then I'll do it!"

Shadow raised his hand.

"CHAOS…"

Before Shadow could use any Chaos powers, Lemmy disappeared into a warp pipe, which frustrated the Ultimate Life Form. Fortunately, Shadow didn't have to wait too long, for Lemmy popped back out…well…out of one, anyhow, as did two clones.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Using his Hedgehog Sense in tandem with Chaos Control, Shadow charged at the real Lemmy, dragged him out of the pipe and hurled the Koopaling against the wall as hard as he could. He then ran over to Lemmy and pointed his MP5 at the Koopaling's head.

"Talk about Bowser's latest plan or I swear I'm going to give you a nasty case of air conditioning," said Shadow.

"You wouldn't shoot a cute little Koopaling like me…would you?"

"Try me, shrimp."

"OK! I'll talk! Bowser mentioned something about 'Saphanolis'! I don't know who or what that is! You gotta believe me!"

Lemmy whimpered, hoping that Shadow wouldn't ventilate him. He needn't have worried, though; Shadow lowered his MP5.

"Thanks to my mercy, I'm letting you live," said Shadow. "Now stay out of our sight."

Shadow walked away, and Peach followed. Whatever – or whoever – Saphanolis was, it certainly thickened the plot like cornstarch.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.