Shadow, Peach, Koopski and Harold came to the roof of Bowser's castle, where Bowser and Bowser Jr. awaited them.

"I remember you…Shadow the Hedgehog!" said Bowser. "I never imagined you'd be so nosy as to bring Princess Peach along to try to ruin my latest plan, but I'll enjoy crushing you too!"

"I wouldn't count on that, Bowser. This M60 machine gun fires 600 rounds per minute of 7.62mm NATO ammo, and it's proven very effective against your pathetic minions."

"HA! You may have been able to mow down my henchmen, but Junior and I are a different story! And don't think the two traitors you brought along are going to be any help, either!"

"Bowser, you've gone far enough!" said Koopski. "I've been a loyal citizen of your kingdom for years, and my friends and I aren't going to stand idly by while you go mad with power!"

"Then you and your friends will SUFFER!"

With a wave of his wand, Bowser trapped Peach, Koopski and Harold in a floating energy cube. Not one to stand aside, Shadow enacted a ploy of his own…

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

In one swift motion, Shadow slung his M60, grabbed Bowser Jr., ran back to his original spot and held the Koopa child at gunpoint with his Model 29.

"YOU!" shouted Bowser. "GIVE ME MY JUNIOR BACK!"

"I tell you what: let Peach and the others go, and I won't blow your child's head clean off," said Shadow.

Bowser gasped. "How DARE you threaten my son's life like that!?"

"You seem to forget who you're talking to. I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, created by Professor Gerald Robotnik as part of an experiment to cure an incurable disease. Right now, I'm afraid that I'm being called on to cure a disease of your doing."

Bowser clenched his fists. "Give Junior back…NOW!"

"Not until you give me Peach, Koopski and Harold back."

"Daddy, please, do what the hedgehog says!" said Bowser Jr. "I don't wanna die!"

"You won't die if I have anything to say about it!" said Bowser.

"Then let my friends go," said Shadow.

"You first!"

"No, you first."

"I SAID 'YOU FIRST' FIRST!"

Shadow shot a death glare into Bowser's eyes. He could see that the Koopa King was unwilling to cede an inch of ground. On the other hand, the Ultimate Life Form wouldn't budge, either, so he pulled out a trump card…

"What's the matter, Bowser? Are you too chicken to let Peach go because you're trying to cover up for one of your own losses? That's it, isn't it? You lost somebody like I did, didn't you? Did you also stand by helplessly while she died right before your very eyes? Huh? Did she also want you to make a promise to her, a promise that you consider sacred beyond anything else in this world? Did she? DID SHE!? ANSWER ME, BOWSER! ANSWER ME OR I'LL BLOW YOUR CHILD'S BRAINS OUT ALL OVER THE CASTLE ROOF! YOU THINK I'M KIDDING AROUND!? KEEP TRYING ME, GODDAMN IT!"

Though the biggest, baddest Koopa in the whole Koopa Kingdom, hearing Shadow's words proved to be too much for Bowser. Seeing Bowser Jr.'s life in peril was one thing, but he just couldn't handle the fact that the Ultimate Life Form had hit a bad nerve with him.

"No…" Bowser was in tears at this point. "No! Jeanette! JEANETTE! All right, Shadow, I'll let those three go! Just don't hurt my Junior! DON'T HURT MY JUNIOR!"

Though Bowser's sadness reminded him of his own, Shadow tried to keep his face as stone-cold as possible.

"Smart move, King Koopa."

Bowser released Peach, Koopski and Harold from the energy cube they were trapped in, and Shadow lowered his Model 29 and released his grip on Bowser Jr., though he did give the kid a good, swift kick in the shell.

"DADDY!"

Bowser Jr. ran up to his father and gave him a big hug. Similarly, Shadow and Peach ran to each other and also gave each other a big hug. Even Koopski and Harold hugged each other. For a time, it seemed like world peace might actually be attainable. However…

"Well son, we've got a demon god to summon!" Bowser took The Fire Down Under and flipped it to the proper page.

"DON'T YOU EVEN…!"

Shadow attempted to blow away Bowser, but with a flick of Bowser's wand, Shadow's Model 29 was ripped out of his hand and slid away from him.

"Oh, Lord of Darkness, Bringer of the Four," said Bowser. "I venerate and beseech thee…"

Though valuing his Model 29 highly, Shadow decided not to run for it, instead trying another tactic to stop Bowser…

"CHAOS…"

Unfortunately, Bowser shot a paralyzing spell at him and everyone else but Bowser Jr. As much as Shadow wanted to act, the spell was too good at immobilizing him, so Bowser continued reading…

"In the name of the evil in my very core, summon Saphanolis unto me!"

The paralysis spell was temporary, but it was too late: a group of the darkest clouds materialized in the sky, and red lightning bolts shot out from them. From beneath the clouds, Saphanolis emerged. He resembled a giant green and red humanoid lizard with the head of a Chinese dragon.

"FOOLS! WHO DARES SUMMON SAPHANOLIS, ANNIHILATOR OF ALL!?"

Without saying anything, Shadow, Peach, Koopski, Harold and even Bowser Jr. pointed at Bowser, who was quite shocked that his own flesh and blood would sell him out like that.

"PUNY MORTAL! WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE THAT YOU ARE WORTHY TO SUMMON ME!?"

"Saphanolis, I am Bowser, King of the Koopa Kingdom! For years, I've sought to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, but until now, I never had the right backing! You…I'd heard of your legend before, and I deeply admire the destructive acts that you committed in the past! I'm available for your bidding! Please, render your strength unto me, and once I've conquered the Mushroom Kingdom, I shall do as you please, no questions asked!"

"BAH! WHERE IS YOUR CROWN, KING NOTHING!? YOU ARE NOT EVEN FIT TO EVEN THINK ABOUT MENTIONING MY NAME! I SHALL RENDER NOTHING BUT ANNIHILATION AND PESTILENCE UNTO YOU AND YOUR KINGDOM! ANY LAST WORDS…BOWSER?"

Bowser said nothing, having been stunned that the very god that he'd summoned to take over the Mushroom Kingdom had turned against him. He just hoped that when Saphanolis smote him that he'd get to join his beloved Jeanette in the afterlife.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

However, Bowser's reunion with his late wife would be delayed for now, as Shadow tackled him out of the way before Saphanolis could strike him down with a lightning bolt. Bowser also dropped the book in the process.

"Shadow, you…you saved my life!"

"Don't thank me, Bowser. You just turned your kingdom into a Metallica video."

"B-but how was I supposed to know this was going to happen!?"

"Hey, you're the one who elected to summon a force beyond your understanding. Fortunately, I'm merciful, and I'm offering you a chance at redemption: help us stop this monster."

Bowser nodded nervously. "OK, I'll do it! Just tell me what to do!"

Shadow blocked an errant lightning bolt. "First, tell us how we can stop Saphanolis."

"Th-there's a passage near the end of the book: 117-01. Read it and it'll seal Saphanolis away!"

Shadow nodded. "Right." He turned to Peach. "Peach, you, Koopski and Bowser Jr. try to go for the book! Look for Passage 117-01! Bowser, Harold and I will distract this monster!"

"Got it!" said Peach, Bowser Jr. and Koopski.

And so, Peach, Koopski and Bowser Jr. attempted to scramble for the book. However, Shadow's Hedgehog Sense told him that Saphanolis was intelligent, so he rushed to them and blocked a lightning bolt that would've struck them, while Harold opened fire on Saphanolis with his M249 and Bowser shot random spells.

"HEY!" shouted Shadow. "SAPHANOLIS, I'M DOWN HERE! COME AT ME, YOU LOUSY MOTHER!"

Saphanolis fired a lightning bolt at Shadow, who not only was unaffected, but opened fire on the demon god with his M60. Sensing that Peach, Koopski and Bowser Jr. were going to be targeted again, the Ultimate Life Form blocked another lightning bolt and blocked another to save Bowser and Harold.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?" shouted Shadow. "DON'T LOOK AT THEM! LOOK AT ME! I'M THE ONE YOU WANT, ASSHOLE!"

Once again, Saphanolis shot a lightning bolt at Shadow.

"HOW HAVE YOU NOT BEEN SMOTE!?" said Saphanolis. "YOU SHOULD BE DEAD BY NOW!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH, SAPHANOLIS!"

Shadow opened fire yet again. He prayed that his continued blocking of Saphanolis' lightning bolts would annoy him sufficiently that the demon god would focus all of his efforts on him. At one point, he stopped to reload, but was interrupted by having to defend the others. However, he managed to reload, take aim and fire at Saphanolis again.

"COME ON!" shouted Shadow. "COME ON, DO IT! I'M DOWN HERE! KILL ME! I'M HERE! COME ON! KILL ME! DO IT NOW! I'M OVER HERE! KILL ME! KILL ME!"

Suitably tempted, Saphanolis focused more of his energies and shot a huge greenish-red lightning bolt at Shadow. Peach caught a glimpse of this and gasped in horror, thinking that Shadow might actually have gotten it this time. However, contrary to her and Saphanolis' expectations, Shadow survived.

"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT!?" shouted Shadow. "I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MORE PATHETIC PIECE OF CRAP IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! YOU CALL YOURSELF A GOD!? MY DEAD BEST FRIEND IS MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU!"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Saphanolis. "NOW YOU WILL ALL DIE!"

Saphanolis raised his hands and started forming a ball of lightning. Knowing that time was running out, Shadow removed the Inhibitor Rings from his wrists. His action was probably unnecessary, for Peach had gotten hold of the book and turned to the correct passage.

"Gods of the Light, creators of Man, in thy good and holy name, in accordance with thine divine plan, banish Saphanolis to whence he came!"

That did the trick, for a glowing light emanated from Saphanolis.

"WHAT!?" said Saphanolis. "NO! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! I AM THE ANNIHILATOR OF ALL! HOW DARE YOU BANISH ME!?"

With a blinding, atomic flash, Saphanolis was sealed away in the nether from which he'd sprung. Shadow and Harold lowered their machine guns, and everyone looked around at the whole scene. Then, most unexpectedly, Bowser began crying.

"Princess, I'm so SORRY!" said Bowser. "I didn't know Saphanolis would betray me like that! I went mad with power! Please don't be mad at me! I don't want to kidnap you anymore! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

Peach looked at Bowser curiously at first. Here was the very guy who'd kidnapped her multiple times, seemingly without remorse, and yet he was admitting that he was wrong. Part of her didn't want to believe this, but she felt that there was a good chance that this 8'7" fire-breathing mutant turtle was genuinely regretting his crimes.

"It's all right, Bowser! I forgive you!"

Peach went up to Bowser and gave him a big hug, which he gratefully returned. Finally, after so many failed attempts at kidnapping her, he felt so relieved that she'd consensually offered her kindness to him. Similarly, Peach felt good about doing this. Granted, she also felt a bit weird, but she decided that this was probably the right thing to do. Shadow looked on, worried about Peach's safety, but his Hedgehog Sense told him that Bowser was genuinely sorry and that Peach was in the right for forgiving him.

"WAH! Everything's so beautiful right now!" said Bowser Jr.

Overtaken by the sheer emotion of what was going down between his father and "Mama" Peach, Bowser Jr. gave Shadow a big hug. The Ultimate Life Form was less than impressed, partly because 1. This was somebody whose brains he'd threatened to blow out not too long ago, and 2. It just felt awkward in general. Nevertheless, if Peach could make peace with Bowser, he decided that it would be prudent to make peace with Bowser Jr. Seeing all the love and affection going on now, Koopski and Harold turned to each other.

"Harold, thanks for sticking with me! You and everyone else made this dream possible!"

"You're welcome, boss!"

Koopski and Harold hugged each other as well.

As for Bowser, having cried enough and gotten his fill of Peach's touch, he looked her in the eyes, one thing on his mind…

"P-peace?" said Bowser.

Peach smiled. "Absolutely!"

With that, Bowser and Peach shook hands. Because one hedgehog had agreed to support a princess who wanted to step up for her people, two rival kingdoms had ceased warring.

A few Chaos Controls later, Shadow and Peach were back in the Mushroom Kingdom. That night, Shadow and Peach were on the roof of Peach's castle, looking up at the full moon in the clear sky.

"The moon's really beautiful this time of the year," said Shadow.

"I agree," said Peach. "There is, however, one thing I'm concerned about…"

Shadow frowned. "What?"

"Shaddy…did you really have to threaten Bowser Jr. and say those really scary things?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "And what does that matter to you? We saved the Mushroom Kingdom, didn't we?"

"Well yes, it's just…I still can't believe you did that! How much evil do you have to have inside you to threaten a child?"

Shadow uncrossed his arms. "Peach, I didn't want to threaten Bowser Jr. any more than you did. I-it's just…I…I couldn't stand aside while Bowser held you hostage. I love you, Princess Peach! Y-you understand…right?"

At this moment, Peach noticed a few tears on Shadow's face, shining in the moonlight. Realizing that he really didn't mean to be evil and that he genuinely cared about Bowser Jr.'s well-being, she smiled.

"Oh Shaddy, of course I understand! I think it's beautiful that you have the courage to stand up for the people you love! That meant so much to me! You gave me strength to stand alone again…"

Shadow did his best not to break down completely when he heard Peach singing the chorus to "You Needed Me". Nevertheless, it was so beautiful, and it meant so much to him that he couldn't help himself, so he smiled and wrapped his arms around her as he purred. She returned the gesture as well. At this point, Shadow couldn't have been happier if he'd tried. Granted, he still had tears in his eyes, but these were tears of joy. The fact that any woman would sing a song that really spoke to his heart was touching enough, but this was coming from a woman who not only ruled her kingdom with love and kindness, but who also had a voice like honey. How could he resist that? Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they backed away, but kept their arms around each other.

"Peach…"

"Yes?"

"Has anyone told you how beautiful your hair looks with the moon shining on it?"

"Shaddy!"

Peach kissed Shadow. This was perhaps one of the most romantic kisses he'd received thus far, and overall, he was going to sleep very well tonight, knowing that he'd given the one and only Princess Peach a chance to be happy.

Before they went to sleep, Peach and Shadow took a shower together. Shadow smiled and moaned as Peach ran her hands through his quills.

"Oh, Peach, this feels so good! Don't stop!"

Peach giggled. "Speak for yourself! I enjoy bathing with you, too!"

Perhaps Shadow's favorite part about the experience was when Peach ran her hands down from his head to his chest fur, causing him to moan even more. Though a bit nervous about doing so, he washed her chest as well. Even though Peach wasn't as stacked as Rouge, Shadow relished the opportunity to touch that part of her. She giggled when he washed her chest.

"Shaddy, you're making me blush!"

"What were you expecting? I like what you're doing to me, so it's only fair that I paid you back!"

Peach giggled even more. When she first met him, she never imagined that Shadow could be such a huge flirt. Even so, she got a real charge out of hearing him say stuff like that to her. Once she'd washed his chest fur enough, she moved her hands downwards to a spot that made Shadow gasp and freeze up. She frowned when he did this.

"Shaddy, do you feel uncomfortable being touched there?"

"Oh n-no…i-it's not that…it's just…I…your hand feels so good!"

Peach smiled. "OK, just making sure!"

Shadow did his best to keep his composure while washing Peach. Similarly, Peach gasped when he touched her down there. Nevertheless, they did their best to keep it from getting too awkward.

Once again, Shadow wrote another journal entry before snuggling with Peach:

"Dear Journal: Last night, I had a terrible nightmare about Maria, only it was Peach instead of Maria who got killed. Partly because of that, and partly because I was starting to miss Rouge, I slept somewhat crappy. It was only because of my morning cup of coffee that I felt like adventuring.

After breakfast, I played some music for Peach, but she found my brand of metal to be repulsive, so I ended up playing some rock songs that Sonic shared with me, which she seemed to like. However, my favorite moment came when I played my Anne Murray playlist and I got to dance slowly with her. It was at this point that I actually started to like her, although I will admit that snuggling with her in that tent was nice.

One surprise I got was at Magma Plains, when I interrogated Lemmy Koopa, who mentioned a being known as 'Saphanolis'. Right away, I could tell that Bowser was messing with forces beyond his comprehension, much like Gerald had messed with Black Doom or the Duke of Soleanna had messed with Solaris, which gave me that extra drive to stop the Koopa King. After Peach and I beat Ludwig von Koopa, we had some snacks, and much to my surprise, she kissed me. I honestly didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, I felt so weird inside, but on the other hand, that was one of the happiest moments of my life.

One of the more difficult parts of our journey was when we went through Cookie Forest, which Peach said that nobody had come out of alive. She got very spooked, but I helped her through and defeated Roy Koopa. All was not well, however, because at Rainbow Island, Peach coaxed me into talking about Maria, and I cried a lot. Thankfully, a cuddly hug from Peach and a mug of warm milk made me feel better, and from that point on, I would do ANYTHING for her. I can understand why Mario goes to such great lengths to rescue her now. She is the absolute sweetest person ever, perhaps even more than Cream.

Fawning aside, Peach and I bundled up for Wendy O. Koopa's castle, where I screwed up and called Wendy a 'bitch'. I realize she's a Koopaling, but still, whenever I see a woman, I see part of Maria and Rouge in her, and I felt like I dishonored them, so I apologized to Wendy and moved on through Peppermint Cave. Larry Koopa told us that Saphanolis could be summoned with a book called The Fire Down Under, which gave me extra drive to stop Bowser, but I had to make a brief stop to warm Peach up after the freezing cold we'd been through. After she warmed up, I attempted to tickle her, but she got the upper hand on me and tickled me back, which is all right by me because I can't help myself when a beautiful woman tickles me.

For the last leg of our journey, we were assisted by a Koopa named Koopski, who led a resistance group known as the Koopa Lightning Strike Force. I felt we worked better without him, but he seemed really passionate about wresting the Koopa Kingdom from Bowser's clutches, so we let him along with his partner Harold and the rest of the KLSF assist us. We really raised some hell that time, although when we got to Bowser, he used a magic spell to trap Peach, Koopski and Harold, so I retaliated by holding Bowser Jr. at gunpoint, and after a little persuasion, Bowser and I exchanged prisoners. However, Bowser succeeded in summoning Saphanolis no matter how hard I tried to stop him, and when Saphanolis turned on Bowser, we all had to work together to banish Saphanolis, and it was Peach who ultimately finished the job. Strangely, Bowser broke down crying and said 'sorry' to Peach, but even more strangely, she forgave him for all of his crimes. I was glad that the job was done, though I felt weird about the whole thing, more so when Bowser Jr. hugged me. Still, I gave everyone a chance to be happy, so I'm happy about that.

Before I conclude today's entry, Peach criticized me for holding Bowser Jr. hostage. Believe me, I didn't want to do it any more than she did, but how else was I supposed to save her? Anyways, she has a really beautiful singing voice, and I hope she records a whole album of Anne Murray covers. Also, we took a shower together, and my favorite part was when Peach washed my crotch. Granted, it was quite shocking at first, but it felt really good, too."

Shadow did indeed sleep well that night, especially considering he was snuggling with Peach. He especially enjoyed the morning sun shining on him when he awoke, and the sight of her laying next to him perked him up.

"Good morning, Peach! How are you today?"

"I'M NOT PEACH!"

"Not Peach" let out some evil laughter.

Shadow awoke with a sharp gasp. It was still night in the Mushroom Kingdom, so he just lied down and tried to forget about the weird dream he had.

(Well, at least it's a relief from having nightmares about Maria…)

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.