Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition

by KatherineTheMoth

When Sonic had accidently discovered a mysterious board game, he soon asked his friends to play it with him. Little did the gang realize that the board game is cursed and that they are now forced to finish it for the curse to be over. This resulted in a crazy adventure where they have to play the game in order to save their planet, their lives, and the entire universe. Now Game On!

22. Midgame(pt 6)

Sonic X: Season 3: Shuffle Edition

Midgame (pt. 6)

-Meanwhile With Knuckles-

"So...Do I press this button and then...the other button? Or...press this button first and then...that one? …...Argh! No, that's not right either! Geez, how do Sonic and Tails know how to get this plane moving?! It's like deciphering a foreign language!" Knuckles muttered calmly in confusion before exclaiming in frustration with a solemn frown and with a sweat drop on his head as he tried to turn on the ignition to the X-Tornado while sitting in the pilot's seat. He tried flipping a few switches to see if any of them turn the plane on, but none of them had worked. He groaned in frustration while grabbing onto his head since he has no idea on how to start the plane.

"Ugggh...I'm going to be stuck here forever...Tails, I may have teased you a little for being a nerd, but after I somehow miraculously get out of here, I promise that I won't tease your genius mind again. Just please...Get me out of here..." Knuckles muttered tiredly with a grimace and with a groan as he held onto his head and massaged it a bit since he's having a bit of a migraine trying figure out how to fly a plane. While he massaged his head, a crazy, desperate idea popped into his mind.

Hmmm...I wonder...Knuckles thought calmly yet slowly with a frown as he moved his head back towards the backseat of the plane and spotted the board game. He stared at the game with a solemn frown as he pondered whether to play the game or not.

...No...No, no, no, no...Knuckles...Stop...You do realize that the board game is nothing but trouble, and it is in desperate situations that people play the game while hoping that a miracle will happen. However, I won't fall for it, and I'm not going to play that stupid game...Hmph...Knuckles pondered calmly with a solemn frown while shaking his head and putting a hand on his forehead before turning back around and crossing his arms in a huff. He pouted in frustration as he stubbornly refused to give in to his desperate thoughts. He stared at the control panel instead as he tried to figure out what starts the plane's engine. However, he still can't get a good idea as to what switch or button does what.

If only there was a button that says "Go", then I'll realize that starts the plane's engine. Sheesh...How come it's easy to know how that cursed board game works while this one is hard?! Maybe all of these buttons and switches should be marked so that I'll know what to do...Like...Like...how I know how to play that board ga-Ack! What am I doing?! Stop thinking about that game! Do you really want to make this situation worse, Knuckles?! It's already bad as it is with me being stuck here! Next, the plane will fall into the abyss if I try to press my luck with that game! So, don't play it! Knuckles pondered with an annoyed look on his face before he grimaced and closed his eyes while shaking his head again to try stop thinking about the board game.

"..." Knuckles was silent while grimacing and while having his eyes closed. He tried to block out the rising desperation in his heart by reasoning to himself in his mind that everything will be okay.

Look...It's a bad situation. I know...But you're okay...And the others are...kind of okay...But we'll make it out of this situation without having any more problems...Besides...the Master Emerald is safe, and nothing is going to harm it...Except that...I'm right here...and the Master Emerald is in the Blue Typhoon...while the Metarex armada is here to destroy...Argh! No! No! No! Everything is fine! It's fine! It's fine! IT'S FINE! Knuckles meditated calmly with a little frown and with closed eyes before he cringed a lot when he brooded those last thoughts and shook his head again while holding onto the sides of it.

"GAH!" Knuckles shouted in frustration as he covered his face with his hands and bent forward in his seat while feeling very desperate and anxious right now. He had finally accepted that everything is NOT fine and is out of his control. He doesn't want to admit it, but...he's scared of what's going to happen if he doesn't do something now. He feels powerless at the moment, and he hates that feeling so much. The saddest thing about it is that he's all alone and has no one to comfort him.

Just like how I have always lived my life...Alone...Sigh...And it seems that I might die alone as well...Knuckles brooded with grimace and with closed eyes while covering his face with his hands. He sighed tiredly as he moved his head back up while putting his hands down. He slowly looked back at the board game that's still sitting on the backseat of the plane and frowned deeper when he saw it again. It's like temptation personified. On one hand, you could fulfill your lust's desires by giving in to temptation, but on the other hand, there are many terrible consequences that could take place if you do give in to temptation. There is no good scenario that could come from this.

...However...there is one shining hope...One sliver of good fortune that could happen if he does play the game...He could somehow teleport the plane back to the Blue Typhoon and alert Tails about what happened with the plane. He could check up on the Master Emerald again if that happens. He might even provide backup to Tails and Cream by defending the Blue Typhoon from the Metarex armada. If that could happen, then that would be a true miracle.

...But again...it's IF that happens...not WHEN it happens...So...what to do?

"...(Sigh)…I'm crazy...I'm crazy...I'm definitely crazy...But...I have no other choice..." Knuckles muttered quietly yet tiredly with a solemn frown and with a deep sigh as he face-palmed himself before turning a bit around to grab the board game from the backseat. He reached for the board game and grabbed it before turning back around and placing the board game onto his lap. As he took another deep sigh, he opened the board game and stared at it solemnly with a frown.

"...I...I've really lost my mind here...Why am I doing this?" Knuckles muttered tiredly to himself with a solemn frown and with closed eyes as he dipped his head down while slowly pressing the "Go" button with his thumb. The roulette wheel started to spin after taking in Knuckles' push. He opened his eyes again and stared at the spinning wheel with an unamused look on his face.

I really can't believe that I had given in to my desperation. I must be much weaker than I thought...Sigh...But...maybe there is a chance that something good will happen to me...I mean...It happened once to like everybody, right? So, surely, it'll be my turn to receive good fortune this time...Right? Knuckles pondered calmly with a frown before having a hopeful smile on his face. He then saw that the roulette wheel had stopped spinning and showed that he got a 10. An actual 10!

"What the-?! Is...Is this thing broken?! There's no way that I got a ten! Unless..." Knuckles exclaimed in shock with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he watched his red spaceship move ten spaces towards space 41 before he muttered in relief with a hopeful smile on his face, "...This is my lucky break...".

KACHING!

He was slightly startled when he heard the card popping out from the slot. He blinked at the card with a surprised look on his face before he slowly grabbed the card and read it out aloud.

"'Like the depths of your soul, you are desperate and craving satisfaction. So, like a black hole, you'll have nothing but destruction' …...Wh-Why does this card know me so well? And...why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Knuckles calmly read the card with a frown before he muttered sheepishly with a grimace and with a sweat drop on his head. Immediately after he had said that, the ball containing the Planet Egg fell from the trap door and headed down towards the abyss.

"Huh? What's that?" Knuckles asked in confusion as he looked up and saw the ball fall down. He watched the ball fall past the X-Tornado and headed straight for the abyss. After seeing it disappear into the dark abyss, he muttered awkwardly with a sheepish frown on his concerned face while staring down at the abyss, "...Okay...That just happened...And somehow...I feel like that's a bad omen...I mean...A ball falling into a dark abyss while having no idea what to expect? Yeah, sure. That's normal. That's perfectly normal. In fact, it is a sign telling me that things are about to go downhill from here...Which is perfectly normal for me...".

He grimaced as he added in annoyance, "...Why do I feel that this is all going to be my fault?".

---

-Meanwhile With Red Pine and His Armada-

"QA Pine, sir! Player Five had activated your trap card! Commencing 'The Zathura Sequence' in about thirty minutes!" one Metarex poacher exclaimed solemnly as he looked at Red Pine after seeing the Planet Egg drop into the abyss.

"Excellent! Soon, all of these players will be destroyed, and my career as a poacher will be redeemed! I knew that building this fortress will be useful someday, and even though Dark Oak won't admit it, I'm sure that even he saw the genius behind my fortress' design! All the traps and security measures were perfect! Why else would he want to come here if not to trap the players here and kill them all?! Clearly, this is a sign that I am still of use to him! In fact..." Red Pine exclaimed victoriously as he rubbed his hands together in a sinister way before he stopped and grabbed out his space cell phone while adding excitedly, "...I'm going to call him right now and tell him the good news!".

After dialing on his cell phone, Red Pine waited for Dark Oak to answer the phone.

---

-Meanwhile With Sonic, Amy, and Cosmo-

"Welp. Game over," Amy muttered in a monotone voice with a frown and with lowered eyelids after accepting the fact that Knuckles had unintentionally screwed them over by playing the board game.

"Come on, Amy! It's not game over yet!" Sonic encouraged solemnly with a frown and with a fist up as he looked back at Amy.

"Sonic, do you realize how hard it is to escape a black hole?! We've never done that before, and it'll take a miracle to get out of here alive! I'm sorry, but I think that this is the end for us!" Amy exclaimed back with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she stared back at Sonic before she looked sad as she quietly added, "...And that means we won't live happily ever after...".

"...! ...A-Amy...I..." Sonic gasped in surprise before he muttered sadly with a frown and with downcast eyes as he stared at Amy in sympathy.

"Isn't this just perfect? All of you will die together, and we'll be the winners of this hunting game. It's so sad that you had come this far just to fail. But all is not lost you see. You had even sent a Planet Egg to death. Congrats," Dark Oak said calmly yet sinisterly in a heartless way as he interrupted a touching moment.

Sonic gritted his teeth and looked back at Dark Oak as he yelled back in frustration while glaring and growling at him, "Grrrr! You just can't help but rub it in, don't ya?!".

"Oh, I sure can't. Especially since it was the Player's Guide's actions that made this possible. You really must be proud of what she had done," Dark Oak replied calmly yet haughtily as he crossed his arms and stared back at Sonic. Cosmo still looked horrified as she held the Chaos Emeralds closely to her chest while staring at the ground. Sonic looked at Cosmo and grimaced even further as he saw how distressed she looks.

Dark Oak continued calmly while Sonic kept staring at Cosmo, "After all, she had gotten what you players had wanted...the Chaos Emeralds. In other words...more power...Don't see now that your actions and motives are no different than ours? We wanted the Chaos Emeralds too for their power and how they will help us survive. Taking the energy from the Planet Eggs and feeding off from their energy is one thing, but the Chaos Emeralds are another story. For you see...Sonic the Hedgehog...they are the key into obtaining our ultimate goal...".

Dark Oak then swung his sword around before posing straight with a fist raised as he finished dramatically, "...Eternal Life!".

"...'Eternal...Life'? ...Why would you want that for?" Sonic asked calmly yet slowly in confusion and in curiosity with a solemn frown as he looked back at Dark Oak.

"Yeah. Why would you go through all that trouble just to live forever? Life already sucks as it is, you know," Amy added calmly yet curiously in confusion as she stared at Dark Oak with a frown and with a raised eyebrow. Sonic looked at Amy with an annoyed look on his face after hearing her say that.

Really, Amy? Really? Sonic thought in annoyance with a frown and with lowered eyelids.

Amy raised her hands in mock surrender as she calmly said to Sonic with a frown, "I'm just saying".

"Now that question, my dear players, is a secret. But I will say this though. We are slowly running out of Planet Eggs to obtain energy from, and once they're depleted, we're basically on a timer. In order to extend our time indefinitely, we would need the Chaos Emeralds' power. After we have gained their power, we will live forever...and the Metarex reign will truly begin...That is our plan," Dark Oak answered calmly yet deviously as he lowered his sword down back to his side. Sonic and Amy looked both surprised and solemn after hearing this plan.

So that's why they're after the emeralds. This is just insane! And their methods of doing so is just...just heartless...Sonic and Amy pondered solemnly in unison while looking determined.

"...What...What have I done? ...I...I...I've been selfish again..." Cosmo whispered softly in shock while having a distressed look on her face as she stared at the emeralds in her arms. Even while I'm helping others out, I still act selfishly. I didn't even think about how these emeralds were just a trap for me to get. Dark Oak...He knows how much I want to help Sonic and the others, and he used that motivation to trick me into getting them. Wh-Why? Why did I fall for this trap? I should've known that password was a dead giveaway to a trap, and yet, I took the bait anyway! How could I be so stupid?! Cosmo brooded sadly with a distressed look on her face as tears came to her eyes.

"THIS IS ALL MY FAULT! (Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob! Sob!)" Cosmo shouted in sadness with a distressed look on her face before she knelt to the floor and cried loudly in guilt.

"Cosmo!" Sonic and Amy exclaimed in shock and in concern while looking at Cosmo with worried looks on their faces.

"It certainly is, Player's Guide, and you will pay the price by having your friends die. Such a fine punishment for trying to-" Dark Oak commented calmly yet darkly as he stared at Cosmo in a cold way. He was then interrupted by his space cell phone going off.

("Darth Vader's March Theme" plays in a cell phone ringtone)

Sonic and Amy looked back at Dark Oak in annoyance and in confusion after hearing his cell phone going off at this inappropriate time.

"Argh! What is it now?! I was in the middle of putting everyone down! Who would dare interrupt me at a time like this?!" Dark Oak yelled in frustration as he grabbed his space cell phone and glared at it before answering it, "This better be good, whoever this is!".

"Yooooo, Ex. P.! Did you see it?! Did you see it?! The Planet Egg had finally dropped into the fortress' abyss and is ready to explode! My card is finally going to pay off! And you said that it won't ever be necessary! Ha! Looks like you were betting on that to happen too, huh?!" Red Pine exclaimed excitedly in victory through Dark Oak's cell phone.

"Oh, gosh darn it..." Dark Oak muttered tiredly in annoyance as he face-palmed himself again before answering in frustration, "Red Pine! I told you to not talk to me ever again! And yes, maybe I had relied on that card to pop up, however, I didn't expect you to call just to brag about it!".

"Oh, please, Ex. P.! I have every right to brag here! Whose idea was it to build this gigantic fortress?!" Red Pine exclaimed haughtily yet confidently.

"(Sigh)...Your idea," Dark Oak answered tiredly with a sigh.

"And whose idea was it to set up that Planet Egg trap?" Red Pine asked smugly in victory.

"Grrr...Your idea," Dark Oak answered in annoyance with a growl.

"Annnnd...whose idea was it to come here and use my fortress to meet with the players?" Red Pine asked coyly as he felt confident.

"Ugggh...My idea," Dark Oak answered in annoyance while groaning a bit as he face-palmed himself again.

"See?! See?! This just proves that I'm still useful to you, sir! I may be a screw-up, but even I come through for you at times, old buddy! You may criticize me, get angry with me, and even reject me, but you still use what I had given you years later after I've been kicked out from the pack! I do hope that this will teach you not to underestimate me and my abilities! So, are you going to take me back or what?!" Red Pine exclaimed excitedly yet confidently through the cell phone.

"...(Sigh)…...Alright, maybe I've been too harsh on you, Red Pine. It is as you had said. Your crafting skills and your creative ideas are what had finally trapped the players. I...(Sigh)...I couldn't...thank you enough if I had tried..." Dark Oak replied calmly yet tiredly as he sighed a bit.

"...! You mean that, sir?!" Red Pine exclaimed excitedly with a gasp.

"Don't push your luck. Anyways, I assume that the energy from the Planet Egg had been transferred to our energy pods and is currently heading towards our base, right?" Dark Oak replied calmly as he changed the subject.

"...Uhh...The what now?" Red Pine asked curiously in confusion.

"You know, the energy pods. The very same ones that we use before letting the Planet Eggs explode. You did install the energy pod here in this fortress when you had made it, right?" Dark Oak calmly reiterated while looking annoyed.

"...Uhhhh...About that...Let's just say that...a few ideas had slipped through my mind while designing this fortress..." Red Pine answered slowly yet sheepishly in awkwardness.

"You mean to tell me that you FORGOT to install the energy pod in this fortress?! That's the most crucial step in designing a Metarex fortress! We need the Planet Egg's energy so that we could live! You've just wasted an entire Planet Egg so that it could explode for nothing!" Dark Oak yelled back in anger as he looked furious. Sonic, Amy, and even Cosmo all stared at Dark Oak in confusion while listening to him yell at Red Pine.

"B-B-B-But sir! Not all is lost, you see! At least, we'll get rid of the players so that they won't bother us anymore! So, there's that, r-right?!" Red Pine exclaimed back nervously in a panicky way as he tried to diffuse the situation a bit.

"...You're fired...again..." Dark Oak muttered tiredly in annoyance before he hung up his cell phone.

"...! 'F-F-Fired'? Oooooh..." Red Pine whined sadly with a gasp after seeing that Dark Oak had hung up on him.

"(Sigh)...Now then...where were we? …...Bah...I had forgotten what I was doing earlier. But no matter..." Dark Oak muttered calmly with a sigh and with a headshake before stared at Sonic again as he continued menacingly, "...I think that it is time to settle our rematch. I may have given you an appetizer by letting you fight my minions, but now is time for the main course. Me".

Sonic gritted his teeth as he glared at Dark Oak while seeing him steady his sword. He knows that he's in for it now and fighting those brown poachers did wear him out a lot. But he's not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

No way that I'm going to let this creep beat me. Not after making Cosmo cry with his cruelness. It's time to settle this one now! Sonic brooded solemnly with gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows as he bended his knees in a battle position.

While Sonic and Dark Oak were about to start their rematch, Red Pine was feeling disappointed that Dark Oak hadn't accepted him back into the poacher pack. He looked sullen while having his hands onto the ship's control panel.

"(Sigh)...I'm never going to become a poacher again...Dark Oak...My best buddy...Why had you changed? I was all for living forever with you, but ever since you've gotten serious about preserving the last of our kind, you've turned cold towards me...and towards the rest of your friends...I...I guess...Things won't go back the way they were before...(Sigh)…" Red Pine muttered quietly in sadness while sighing a bit as he stared at the control panel. He looked sad but soon angry as he felt resentment for Dark Oak for firing him again.

He then glared at his own fortress as he muttered coldly, "...If I can't win...then nobody will...".

("Confrontation" from Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright plays again)

Meanwhile, Dark Oak and Sonic were glaring at each other again while being in their battle poses. Amy watched Sonic in worry while Cosmo stared at Dark Oak in sadness with tears in her eyes. Tension had reached its peak again as Sonic was ready to attack Dark Oak.

"I can see that you are without a weapon. This is going to be a one-sided fight," Dark Oak commented calmly yet confidently while holding onto his sword with both hands.

"Yeah, by you using Chaos Control without holding any Chaos Emeralds no less," Sonic replied calmly in annoyance while looking irritated.

"That may be true, but for you, I'll use no fancy tricks during this fight. It's just pure skill from here on out," Dark Oak replied calmly yet deviously as he glared at Sonic.

"Heh. Well, when you put it that way...then this is going to be a piece of cake!" Sonic replied calmly yet brightly in amusement with a smirk and with determined eyes before he boosted towards Dark Oak to attack him. Dark Oak quickly swung his sword down to slice Sonic, but Sonic got into his Spinball Form and dodged to the left of Dark Oak's attack before slamming into his right side.

"Argh! Why you little-!" Dark Oak yelled in frustration as he skidded to the left after being hit before he swung his sword to the right to attack Sonic. But Sonic dodged and spun towards Dark Oak's left side. He slammed hard into Dark Oak and made him skid across the room again. Dark Oak growled irritably at this and had swung his sword at his left this time. Yet again, Sonic dodged the quick sword attacks and had slammed into Dark Oak's face in his Spinball Form.

"Argggh!" Dark Oak yelled in frustration after feeling Sonic hit his face and had fallen down to the ground. Sonic spun backwards and had landed onto the ground while being in a battle pose.

"I guess that you were...way too slow..." Sonic quipped playfully yet quietly with a cocky smirk and with a wink as he staring at Dark Oak.

"Yay! Go, Sonic!" Amy cheered happily with a grin as she pumped her fists into the air.

"...(Sniff)…" Cosmo sniffled while having a little, hopeful smile on her sad face as she watched Sonic with teary eyes. Dark Oak then slowly got back up and sighed tiredly before pressing a secret button near his neck. After he had pressed the button, his entire body armor was completely covered in spikes. Sonic, Amy, and Cosmo gasped in shock after seeing this slight transformation.

"Clearly, I've been stand-corrected. It looks like this will be a fair fight after all," Dark Oak commented calmly yet darkly as he readied his sword again.

"Hey! What gives?! You said that you won't pull any fancy tricks! So, why are you throwing this out of nowhere, huh?! Are you chicken to fight me head-on without having any tricks up your sleeve?! You're no different than Eggman!" Sonic yelled in frustration with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared at Dark Oak.

"It's not a trick. It's a feature that I naturally have on my body. I can use it any time that I wish. Just like you use that ring any time that you wish since your quills...are a feature on your body," Dark Oak clarified calmly as he lowered his arms a bit.

"Oh, well, aren't we all bringing along the technicalities today?! Fine! If you want to play dirty, then I'll play dirty!" Sonic yelled back in annoyance with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he pointed at Dark Oak while having a vein bulging in his head.

"Hmph! How could you without puncturing yourself?" Dark Oak asked tauntingly with a grunt as he pointed his sword straight at Sonic for emphasis.

"Grrrr..." Sonic growled in frustration as he saw that Dark Oak has a point there. If he can't hit Dark Oak normally, then what could he do?

"Sonic! Take this!" Amy exclaimed solemnly with a frown as she threw her Piko Piko Hammer towards Sonic. Sonic looked back at Amy, and his eyes widened in surprise as he quickly grabbed the handle of Amy's hammer.

With a surprised look on his face, Sonic asked curiously in confusion, "Amy? Why are you giving me your hammer? Don't you need it?".

"Don't worry..." Amy muttered calmly with a frown as she held onto another one of her hammers after it magically appeared in her hands. She added calmly with a bright smile, "...I have plenty of these lying around in my back pocket".

Sonic raised his eyebrows at that before he sheepishly smiled as he replied calmly, "Uhh...Okay. If you say so...Thank you, Amy. You're really pulling through for me".

"Teehee! I'm glad to be of help! Now go get him, Sonic!" Amy exclaimed cheerfully with a bright grin and with a giggle as she raised her fists in determination.

"Heh! Right!" Sonic exclaimed brightly with a smirk and with a nod before he frowned solemnly and stared back at Dark Oak while holding the hammer in his right hand like a sword.

"So, that's your weapon? A measly hammer? Ha! I'll still slice you in half with my swings! Have at you, Player Four!" Dark Oak commented confidently in amusement as he stared at Sonic before he dashed towards him and swung his long sword at him. Sonic gasped in surprise and leapt a bit backwards before swinging Amy's hammer against Dark Oak's sword.

CLANG!

The hammer and the sword clashed each other and made a loud "CLANG!" noise upon impact. Dark Oak was a bit surprised that Sonic had managed to block his attack with that little hammer, but he soon shrugged it off as he tried to attack him repeatedly. He swung his sword left, right, and downwards while stomping slowly towards Sonic. Sonic skillfully blocked these attacks by swinging and raising the hammer against the long sword while briskly walking backwards. Sonic was gritting his teeth as he was concentrating on blocking Dark Oak's hard swings.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Dark Oak even started to quickly swing downwards at slight angles to try to throw Sonic off. However, Sonic just dodged these quick attacks by jumping from side to side. He even made a big jump when Dark Oak did a spin attack with his sword. Dark Oak swung his sword downwards yet again, and Sonic blocked it yet again after landing to the ground.

CLANG!

However, this time, Dark Oak and Sonic pushed their weapons against each other upon impact. They both glared hard at each other with solemn looks on their faces. Sonic kept gritting his teeth and furrowing his eyebrows as he kept resisting Dark Oak's sword. Dark Oak kept pushing his sword down at the Piko Piko hammer while still looking menacing.

"Hmph. Your 'swordsmanship' skills are impressive...for an amateur. But I highly doubt that you'll survive much longer if you keep blocking me like this," Dark Oak commented calmly yet deviously while pushing his sword down.

"Heh. Oh, yeah? Well, I think that I can. Especially since..." Sonic replied calmly with a cocky smirk and with amused eyes as he stared at Dark Oak while resisting his sword. He then sped around Dark Oak and stood a few feet behind him while holding up the hammer. Dark Oak's sword struck the ground after Sonic sped away and had looked behind himself to see him standing coolly while wearing a cocky smirk.

"...I can use my speed to my advantage," Sonic finished calmly yet confidently with a smirk while holding up the Piko Piko Hammer as he stared at Dark Oak.

"Hmm...How persistent of you. But like I had said before while you were battling my minions, you can fight all you want, but you'll soon tire out. Once you're exhausted, I'll strike you without mercy. By then, you'll see why I'm the head space poacher around here," Dark Oak replied calmly yet darkly as he turned around and aimed his sword at Sonic.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're tall, dark, and handsome. We get it already. So, are you going to stab me with that sword or what?" Sonic replied calmly yet playfully with a teasing smirk and with a quirked eyebrow as he stared at Dark Oak while spinning the hammer vertically with one hand.

"Heheheheh...Don't mind if I do," Dark Oak replied calmly yet menacingly with a dark chuckle as he stared back at Sonic before he dashed at him again. This time, Sonic was fighting and dodging much more swiftly as he jumped backwards while blocking Dark Oak's quick attacks. For every time Dark Oak lunges at Sonic with a hard sword swing, Sonic blocked it with his hammer swing. Both Dark Oak and Sonic swung their weapons left, right, downwards/upwards, and all around. Loud clanging noises were heard as the weapons clashed with each other.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

After Sonic dodged to the side again, he suddenly jumped up and swung the hammer hard at Dark Oak's face.

CLANK!

"OW!" Dark Oak yelped in pain as he hobbled backwards after feeling that hard whack from the Piko Piko Hammer. After Sonic landed back down to the ground, he wasted no time into attacking Dark Oak some more with the Piko Piko Hammer. He was on the offensive now as he sped around Dark Oak and jumped at him on all sides while whacking him with the hammer.

CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!

"Ugh! Ow! OW! Argh! Stop that! You insignificant creature! Take this!" Dark Oak yelped even more in pain before he yelled in anger after receiving multiple whacks from the hammer. Dark Oak then swished his sword fiercely yet haphazardly in multiple directions to try to attack Sonic and to protect himself from his attacks. After he had stopped swinging his sword, Dark Oak panted a little from exhaustion.

"(Pant Pant Pant)...Did I...(Pant Pant)...get him?" Dark Oak asked breathlessly while panting and sweating a lot in exhaustion as he slowly looked around the room for Sonic's corpse.

"Not very likely!" Sonic exclaimed cockily yet distantly from above.

"Huh?! What the-?!" Dark Oak yelled in shock and in confusion as he quickly looked up at the ceiling.

CLANK!

Just as when Dark Oak looked up, Sonic boosted down towards him while slamming the Piko Piko Hammer down onto his face. It was a very hard whack as the sound echoed across the room.

"Ooooh...That's gotta hurt..." Cosmo commented calmly yet quietly with a deep frown and with closed eyes as she winced after seeing that attack.

"Aw, yeah, Sonic! That's how it's done! You show him who's boss!" Amy cheered excitedly with a huge grin and with her fists up as she stared at Sonic and Dark Oak.

Sonic landed behind Dark Oak in a crouching position while looking back at him with the hammer in his hand. He smirked in amusement as he pondered to himself. Heheheheh! It looks like I got a knack for using this hammer after all! Now, I know why Amy loves using her hammer so much! Whacking people in the face is soooo satisfying to do!

After Dark Oak rubbed his face with his left hand, he turned around and glared hard at Sonic. Sonic stood back up and turned around quickly while wearing a cocky smirk on his face.

He then thrusted the Piko Piko Hammer towards Dark Oak while he quipped playfully with a smirk, "Heh. You know...Your swordsmanship skills need more work. You didn't even get a scratch on me!".

"Grrrr! Shut your trap, Player Four! You know nothing about swordsmanship! You're just a knave as far as I'm concerned!" Dark Oak yelled back in frustration with a growl and with a cold glare as he raised his sword towards himself.

"True, but I'm a lucky knave!" Sonic quipped back teasingly with a smirk and with a raised eyebrow as he stared at Dark Oak.

"Ugggh...I bet that hammer isn't too hard for you to handle. If you had a real sword with you, it'll be much harder for you to take a swing at me. Swords are heavier than hammers, you know," Dark Oak replied calmly yet menacingly with a groan and with a quick face-palm before he stared at Sonic again.

"Yeah, they may be, but if I had to choose, I'd still go with the hammer that I'm using right now. Anything that kills people like swords or guns for example just ain't my style. I'd be caught dead if I ever held one of those in my hands," Sonic replied calmly with a confident smile as he held the hammer back with both of his hands while standing tall.

"Hmph. Very well then. Even though you're not carrying a sword in your hands, I'll still kill you while you have a hammer in your hands!" Dark Oak replied calmly yet menacingly as he held his sword forward with both hands.

"In your dreams, Darkbutt!" Sonic quipped teasingly with a cocky smirk as he readied the Piko Piko Hammer in the same manner that Dark Oak is reading his sword. They soon swung their weapons at each other again and clashed with each other very fast in multiple directions.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

But soon after they started fighting again, they felt room rumble a lot out of nowhere!

("Confrontation" song stops abruptly with another record scratch)

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

"H-Huh?! What's going on here?!" Sonic and Dark Oak exclaimed in shock and in confusion as they stopped fighting and looked around the room quickly before looking at each other after hearing the other say that same sentence. Some parts of the ceiling fell to the ground and crushed the destroyed Metarex robots. Amy and Cosmo looked very concerned as they quickly looked around the room too to see what's going on here.

"Eh?! Wh-Why is the fortress rumbling a lot?! Is...Is it self-detonating or something?!" Amy exclaimed in shock and in confusion while looking very concerned as she stared at the falling rubble.

"Oh no...Did I do something wrong again?" Cosmo muttered weakly in sadness and in worry as she looked down at the ground while holding the Chaos Emeralds in her arms.

"Grrrr...Just why is this happening?! Red Pine better have a good explanation for this!" Dark Oak yelled in frustration with a growl as he held the sword with one hand while grabbing out his space cell phone with his other hand. After dialing the phone number, Dark Oak waited for a few seconds for Red Pine to pick up.

He then heard Red Pine calmly yet coldly ask, "What is it, sir?".

"Red Pine! What is the meaning of this?! Is your fortress malfunctioning or something?! Make the rumbling stop now! I'm in the middle of fighting Player Four at the moment!" Dark Oak yelled in anger and in confusion as he had a vein bulging through his robotic head.

"...(Sigh)...No can do, sir. Not...this...time," Red Pine answered calmly yet darkly with a sigh. Dark Oak looked surprised by this cold response. He wasn't used to Red Pine talking back at him in a cold manner. He's used to him talking back at him in an immature way but not in a cold way. So, he can't help but feel unnerved by this.

"What are you talking about?! What's with the dismissive attitude?! This isn't like you, Red Pine! So, what gives?!" Dark Oak yelled back in anger and in even more confusion as he looked even more irritated.

"...Dark Oak...I've served under you for years not only as a servant but also as a friend...and...it had finally occurred to me that you had lost touch with your oldest friends...such as myself for instance...So...I accept that you will never see me as your friend ever again," Red Pine calmly replied in a resigned tone.

"Get to the point, Red Pine! Just what are you doing?!" Dark Oak yelled back impatiently as he looked irritated.

"What am I doing you may ask? Well...if you want to know..." Red Pine calmly yet solemnly replied as he glared coldly at his fortress while he answered darkly, "...I'm destroying this entire fortress with you in it".

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Dark Oak shouted in shock and in fury as he's enraged by this. But he as well as the others had cringed when they felt the entire fortress rumble and shake again.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Red Pine's armada fired tons of purple lasers at the fortress as they tried to destroy it. The lasers had also hit the shields from the Blue Typhoon and Dr. Eggman's spaceship amidst the initial attack. The Blue Typhoon rumbled a lot too as the lasers hit the shield.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

"Geez! It's like an earthquake in here!" Tails exclaimed in annoyance with a grimace and with a closed eye as he gripped onto his seat while the Blue Typhoon rumbled.

"Ooooh! This is very nerve-whacking! Do we have enough power to withstand the lasers?!" Cream exclaimed back in worry as she stared at the shield before at Tails with a concerned look on her face.

"Well, the shield level is at 95% capacity. So, it'll take a while for the Metarex poachers to wear the shield down," Tails answered calmly with a solemn frown as he stared up at the shield readings and saw its percentage.

"But what will happen if it reaches zero? We'll be defenseless at that rate," Cream replied calmly in concern while looking worried.

"Hmm...True. But not unless Sonic and the others come back to the ship. We can handle this, Cream. It's just a matter of waiting. Just stay calm, and we'll be alright," Tails replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown and with determined eyes as he stared back at Cream.

"Hmmm...Okay..." Cream muttered calmly with a little frown and with a nod as she slowly looked down and picked up her popcorn bag. She then proceeded to eat out of the bag while giving some popcorn to Cheese.

Tails looked confused by this action and asked calmly yet curiously with a raised eyebrow, "Uhh...Cream? Is this an appropriate time to be eating snacks?".

"I'm sorry, Tails, but eating snacks helps me calm down. I feel less stressed that way," Cream replied calmly with a frown as she looked back at Tails while holding some popcorn in her hands.

"Umm...I'm not sure that's healthy or not..." Tails muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a frown and with upward eyebrows as he scratched his head.

"Please, Tails. Let me eat. I'd be more stressful if I wasn't eating right now," Cream pleaded calmly with a sad look on her face as she stared at Tails.

"Hey, I'm not stopping you or anything. I'm just...a bit concerned is all...Although..." Tails replied calmly with a frown and with wide eyes as he had his hands up before grabbing his own popcorn bag while he continued, "...it does make this bad situation a lot more better now that we have something tasty with us".

"See?! I told you that getting some popcorn was a good idea! (Chao! Chao!)" Cream exclaimed brightly with a sweet smile and with a nod as Cheese agrees with her.

Tails smiled sheepishly at Cream as he replied calmly with a lowered eyebrow, "Well...I mean...I could be wrong sometimes...And you just proved it...So thanks".

"You're welcome, Tails! Now let's finish our snacks and pull ourselves together before we deal with this mess!" Cream exclaimed brightly with a sweet smile and with another nod before she looked serious as she stared at Tails.

"...You know what? That's not a bad plan. Okay, Cream! Snack time! Commence!" Tails replied calmly yet brightly with a smile as he enthusiastically pointed upwards. They then proceeded to eat their popcorn and drink their sodas while watching the purple lasers hit the shield and the fortress ahead of them. Explosions came off from the shield after the lasers hit it, and it looked like a firework show for Tails and Cream.

You know...Maybe this isn't all that bad. I mean. At least, we got front seats to see a firework show of some kind. Taking a step back to relax a bit during a stressful situation is surprisingly helpful to us. Maybe after this little break we'll be able to focus some more on the dire situation that we're in right now. ...Well...At least, I hope so...Tails pondered calmly with a frown as he munched onto his popcorn before pausing a little at the end while looking a bit nervous.

Meanwhile, Bokkun was panicking as he watched the lasers hit his Master's spaceship. He was holding onto his head while looking in multiple directions to see if he could spot his Master in the distance. He pondered quickly while looking nervous and afraid. Oooooh! Hurry up, Doctor! I don't know if your ship is going to make it or not! Please don't get blown up! Please! I-! H-Huh?!

He then looked at his left and saw Tails and Cream eating popcorn and drinking their sodas. He was surprised by this before he looked irritated and jealous.

"Oooh! You gotta be kidding me! I'm over here panicking like a high-wired robot while these two carefree buffoons are stuffing their faces with popcorn! And I love popcorn! Grrrrr! If I wasn't allowed to sneak into the Doctor's stash of snacks, then I would've gotten myself some popcorn too! This situation wouldn't be so bad if I was doing that too! Hmph! Lucky idiots!" Bokkun yelled in frustration with a grimace and with narrowed eyes as he glared at Tails and Cream before he looked away and crossed his arms while pouting a lot in jealousy.

While the Blue Typhoon and Dr. Eggman's spaceship kept getting attacked by lasers, the fortress itself is taking quite a beating by having lasers blowing up parts of it. More rubble fell on the inside of the fortress, and Sonic, Amy, and Cosmo were screaming in panic as they saw that the fortress slowly falling apart. Dark Oak was very unpleased with this turn of events as he was still on the phone call with Red Pine.

"Don't you see, old buddy? You've greatly underestimated me. I've built the best bases and fortresses. I've come up with the most creative ideas, and yet, you've cast me aside in favor of getting the job done. You have taken advantage of me for far too long, and now, it's time for you to pay the price. Once you're taken out, I'll finish the goal of preserving our kind for you as I become the Leader of the Metarex!" Red Pine continued confidently yet deviously through the cell phone.

"...Red Pine...What...have you...done?" Dark Oak asked slowly yet darkly as he looked furious.

"Oh, you know what I had done...ex-friend," Red Pine replied calmly yet coldly.

"Just...why? Why would you do this to me? Out of all the friends that could do this...why you, Red Pine? You were the last person who could backstab me like this. So...what made you change?" Dark Oak replied calmly yet slowly in confusion while looking furious.

"...The only reason that I had changed was because you had changed, ex-friend. If I can't win, then you and the players can't win either. It's as simple as that. Now if you excuse me...I'll be taking your title as Executive Producer now," Red Pine answered calmly yet coldly in deviousness.

"Red Pine! You traitor! You're even worse than I-!" Dark Oak yelled back in anger as he looked furious while shaking his fist.

CLICK!

Dark Oak then heard the phone click as Red Pine hung up. While ignoring the fortress rumbling, he slowly lowered his cell phone and looked down at the ground while muttering coldly in anger, "...thought...".

---

-Meanwhile With Shadow, Rouge, and Chris-

"Oh, for crying out loud, Shadow, stop running already! How many times do I have to say it?!" Rouge yelled in annoyance as she chased after Shadow while Chris was catching up to her.

"Maybe zero if you just shut up for once! I told you already! I can handle this myself! I'll get the emeralds and the Doctor! You guys should just go back to the ship! Just leave me alone!" Shadow yelled back in annoyance with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he kept looking ahead while running fast through the corridor.

"Grrr...'Leave me alone' my butt...I had enough of his haughty attitude...Time to talk some sense into him..." Rouge grumbled irritably with a grimace and with a growl as she glared hard at Shadow while running before she jumped up and flew over to him.

Chris nodded in agreement with Rouge as he brooded with a deep frown. Yeah, like seriously. If Shadow won't listen to Rouge, then I'll be the next person to talk some sense into him. It happened once before...and it could happen again.

Rouge then flew over Shadow and landed in front of him. Shadow skidded to a stop and looked annoyed at Rouge for being in the way. He commented in annoyance with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows, "Do I need to remind you that I'm on a mission here?".

"No. But I think that you need to be reminded that we're a team here. Seriously, Shadow, you need to stop before you get yourself into trouble," Rouge replied calmly with a frown and with a glare as she stood in front of Shadow with her hands on her hips.

"That's rich coming from someone who could cause trouble," Shadow replied calmly in annoyance with a frown as he rolled his eyes.

"What are you implying?" Rouge asked slowly in annoyance with a deep frown and with narrowed eyelids as she coldly glared at Shadow.

"Don't play dumb, Rouge. The Doctor told me a dirty secret about you before we left. He told me that you're a jewel thief and that you'll try to snatch the Chaos Emeralds and keep them all to yourself. If that isn't someone who causes trouble wherever they go, then I don't know what will," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared at Rouge.

"Oh, my word...Is this seriously what you're going on about? That you think that I'm going to steal the emeralds? Geez, you're just as bad as that gullible, red echidna," Rouge replied calmly in annoyance with a grimace as she face-palmed herself.

"Well, I'm sorry, but if what the Doctor had said is true about you, then I can't trust you to handle the mission yourself. That's why I'm doing it myself," Shadow replied calmly with a solemn frown as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, really? Then what about that boy over there? Are you suspicious of him too?" Rouge asked calmly in annoyance with a frown as she pointed at Chris while staring at Shadow. Shadow glanced back at Chris and saw him standing a few feet away from himself and Rouge.

He looked back at Rouge as he answered bluntly in a monotone voice, "I was suspicious of him at first, but after seeing how much he helped us, my suspicions of him were dropped".

Chris smiled a little in relief knowing that Shadow trusts him at least. He had hoped that maybe Shadow will consider keeping him as a partner in this mission. However, his hopes were dashed after hearing Shadow's answer to Rouge's next question.

"Oh, I see. So that means you chose that kid over me, huh?" Rouge asked calmly in annoyance with a frown and with narrowed eyelids as she crossed her arms too.

"Not really. He's too weak to be considered useful to me at this point," Shadow answered bluntly yet coldly with a frown and with lowered eyelids as he glanced at Chris. Chris frowned in sadness again and looked down in shame again.

"But Shadow! He helped us turn off the fortress' defenses!" Rouge exclaimed back in frustration with a frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she glared at Shadow.

"And that's where his usefulness comes to an end. I have no doubt that from here on out that there will be more Metarex poachers coming after us, and out of all of us here, he's the only one who couldn't fight back. At this point, he's just a nuisance and he'll give us much of a headache if he gets himself into trouble with the poachers. Like you, he needs to leave right now," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with a cold glare as he looked at Rouge before looking at Chris. Chris closed his eyes and grimaced in shame after hearing Shadow's cold response.

"But we're a team, Shadow! I don't care if you think that we're useless to you! We're going to stick by you till the end and finish the mission together! Besides, this isn't the first time that all of us have been in a perilous situation like this! You saved us all when we were about to get blown up on Prison Isl-!" Rouge yelled back in frustration with a determined look on her face as she had her fists up.

"Don't say that name! I-! I just...Ugggh...Every time I try to remember...my mind goes hazy and recalling the memories becomes painful for some reason..." Shadow yelled in anger before he muttered tiredly with a grimace as he grabbed his head and closed his eyes after having his mind flash briefly at Prison Island.

Rouge grimaced at this as she saw how much Shadow is in pain trying to remember his past. She knows that it'll hurt him a lot if she keeps bringing up the past...however...

...We'll never get through to him at this rate...Shadow...I'm sorry...but...this is really, really going to hurt...Rouge brooded with a grimace as she took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips.

"...I...I know that, Shadow. But that's because you had a painful past. What you had done back on Earth was all for revenge. You tried to avenge somebody that you cared about. You tried to destroy the planet for that dead person, but eventually, you had changed your mind and decided to save the planet instead. ...And through all that we helped you save the planet...We helped you save Earth...We did it all as a team, Shadow. You didn't do it all by yourself. You had us. You even had...Maria..." Rouge replied calmly yet solemnly with a caring look on her face while staring at Shadow.

"What? 'M-Maria'...? …A-A-Arrrrrrggh! N-No! Th-That...That can't be right! ...I...I was the one who had saved the planet! I...I did it all by myself! The Doctor told me that I did! And that stupid, blue hedgehog took all the credit after my supposed death! Nothing that you say could possibly be rig-!" Shadow muttered quietly in confusion with a shocked look on his face before he yelled in frustration with a grimace as he shook his head while holding onto it with his hands. The intrusive, sealed memories tried to break free from Shadow's unconsciousness, but they were held back by his denial.

"Shadow! That's not what happened at all! We were more focused on feeling depressed that you had supposedly died instead of praising Sonic for saving the day! Even Sonic himself was sad when he saw you die! Dr. Eggman had lied to you!" Rouge interrupted while looking concerned and sympathetic as she stared back at Shadow.

"No! You're the one who's lying! Sonic must've gloated on how he had saved Earth even though I had helped him! His ego is so large that he wants everyone's praises!" Shadow yelled back in frustration and in denial with a deep frown as he shook his head again and glared back at Rouge.

"Hmm...Funny. Even though you have lost your memories, you still remember Sonic's ego perfectly well. However, that's the only thing about Sonic that you got right. I hate to break it to you, honey, but Sonic isn't the type of person to disrespect the dead. He's not egotistical all the time, you know," Rouge replied calmly with a smirk as she stared at Shadow while still having her hands on her hips.

"But you all must've given him praise for saving the world! Dr. Eggman had said that everyone had credited Sonic for saving Earth! He, however, was the only one who credited me for saving it! He respected my noble death because he cares about me! That's why he had said all those things to me!" Shadow yelled back in frustration with a solemn frown as he still looked displeased.

"Do you really think that Dr. Eggman cares about you, Shadow? I mean. When he had first met you, he had released you from your capsule with the intent of using you to help him take over the world. Things may be different now since we're all traveling through space, but his goals are still the same. He still wants to build the Eggman Empire. Whether it be on an entire planet or throughout the universe, he wants to build it through the use of the Chaos Emeralds. Now, as things as it is currently, what do you think were his first thoughts when he had found you in his spaceship?" Rouge replied calmly yet coyly with a smirk while pointing at Shadow as she tried to reason with him.

"Grrrrr..." Shadow growled lowly in frustration with gritted teeth and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared at Rouge with clenched fists.

"Yeah, that's right. He thought that this was his chance to use you again for personal gain. He's reusing his old schemes. He's only tricking you, and sadly, like the red echidna from before, you were easily tricked by him. To be fair though, in your case, you have amnesia, but with that hot-headed echidna, he has a major case of gullibility. So, I'm sorry that you had to hear this, but it's the truth. Sonic did not gloat after you had died. We didn't give him all the credit, and we had helped you save the world too," Rouge continued calmly with a smirk while looking hopeful that she had gotten through to Shadow.

"Lies! All lies! You're wrong about the Doctor! He knows the truth, and what he says must be the truth! I was the one who had saved the entire world! None of you fools were brave enough to help save it!" Shadow yelled back with gritted teeth and with closed eyes while shaking his head again and while covering his ears. Chris suddenly looked back up with a shocked expression on his face before it turned angry as he felt insulted of Shadow's last remark. He brooded in anger as he looked irritated. Hey! That's not true! I was brave when I had helped save the planet! I bravely spoke up in front to Shadow and convinced him to go save the planet! A real fool would be cowardly enough to NOT speak up against Shadow! Not someone who does speak up for themselves!

"But Shadow! It is true! We did help you! We helped you even when we thought that you couldn't be helped!" Rouge exclaimed back in concern as she looked worried and upset.

Yeah! That's what I was thinking! That was why I had reached out to you! Because I had believed that there was some hope for you to change! And you did change! Not by yourself! But through us! So, why can't you see that we're...we're...! Chris brooded in anger with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared at Shadow while shaking his fists.

"Oh, please! As if any of you were useful enough to save the planet! I told you! It was all m-!" Shadow yelled back in annoyance as he looked back up and rolled his eyes at Rouge before he turned his back at her.

SLAP!

As if struck by lightning, Shadow's right cheek was slapped very hard. He was surprised by this and so was Rouge. She had covered her mouth with her right hand, and her eyes were widened with shock. She couldn't believe what she had seen and neither did Shadow.

Chris had slapped him across the face.

He had actually slapped him.

Shadow slowly looked at his right cheek while placing a hand over it. After touching his cheek and cringing a little to the sting of that slap, he slowly looked up at Chris and glared at him both in confusion and in irritation.

"...Did...Did you just slap me?!" Shadow asked indignantly as he looked insulted by this.

"Yeah. I did. What about it?" Chris answered calmly with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared back at Shadow.

Shadow narrowed his eyelids at Chris as he warned calmly with a grimace, "...You do realize that I can kick your butt, right? So you better apologize to me right now or else...I'll make the next few minutes painful for you".

"Go ahead. Try it. I dare you," Chris replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he looked angry. Shadow raised an eyebrow at this as he saw that he didn't intimidate the boy with his threats. Rouge looked surprised at Chris' sudden boldness as she pondered calmly to herself. I'm not sure if what he's doing is either brave or stupid...He does know that Shadow can kick his butt, and he'll be sorry the moment he starts kicking it...both literally and figuratively speaking...But why is he confronting Shadow like this? What is he thinking anyway?

"...You're a dead man," Shadow replied calmly yet darkly in fury with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he tugged onto Chris' shirt and dragged him down to his eye level.

"You may pull out all the threats onto me. You may give me the hardest punch imaginable. Heck, you may even kick my butt so hard that I won't be able to sit anymore...But I am going to stand up for myself and say that I am not useless!" Chris replied calmly yet solemnly in determination as he looked bold while glaring hard at Shadow.

Shadow frowned deeper at this as he asked calmly in confusion and in annoyance, "...Is this seriously is what you're going on about? About your uselessness?".

"Yes! Because it's not true! Rouge and I had been very useful to you! You wouldn't have gotten this far without our help!" Chris yelled back in anger with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he pushed away from Shadow and stood back up again.

"Hmph. I highly doubt it," Shadow replied calmly yet bluntly in annoyance with a solemn frown and with a cold glare as he crossed his arms.

"It's the truth, Shadow! You wouldn't even become the hero that we know today if it wasn't for our influence!" Chris argued back with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he had his fists up.

"Oh, really? Then what is it that you two had done to influence me?" Shadow asked calmly in a bored tone with a deep frown while rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Rouge had convinced you teleport me and her to the Ark to save us all from the explosions going off, and I had convinced you to go save the planet even though you had initially planned to destroy it. If it wasn't for us convincing you to do the right thing, then we'll all be dead either way," Chris answered calmly yet solemnly with a determined look on his face as he stared at Shadow. Shadow cringed a bit after hearing Chris mention the word "Ark". It wouldn't be the last time that he would cringe to familiar words.

"Tch. As if you were the one who had convinced me to go save the planet. You're a weak kid. You're a pushover. Anyone could easily beat you up, and you wouldn't have the strength to fight back. I strongly refuse to believe that it was because of you that I had decided to go save the world. Someone else must've convinced me to do that. Not you," Shadow replied calmly in annoyance with a grimace as he looked to the side while still having his arms crossed.

"But it was me! I remember it vividly! In fact, I still have dreams of that day even now! I was the one who helped save the world by convincing you to help Sonic!" Chris argued back in determination with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared at Shadow.

"Yeah, right. As if you expect me to believe that rubbish," Shadow replied calmly in disgust with a deep frown and with a cold glare as he faced Chris again.

"I'm not lying! That is exactly what happened! You may have lost your memories of that day, but I still have mine! And I remember pleading to you to go save the planet even when I knew that you're a hopeless case! You've got to believe me, Shadow! If I hadn't done that, then none of us would be here right now!" Chris yelled back in determination with a solemn look on his face while having his fists up.

"How could I possibly believe that a kid like you is a hero? You don't have any powers or could fight for yourself. Unlike me, the Ultimate Lifeform, who has plenty of powers and has saved everyone from destruction. I'm the only person in this group who's useful. Not Rouge nor you. So, just give up already, kid. I'm the only one who could finish this mission. Not someone who is simply useless," Shadow replied calmly yet harshly with a solemn frown and with a cold glare while looking up at Chris.

Chris grimaced in frustration at that response. He lowered his arms down to his sides and clenched his fists even tighter. He can tell that he isn't getting anywhere with Shadow due to how stubborn he is in his ways and in his mindset. He supposed that he may never convince him that he is useful, but the only thing that he could do now is just stand up for himself and speak out his mind regardless if it falls on deaf ears or not.

"...You may be right, Shadow. I'm not a strong person. I don't have any powers like you or Sonic or any of his friends, but like Sonic and the others, I know from right and from wrong. I know what it means to be brave. To stand up for what's right even when others disagree with you or just hate you. ...I even know...when to help somebody out...even when nobody dares to help...I may feel scared when I'm trying to help...and I may get rejected for doing so...But I always do it because everybody deserves something good in their lives even when they had done evil in the past..." Chris replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown and with determined eyes as he began his speech.

"..." Shadow was silent as he glared at Chris with a solemn frown on his face.

"...Some say that helping out others is a brave thing nowadays since people normally just glance at the helpless while walking away from them...Some may even refuse to help others since they have an image to uphold...And some just stand around...doing nothing...while staring at the helpless right in the face..." Chris continued calmly yet solemnly with a frown while staring at Shadow with determined eyes.

"..." Shadow was still silent while looking unamused by this.

"...None of those types of people could possibly become heroes...Especially the ones who just stand around and do nothing...I could've been one who those people if Sonic hadn't come in to my life...Through him, I've learned why it's important to help others...To be kind to others...And to even be forgiving of others even when they deserve what they got...Sonic...and the others all taught me what it means to be a hero...It's not just someone who's fast...or who's strong...or who could fight back...It's someone who does something...who says something...who stops someone from doing something that they will regret for the rest of their lives..." Chris continued calmly yet solemnly while looking more determined than before while he stared at Shadow.

"..." Shadow was still silent while staring intently at Chris with solemn eyes. He then flinched a little when he felt Chris holding onto his right shoulder. He glared harder at Chris after that but still didn't say anything.

Chris then calmly yet solemnly finished his speech with a grave look on his face, "...And you almost did something that you would've regret entirely...Destroying Earth with the Ark itself...But I stopped you...I used my words to stop you from making that terrible mistake...If I just stood still and said nothing at all to you...then I wouldn't become a hero...Sure, I may have helped Sonic and the others in the past, but I was mostly fumbling around at the time...I didn't really see myself as a hero then...But when I had spoken my heart out and pleaded to you to help Sonic out...that was when I saw myself as a hero...A weak hero for sure...But a hero regardless...".

"..." Shadow glared silently at Chris after listening to his speech. He then narrowed his eyelids at him while taking off his hand from his shoulder as he asked calmly with a frown, "...What are you trying to say, kid?".

Chris sighed deeply as he tried to stay patient with Shadow even after saying his speech. After feeling his hand being taken off of Shadow's shoulder, he replied calmly with a solemn frown while having his hands back at his sides, "What I'm saying is that regardless of how you see me, I'm still a hero. It's the same thing with Rouge despite her being a thief. We're not useless in any capacity. As I have said before, you wouldn't become the hero today if it weren't for our actions and our words. You could've just stayed as a villain with strong superpowers who just stands around and does nothing while the world burns to the ground. You could've become that, but you didn't...Because we've interfered and stopped you from becoming that".

"Hmph. I suppose that you did, but you're still weak, kid. That is still a fact," Shadow replied calmly yet coolly with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he crossed his arms again.

"I'd rather be a weak hero than a powerful person who does absolutely nothing and yet has a huge ego about themselves," Chris replied calmly yet solemnly with a determined look on his face while having no fear in his eyes. Shadow then tugged onto Chris' shirt and dragged him down to his eye level again after hearing him say that.

"...Are you referring to me? Answer wisely," Shadow warned calmly yet coldly with a grimace and with a hard glare as he stared at Chris.

"..." Chris stared solemnly at Shadow in silence while frowning a lot. He knows that he's getting under Shadow's skin thanks to that comment, but he's not afraid to speak his mind at the moment.

"I'm not saying that it's you in particular, however, it might become you if you don't bring us along in this mission together. You might find this hard to believe, but you can't do anything heroic by yourself even though you're the Ultimate Lifeform. Your strong powers mean nothing if you use them for selfishness. As long as you have us with you, you'll be steered in the right direction. So, please...Take us with you, Shadow. Please..." Chris answered calmly yet solemnly with a frown on his concerned face while pleading a little to Shadow.

"..." Shadow was silent again as he stared coldly at Chris. Chris waited patiently for Shadow to respond either with words...or...as he expected...with physical violence...

However, he was surprised when Shadow just sighed tiredly and released his shirt before he crossed his arms and looked away from him. Chris stood back up with a surprised look on his face. He wasn't sure if had finally gotten through to Shadow or not. Rouge wasn't even sure either as she stood there while gawking at Shadow and Chris with a surprised look on her face. To say that she was impressed with Chris' handling of the situation and his speech wouldn't do it justice. But she would admit that she has a little more respect for Chris now after hearing him say that in front of Shadow of all people.

"...Shadow? Are you...okay?" Chris asked calmly yet curiously in concern with a worried look on his face as he saw that Shadow still hadn't said anything.

"..." Shadow was still silent while looking gloomy yet grave as he stared at the window instead of Chris.

Rouge saw that it was her chance to talk to Chris privately, so, she coolly spoke up while walking past Shadow and grabbing him on the shoulder briefly, "Okay...Maybe it's time for us to take a little five-minute breather...Shadow...You stay here and contemplate on whatever it is on your mind...Chris...You talk to me for a moment...Alright?".

"Oh? ...Uhh...Alright," Chris muttered awkwardly with a little frown and with raised eyebrows as he stared at Rouge in curiosity and in confusion. What does Rouge want to talk to me for? Was I...acting out of line there? I didn't think that I was...Chris pondered calmly in confusion as he nodded a little before stepping a bit back to allow some space between himself and Shadow. After seeing that Chris had moved a bit away from Shadow, Rouge walked closer to him and stood in front of him before glancing at Shadow to see if he was distracted or not. She and Chris can see that Shadow is still standing by himself while staring out the window with his arms crossed. It's very clear to them that he's distracted with his thoughts. So, they looked back at each other and lowered their voices a little so that Shadow wouldn't hear.

"Anyways...What the heck was that all about? Out of all the people that would slap Shadow like that, you were one of the last two people that I would expect. Also...the way that you had stood up for yourself against Shadow of all people is really unbelievable. I feel like you have changed ever since I last saw you. You really aren't the cowardly little boy anymore, are you? You've...really grown up," Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a frown on her curious yet concerned face as she stared at Chris with her hands on her hips.

Chris looked solemn for a moment before he looked sad as he looked at Shadow while replying calmly yet quietly, "Well...It had been six years since I've seen Shadow, and yes, I did grow up. I'm actually 18 years old now. I guess you can say that...I've matured a lot after Sonic had gone back to his home world".

"Hmm...'18', huh? You're practically around my age, honey. Although I will say...your child-like body is throwing me off a little. So...you could say that I'm having trouble believing that you've gotten older," Rouge replied calmly with a little frown on her intrigued face before she smiled a little while shrugging at Chris.

"...(Sigh)...You and the rest of others when I first met them all again. I still can't believe that my eighteen-year-old body had regressed to my twelve-year-old body. I really thought that I would surprise Sonic and his friends by showing them how much older I've gotten ever since our separation..." Chris replied calmly yet quietly in depression with a sad frown and with a deep sigh as he looked briefly at Rouge before at Shadow again while continuing, "...I really wanted to show them all how much stronger, smarter, and wiser I have gotten over the last six years. I may have retained my increased intelligence and my wisdom, but my strength had vanished, and my fighting skills are pathetic again. I'm basically the group's emergency technician if Tails weren't around. I feel like...I've wasted my six years trying to get my friends' approval of me being part of the gang. How...".

Chris then grimaced and looked down in shame as he finished sadly, "...How pathetic is that? Changing yourself all for somebody to recognize your worthiness and your wonderful talents? It's just...so pathetic...So stupid...Why did I do that? I just...don't understand myself...Why...am I like this? I just don't know...".

Rouge then frowned a little in sympathy as she saw how genuinely lost Chris is feeling right now. She looked back at Shadow and stared at him a little with intrigue on her face. She can see that Shadow had turned fully towards the glass window and stared through it with a solemn frown on his face. She figured that he's truly contemplating on what Chris had said earlier due to how intense he's staring into space. But when she stared at him again, she then figured out the conundrum that Chris was truly facing inside.

It all makes sense now...No wonder why he's upset with him...Rouge thought calmly with a solemn frown as she stared at Shadow.

"Of course, you don't understand yourself, sweetie. That's because you weren't acting as yourself," Rouge replied calmly yet quietly in understanding with a solemn frown while staring at Shadow and not at Chris.

"What? What do you mean by that? Of course, I was acting as myself. How am I not?" Chris replied calmly yet quietly in confusion with a surprised yet annoyed look on his face as he looked back at Rouge.

"Simple...Because you were acting...or trying to act like that guy over there," Rouge answered calmly yet quietly with a frown as she looked back at Chris while pointing at Shadow.

"H-Huh? Shadow? I was trying to act like Shadow? Are you nuts or something? How could I possibly act as Shadow? It's impossible for me to do that," Chris replied calmly yet curiously in shock and in confusion with a hand out as he quickly looked at Shadow before at Rouge while trying to stay quiet.

"And yet, you tried to act like him. You tried to act as the Ultimate Lifeform," Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a solemn look on her face as she pointed at Chris.

"But...But...How? How am I trying to act as the Ultimate Lifeform? I don't have any Chaos powers nor am I a fast runner. Heck, I don't even have the exact same personality that Shadow has. Sure, my personality may be somewhat similar to Shadow's in some areas like how we're both introverted for example, but that's how far our similarities go. I couldn't even replicate Shadow's demeanor if I wanted to. I'll just...just..." Chris replied calmly yet curiously in confusion with a little, sad frown on his puzzled face as he scratched his head while staring at Shadow before he continued depressingly, "...behave as I normally do whenever I feel angry, upset, or even...melancholy...I can never behave as Shadow does...It's simply...impossible...".

Rouge sighed a little in sympathy as she saw how confused Chris is feeling at the moment. She then tried to explain calmly yet sincerely with a hand out, "Listen to me...Chris...I'm not saying that you have the same powers or abilities that Shadow has. Nor am I saying that you are trying to replicate his personality...All I am saying is that you are trying to become 'The Ultimate Human Being'. Simply put...You are trying to become perfect".

"...! Wh-What? I'm trying to become...perfect? But...why?" Chris asked calmly yet curiously in shock and in confusion with a gasp and with a surprised look on his face as he stared back at Rouge while putting his hands onto his chest.

"I'll tell you why..." Rouge replied calmly yet slowly with a solemn frown as she crossed her arms and as she stared closely at Chris while continuing in a serious tone, "...It's because you hate being yourself".

Chris gasped again in shock and had flinched a bit back after hearing Rouge saying that. While still looking surprised, he muttered slowly yet quietly with his hands on his chest, "...I...hate...myself?".

"Mmhm. Perhaps even more so than Shadow himself ironically enough," Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a frown and with a nod as she put her hands onto her hips again.

"But...But I...I don't see...how that...relates to me...trying to be like...Shadow..." Chris muttered slowly yet quietly with a stunned look on his face as he looked down at the ground and stared at it instead of Rouge.

"But it does relate to Shadow. Only because he had done something that you had never done before in your life...And that is being sacrificial..." Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she stared at Chris.

"'Sacrificial'?" Chris repeated calmly yet quietly in confusion while still looking stunned.

"Yes, sweetie. Sacrificial. You only saw yourself as a selfish, cowardly person who doesn't help others and just stands around doing nothing in the background. Before you had met Sonic and the others, you had only thought of yourself and no one else. Even when you were inspired by Sonic with his heroic deeds, you can't help but stay in your comfort zone and never do something that is truly sacrificial. Sure, you have helped Sonic and the others a little from time to time, but you had never intentionally done something that is worth sacrificing for. You would rather take the easy route than do anything hard for yourself. I mean. You lived a life of luxury for crying out loud. Of course, you won't work hard or try hard for something that you want because you always get what you want. Because of that luxurious lifestyle, you don't have any need to sacrifice yourself for others. For that reason, you hate yourself. You hate being yourself to others because it reminds you of your upbringing," Rouge continued calmly yet solemnly with a frown as she tried to explain to Chris.

"..." Chris was speechless after hearing Rouge say that. He stared at the ground with wide eyes and with a gaped mouth as he kept listening to Rouge's speech.

"...When you saw Shadow sacrificing himself to save Earth, his death had hit you very hard. In your eyes, what you saw wasn't a hero...but perfection. Shadow, despite how flawed he is, is the epitome of perfection for you. He did something that you couldn't do yourself, and that was being selfless. Filled with desire to become like your idol, you worked hard these past six years to become the best type of person that you could be. Sonic may have been a huge impact for you, but Shadow was an even bigger impact. You wanted to show Sonic and the others that you had achieved perfection. That you can fight; that you can pilot planes; that you can build machines; that you can make wise choices; and that you can do anything for your friends..." Rouge continued calmly yet solemnly while staring at Chris as he kept staring at the ground in lost silence.

"..." Chris was still speechless as his eyes twinkled while he kept listening to Rouge's surprisingly sober speech.

Rouge frowned deeper and closed her eyes while dipping her head downwards as she continued calmly yet solemnly, "...But because you wanted to become like Shadow, you weren't satisfied with yourself. Heck, you even lost your eighteen-year-old body as a result of coming to Sonic's world. That already dealt a blow to your pride, but seeing that others aren't impressed with how much you've changed, that was an even greater blow. But I'm sure that those blows couldn't compare to how Shadow himself delivered his to you. Those blows...were probably so strong that it obliterated your pride. Your own idol, who had even lost his memory of you, sees you as someone who is useless...".

"..." Chris was still speechless as he stared at the ground for a while before he slowly looked back up and stared at Shadow. With a stunned, pained expression on his face, he continued to listen to Rouge's rough speech while staring at Shadow.

"...You were so hoping that you would impress Shadow after seeing that he is still alive. You wanted to show him that you had achieved perfection too. Out of all the people to acknowledge you the most, Shadow was the one that you wanted to get his approval. ...But what did he do instead? He looked at you, got disgusted by you, and metaphorically spat at your face by saying that he doesn't remember you and that you are useless. 'Disappointed' isn't even the appropriate word to describe your feelings at the moment. Rather...it was 'devastated'...All that hard work, all those years perfecting yourself were completely wasted after Shadow had said that to you..." Rouge continued calmly yet solemnly while Chris stared at Shadow.

Rouge then looked back up at Chris and stared at him with a solemn frown as she calmly yet quietly finished, "...And because of those harsh, cold words, you were furious with Shadow. That was why you had slapped him. That was why you had told him off and stood up for yourself. You were insulted by him. You were insulted that your hard work wasn't acknowledged. You were insulted that Shadow doesn't even recognize his own hero...You...That's what's really bothering you, isn't it, sweetie?".

"..." Chris was silent after hearing Rouge's speech. He kept staring at Shadow with sad, hurt eyes while looking pained. He knows that Rouge is right. He couldn't deceive himself by saying that it's not true because everything that she said was true. He did work hard to impress Sonic and the others. He did change himself to not become useless to them. He did it all...to become like his idol, Shadow. He hadn't changed to better himself. He changed...out of selfishness. Ironic considering that he hated himself for being selfish to begin with. He became selfless out of selfishness. There's no greater paradox than that.

...Why...Why am I so selfish? Why can't I just do good things for others without expecting anything in return? Is that concept so hard to understand? Is that why I...can't be satisfied by doing something good for others? Because...I just wanted to belong? To be acknowledged? To be respected? To be...loved? I...I just...I really...Sigh...Chris brooded with a pained look on his face as he stared at Shadow before sighing deeply and looking at Rouge again.

"...I just...wanted Shadow to be proud of me. I wanted him...as well as the others to see that I'm not the same, useless kid that I once was in the past. But...when I saw that he doesn't remember me...my heart was broken. My hopes were dashed...And to rub salt in the wound, he called me 'useless'...You were right when you said that I was devastated because I certainly was when he said that to me...I felt like...I wasn't even an impact to him just as he was to me...It was like...I don't even matter to him in the slightest...I was...just so angry that everything that I did in the past was pointless now that he doesn't remember me...I can't help but feel...bitter that all my hard work was for naught..." Chris muttered quietly yet sadly in pain with a grimace and with downcast eyes as he stared at Rouge.

Rouge sighed deeply too before she looked slightly annoyed as she replied calmly yet quietly, "I know that you feel angry and bitter that Shadow didn't remember you, and I don't want to hurt your feelings. But I'm going to say it...You're very selfish for expecting him to do that".

"Wh-What? Why do you say that?" Chris asked quietly in shock and in confusion while looking surprised again.

"Simple. Do you really think that you're the only one suffering from this predicament? Shadow here doesn't have a clue on what his purpose is now after he had survived his fall back to Earth. Not only that, he's currently being manipulated by Dr. Eggman into thinking that we hadn't given him any credit for saving us. He thinks that we had given Sonic all the credit for saving Earth. Despite how much he sacrificed for us all, he thinks that he should make up for it by doing all the work himself. He's suffering emotionally thanks to his amnesia and to Dr. Eggman manipulating him. Also, I'm suffering from this too since Shadow doesn't recognize me nor even trusts me. He and I are like strangers now, and it really sucks knowing who he is while the other doesn't know you at all. So, sorry for saying that you're selfish, but you really are being selfish right now. For someone who had claimed that they had grown up, you're still the same selfish boy that you were years ago. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it's the truth, boy. It's the cold, hard truth," Rouge answered calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with narrowed eyelids while still having her hands on her hips. Chris looked even more surprised after hearing Rouge say that. He flinched back in shock over what she had said.

Rouge...She was suffering too? And Shadow...I...I had no idea that he's feeling worse than me...Maybe...Maybe Rouge knows Shadow more than I do...Heck, she knows me more than I do myself. ...Hmm...No wonder she was a great spy back in the day. She's both smart and observant...Chris brooded in sadness as he looked guilty.

"Oh, Rouge...I'm...I'm so sorry. You were right. I am being selfish. Very selfish indeed. I just...can't help but think in that way. I'm sorry that I hadn't considered your feelings or even Shadow's. I was only...thinking about myself and my own worthlessness that I hadn't realized that you were putting on a brave face. I...I couldn't apologize any more than I can, Rouge. Please forgive me. I just...don't know what to do right now...I'm...clueless..." Chris humbly apologized with a sad frown on his guilty face as he looked down to the ground in shame. Rouge stared calmly at Chris with a deep frown on her hurt face before she sighed again and shook her head.

It can't be helped...Rouge thought tiredly with a sigh and with a frown on her sympathetic face. She walked a bit closer to Chris and grabbed his hands in comfort. Chris looked slightly surprised by this action and stared at Rouge in curiosity.

As Rouge gently held Chris' hands, she consoled calmly yet quietly with a little frown, "Look, sweetie. I do forgive you, but you need to forgive yourself much more than me. I'll recover from my own pain, and who knows, maybe Shadow will recover from his own pain. But you, however, won't recover if you don't start accepting yourself as you are right now".

"But...How can I accept myself? I hate that I'm always selfish. I just...want to become selfless like Sonic and the others," Chris replied calmly yet quietly in sadness as he looked ashamed while staring Rouge.

"But that's the problem, honey. You always want to become someone else. You don't want to be yourself. You can't be happy if you try to become someone else. You'll always feel unsatisfied and empty if you do that even when you become a selfless person," Rouge replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown and with sympathetic eyes as she stared at Chris.

"But...What should I do? I...I do want to be selfless. I just think that it's the right thing to do. At the same time though...how could I do that while being myself? Could I possibly be selfless and selfish at the same time? Is that even possible?" Chris replied calmly yet quietly in confusion as he looked lost while staring at Rouge.

Rouge smiled a little in gentleness as she answered calmly, "Of course, it is possible, sweetie. That's what being yourself is all about. It's about being both".

"I...Huh? Okay, now, you've lost me," Chris replied calmly in confusion as he looked sheepish.

"Let me put it this way. Ever wonder why I sometimes help others out from time to time?" Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a smile and with closed eyes as she lets go of Chris' hands and crosses her arms while turning halfway to the side.

"Uhh...Yeah? Like maybe you help others out so that you can get something later in return? But wait a minute. That's just being selfish. What's your point in asking that?" Chris replied calmly yet quietly in confusion with a frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he stared at Rouge with a hand out.

"My point is that I feel comfortable being myself while doing that. I don't do selfless actions all the time simply because I'm not comfortable in doing that sort of thing. I know my own limits, and I know how to stop myself before stepping outside my preferred boundaries," Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a relaxed smile on her confident face.

"...Uhh...Okay?" Chris muttered calmly in confusion with a frown and with a lowered eyebrow as he rubbed his head.

"I see that you're still confused. How about this? You and I both know that there are some situations where it's important to get out of your comfort zone. Do you agree with me on that?" Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a coy smile as she opened her eyes and stared at Chris.

"Well, of course, I do. We need to get out of our comfort zones in order to help somebody. We usually do that in emergency situations," Chris replied calmly yet quietly in understanding with a little frown and with a nod as he stared at Rouge in curiosity.

"That we do. But do we really need to do that all the time? You know...like in normal situations where the need to be selfless isn't as urgent?" Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a smirk and with a wink as she stared at Chris.

"Umm...Well...Not really. No. But it does feel good doing kind things for others. I mean..." Chris replied calmly yet quietly with a frown and with a headshake before he smiled a little as he added, "...It makes me happy seeing others happy. I like being kind to others and doing nice things for them. I feel happy whenever I do that".

Rouge shrugged casually as she replied calmly with a smug smile and with lowered eyelids, "I can see that, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, it can become a problem if you do kind things constantly without giving yourself any breaks".

"Uhhhh...Y-Yeah...(Sigh)…" Chris muttered quietly yet weakly with a sheepish look on his face as he sighed tiredly.

"Now are you seeing the picture, kid? It's all fun and games until someone gets exhausted for being a goodie-two-shoes all the time. That's exactly the reason why I don't do selfless acts all the time because I'll quickly get tired of it. However, I'm not saying that you have every reason to be completely selfish either. All I am saying is that you need to find your own balance between selflessness and selfishness. Now let me warn you that your self-balance is going to be different from other people's self-balances like mine for instance. Also, by the way, your friends' self-balances are different from each other too. So, if you start saying that they're all the same, well, I hate to break to you, but they're just as flawed as you in their own special way. Yes, their alignment is on the good scale, but their self-balances on that good scale are few and far in between. Do you understand now, Chris? That's what it truly means to be yourself. Finding your own self-balance," Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a gentle smile and with caring eyes as she shrugged again before crossing her arms again.

"..." Chris was speechless as he was looking stunned again by Rouge's insight. It's amazing to him how they're the same age, and yet, their levels of wisdom and experience are very different. However, he understood what Rouge is saying here. Throughout his six years of self-improvement, he never found out what his own self-balance was. He was only emulating Sonic's, Shadow's, and the others' self-balances that he hadn't figured out his own yet. He realized that now is the time to find out what his self-balance was this whole time. He might either be more selfish or selfless than others, but he's not going to let what others say about him depress him. Besides...he's already done that to himself.

Chris then slowly smiled and nodded to Rouge as he answered calmly in understanding, "Yes, I understand now, Rouge. Thank you".

Rouge smiled much more haughtily as she turned back around fully and placed her hands onto her hips again. She replied calmly yet quietly with a haughty smile, "Hey, anytime, dearie. Also, if anybody ever tells you that you should be more selfless, try telling them that they should try perfecting themselves for at least six years and let them find out how much of a waste it is doing so. That'll teach them not to say such things to others ever again. They'll realize that it sucks trying to be perfect".

"Yeah, tell me about it. Heh...Mmm...Anyways, thank you so much for telling me this. I...I really don't think that I'll ever figure out why I'm so unhappy with myself on my own. You really do have keen insight on people, Rouge. It truly is a gift. Wish I can have it," Chris replied calmly yet quietly in amusement before in sincerity as he smiled gently at Rouge.

"Well, not everyone is both beautiful and smart like yours truly, but I think that they're all useful in their own special way. You too, kid. Sonic and the others must be glad that you came back into their lives. You really are a huge help to them. Definitely now since they're fighting the Metarex-" Rouge replied calmly yet quietly with a coy smile and with a shrug as she stared at Chris.

"The Metarex! I forgot that we're dealing with them currently! Sonic and the others must be in great trouble now since the armada started attacking this fortress! I think that we better find Sonic and help him!" Chris exclaimed in shock with a surprised yet worried look on his face as he slapped his forehead with his right hand. Shadow looked back at Chris with a solemn frown and with a glare after hearing him exclaim that.

Rouge smiled in smugness as she looked over at Shadow while replying calmly, "You're quite right, sweetie. We don't have all day to be having a heart-to-heart discussion. Let's go and see if Shadow is ready to be a good boy or not".

Rouge then turned around and walked over to Shadow. Chris nodded solemnly and slowly walked over to Shadow as well. Shadow saw them walk closer to him and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Sigh...They'll never let me hear the end of it if I don't bring them along. I still don't get why they want to help me whereas I can help myself. ...Then again...if they're going to help me, I might as well "help" them stay safe...Shadow brooded calmly with a solemn frown and with crossed arms while staring at Rouge and Chris.

"So, Shadow...Have you finally decided?" Chris asked calmly with a frown on his anxious face as he stood behind Rouge and Shadow.

"Yeah. Are you finally going to let us help you?" Rouge added coyly with a playful smirk and with flirtatious eyes as she stared at Shadow with a hand on her hip.

"Correction..." Shadow muttered coolly with a frown and with crossed arms before he uncrossed them and quickly pulled Rouge next to himself as he continued solemnly, "...I'm going to help you get the heck out of here".

"What?! After all that time contemplating to yourself, you still want to do this mission yourself?!" Rouge yelled in shock and in irritation with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as a vein bulged from her head while glaring at Shadow.

"Yeah. Jealous?" Shadow answered coolly in a monotone voice with a solemn frown as he pulled out the red Chaos Emerald and held it in front of Rouge.

"Like yeah! Very much so in fact! I can't believe that you still want to go on this mission alone despite listening to Chris' speech! Do our words mean nothing to you?!" Rouge yelled back in anger as she looked insulted.

"It's not that they mean nothing to me. I just think that they're annoying. That's why I'm getting you two out of here so that I won't hear another word from your stupid mouths," Shadow replied calmly with a solemn frown as he glanced at Rouge before looking at the red emerald and started to activate Chaos Control. The red Chaos Emerald started glowing, and Chris looked alarmed as he saw that Shadow and Rouge were going to teleport away.

"Shadow! Wait up!" Chris exclaimed in surprise as he quickly ran towards Shadow and Rouge and grabbed hold onto them before they disappeared through Chaos Control.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow yelled out in determination while Rouge chewed off his left ear with her furious ranting.

"Oh, you are so arrogant! Why do men like you like to handle things alone?! I like to handle things alone as well but not to this degree! You really are such a know-it-all, Shadow! You are simply the wor-!" Rouge yelled in fury while she held onto Shadow as the red Chaos Emerald glowed brightly before it enveloped Shadow, Chris, and herself.

PING!

And thus, like that, the three of them disappeared from the Metarex fortress.

Yep, it looks like I'm going to finish the Midgame in part 8 after all. Oh, well. Things happen I guess. But wow, what a chapter this one was! The humor may have taken a backseat, but story and character development/insight are strong in this chapter. It was certainly a fun chapter to write. Also, you got to see something that never happened in the original show: a sword/hammer duel! So, that's something, right? Anyways, I hope that you had enjoyed reading this chapter and are ready to read the next chapter when it comes out! Please R&R, and I'll see you in part 7 of Midgame!