Chapter one: A long expected party
Manic sat calmly under an umbrella, it was a beautiful day. He was outside his summer home on Kongo island, in the jungle japes area. He heard some peculiar singing coming from down the road.
" can you see all of me, walk into my mystery, step inside, hold on for dear life.." there was no mistaking the singer. It was no other than the ultimate lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. Over the past two years he had warmed up to the other heroes of Mobius, especially Manic. Manic immediately got up to greet him. Shadow was like a big brother to him .
" You're late" He said to the heroic, if dark, hog.
" I'm never late, Manic, and I'm never early. I arrive when I want" They both burst into laughter ( well with shadow, more like cocky snickering) and then hug.
" It's wonderful to see you Shadow"!
" You didn't think I'd miss your Uncle Chuck's birthday? So, how is the old dude? I here it's going to be a party of special magnificence."
" You know Chuck. He's got the whole place in an uproar."
' Well that should please him." Said Shadow
" Half of Jungle Japes has been invited. To tell you the truth Chuck's been acting weird lately. He keeps writing in his odd book about going to see an old friend." Shadow didn't comment on this, but his face said that he was suspicious.
": All right, keep your secrets. Before you came along we were very well thought of at my summer home."
" if you mean the incident a year ago where Chuck went on a grand adventure and accidentally brought back a hundred armed Zingers, I was hardly involved !"
" you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace!"
" oh really?" Shadow muttered as he saw some Kong looking annoyed at him as he walked into town.
" Ha-ha! Shadow , I'm glad you're back." Manic said, enthusiastically
" So am I, Manic. So am I." at that manic dashed off to another corner of the Jungle area. Shadow kept straight on his path and went to Chuck's house. He , unlike Manic, had been living here for several years. He knocked on the door to the cabin.
" No thank you! I don't want any gift-bearers, well-wishers, or annoying relatives!" was the answer he got.
" And what about old friends?" After the fall of the black arms, Chuck and Shadow had been tight buddies. He opened the door.
" Shadow?"
" Uncle Chuck." Shadow said, with a slight bit of friendliness in his words.
" 111 years old. Who would believe it?" Chuck said, emphasizing his "eleventy-first" birthday.
They went inside
" I've got to get away from all these crap-headed relatives! I want to go somewhere quiet and finish my book!" quietly exclaimed Chuck.
" You mean to go through with your plan then?" quizzed Shadow.
" Yes, yes. It's all in hand. All the arrangements are made."
" Manic knows something is going down. He is very fond of you."
" I know, I know. But I'm old Shadow. I feel then sort of stretched, like an over-used bungee rope. I need a vacation, a very long vacation. One from which I don't expect to return, in fact I mean not to."
Later , at the party, The Kongs and Chuck's family and friends were partying and having a big time. Chuck was telling young monkeys ( Kiddy included) of his many wondrous adventures. Shadow was using Chaos control to burst fake emeralds, making spectacular explosions . All the teenaged Kongs were dancing, excepted Diddy, who was to nervous to dance with his own girlfriend. But Manic was in the encouraging mood.
" Go on Diddy, ask Dixie for a dance" he said, as he pushed him towards her. After they were done , Dixie went off with Sonia ( Manic's girlfriend) to a tent. Inside that tent, all of Shadow's artificial emeralds. Dixie grabbed one.
" No, no. The big one!" Sonia said. " I'm more adept with emeralds than you, let me try" She picked up the emerald and did a rudimentary chaos control . Unfortunately, it unleashed a dangerous energy illusion known as a 'chaos dragon'. It burst out of the tent , and flew around the party area terrorizing people .
" Look out Chuck, a dragon!" Manic Shouted
" nonsense, there hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand yeaaaaarsss!" Chuck wailed as he was pushed out of the dragon's path. It flew up into the air and burst in a spectacular show of lights and fire.
" That was good! Lets get another!" Dixie said. But Shadow was right behind them and he picked them up by their hair.
" I should've known" he said as he made them wash dishes for the rest of the night. But now it was time for Chuck's speech
" My fellow anthropomorphs, I don't know half of as well as I would like, and I like less than have of you half as well as you deserve. Though 111 years is too short a time to spend among you, I regret to announce that this is the end. I'm going now, and I bid you a very fond farewell. Good-bye!" He then took out his emerald and Disappeared in a flash of dark energy. He dashed away back to his home, where he became visible . hE began to laugh, just as shadow entered the room
" I suppose you think that was terribly clever.!" He said.
" Oh, come on Shadow ! Did you see their faces? You will keep an eye on Manic, won't you?
" Two eyes. " Shadow replied.
" I'm leaving everything to him, you know." Chuck continued.
" What about that Emerald of yours? Is it staying to too?"
" Why shouldn't I keep it?" Uncle chuck said softly.
" I think you should leave the Emerald behind, Chucky. Is that so hard?" Shadow said darkly.
" Well, no. And yes! Now that it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it! It's mine! I found it! It came to me! YOU FOOL! FOOL FOOOL! " Chuck growled
" Shut the crap up!" Shadow said, annoyed
" So What if I'm angry? It's your fault! It's mine, my own, my precious!"
" Precious? It's been called that before but not by you."
" What business is it of yours what I do with my own things? You want it for yourself!"
" Don't take me for a fool and a maker of cheap tricks, Chuck! I'm not trying to rob you! I'm trying to help you. " Shadow fumed, but he was claming down.
"You're right. The Emerald must go to Manic. Well, it's late. I need to catch the next flight to the space shuttle, then on to the space station of heroes! Yes, it is time." Chuck was just about to leave the door.
" Hey dude, you're still holding the emerald." Shadow said to him. Chuck finally let go, and it hit the ground .
" I've thought up an ending for my book. "And he lived happily ever after to the end of his days." Said chuck, happily
" And I'm sure you will Chuck."
" Good-bye, Shadow.
Mario: Good-bye, Chuck.
And he left, singing: "Rolling around at the speed of sound, got places to go gotta follow my rainbow" as his ghettoblaster sent out the jams of the rockin' music .
" Until our next meeting…" Shadow said. He tried to pick the Emerald up, but he saw the overlord's face.
