Sonic had had a headache all day. For the first time in his life, he'd been studying; looking for a pattern in Shadow's behavior, something he could track; could follow. Sonic had never felt so lost in a town where he knew everyone. The Friday afternoon was warm but breezy and-

Sonic was pulled from his thoughts by someone shaking his tree with considerable force. He looked down. "Oh, for Heaven's sake…"

"Hey, Sonic! I know you're up there!" cried Amy, smacking the tree with her hammer. "Come on down, Sonic!"

Sonic climbed down, hoping to greet Amy and send her on her way so he could get back to work. No such luck. As soon as Sonic was within range, Amy grabbed his arm and didn't let go.

"Hey, Sonic, I'm new in town," she said, leaning against his shoulder.

"I guessed," said Sonic, unenthused.

"So, could you show me around?" asked ever-peppy Amy, "I wouldn't want to get lost in this big city all by myself."

Sonic was really not up for walking around all day, but you don't say no to Amy Rose.

It was getting late. Sonic headed down Main Street, Amy having become stuck fast to Sonic's arm, much like a lone, confusing barnacle to a temporarily docked speedboat. Sonic stopped outside his favorite diner. He hadn't eaten there in a long time and right now he was seriously craving some Sloppy Joes- the Friday night special. "How about eating dinner here?" suggested Sonic, the slightly tinted window attracting his attention as a figure in white, he guessed a waitress, had walked up to the main counter and turned towards them, slumping against the cash register platform. Sonic momentarily felt concerned for her, but once again, Amy had something else to say.

"No way, Sonic. We are going to a nice restaurant for dinner!"

Shadow couldn't believe it. Amy had done it. In one day, Amy had done it. There she was, showing Sonic off outside the diner's front window. And even worse, there was Sonic. He looked the same as he ever did, long blue quills glinting in the lights of the evening city; a slender arm pointing out the diner's sign; striking green eyes gazing into the window, then staring with seeming disbelief at Amy, who proceeded to drag him away.

Tears filled Shadow's eyes as she slumped against the cash register platform. She was going drinking tonight.

The bar was silent as Shadow walked in that night. Her eyes were dull; lifeless. Normally she would arrive with at least a smile, perhaps an opening joke. Not tonight. Tonight she went up to the bartender, ordered a drink, and sang. Quietly at first, almost as if she wasn't quite sure what she was singing about, but after every line she took a swig from her glass and things became louder and clearer. Love lost. That was the theme tonight. The patrons were all familiar with this, but there wasn't much they could think of to do for Shadow. Her heart had been broken before she even knew she had one, that is, "loved and lost" without having "loved." Shadow's strange, orange-tinted tears left dark spots on her green shirt. Watching the poor girl drink herself into a coma was almost enough to make the bartender tear up on its own, but her song of sadness sent even the strongest of men in the bar bawling; her honeyed alto voice causing stone hearts to bleed.

The rules of the contest were hardly known, and the ones that were known were unfair. But as Amy had Sonic escort her to her hotel that night, there had never been a sorer winner in the world.

And she had yet to even begin.