Music played very slowly. Feet step across the floor to the rhythm of the instruments' lore. The aroma of food filled the whole place to make just about anybody hungry. And to top it all off, a teenage prince yawned and shifted his eyes at the clock.

Tonight, everybody was at the ball, dancing their hearts away for the future king and queen. It seemed that it took a bright atmosphere at the time, probably because the windows were finally open. Dukes, duchesses, knights, dames, ladies and lords were having conversations, eating, dancing; all the while practically enjoy the events so far.

All of the guests had a costume of their own, so it's a colorful ocean of animal, bird, fish and character shaped masks.

Shadow, sitting down, had a black costume on with a black mask and a black hat. He was also wearing a gold trimmed jet black cape. Blaze's costume took on an elemental version of fire, her dress now yellow, orange, and red. Her eyes peered through a flame shaped mask to cover part of her face. All in all she was superbly dressed, but it was hard to tell if Shadow was even slightly impressed.

He tried to concentrate his attention on the oracle's interpretation, but Blaze kept dragging him out of his thoughts, urging him to dance with her.

"Oh, come on Shadow! You need to dance with me, to show everybody that we dance very well. Remember - how is anybody going to know that we love each other?"

He refused to dance. Blaze gave up and went to dance with another gentleman on the dance floor. In agitation, Shadow walked to Knuckles, who was in deep conversation with a young woman, and tapped him on the shoulder to make his presence known. Knuckles wore a tiger mask, dressed in stripes of brilliant colors of black and orange. He turned around to see Shadow behind him and listened intently to his woes.

"How pathetic", Shadow said with disgust, looking at Blaze enjoying her with a knight, dancing.

"Yeah, I know. But you have to think about it: dealing with your own future husband not being on his knees begging you to dance can be something you don't want to put up with."

Shadow's eyes looked up in thought

"…On the other hand, you have available dance partners at your disposal since it's your own party as well. That way, when he sees you dancing, your fiancé can get infuriated and jealous and grab you into an escapade of steps and twirling around," Knuckles confided.

"How do you know about this stuff, Knuckles?"

"Oh, it's easy enough. All you have to do is look at the way she coincides her emotions with every single event."

Shadow nodded, not watching Blaze anymore.

King Opaque stood up, motioning the orchestra to stop playing. Everybody got quiet and waited on what the king would say.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we all know why we are here. Long ago, we saw young Shadow swaddled in cloths and blankets, and worshipped as the next greatest king in Umbra. As the years go by, we see him take on my attitude",

Around the crowd people groaned,

"My morals",

More groans.

"And my love of justice and war. It just goes to show you that it's always like father, like son. And now, as we see before us, he is betrothed to the one love of his life. Right now he is enjoying himself immensely as he sets his eyes upon her."

Shadow snorted.

"He will become the new king, ruling with the traditional expectations I hope. Shadow, Blaze, come here."

Shadow proceeded to his father, with Blaze beaming right beside him. King Opaque put his hand on the couples' shoulders and raised a glass in the air.

"To the bride and groom!" he shouted out.

"To the bride and groom!" everybody joyfully repeated.

"Yeah, to the bride and me, and to a yet 'good', dangerous life in the future", Shadow muttered, drinking a huge gulp of champagne.

Shadow wandered into the crowd without a care of where he was going, with Blaze right behind him.

"Oh why won't you dance with me? I know you can because I've seen you dance before, so don't try to trick me! Shadow? Shadow, are you listening?"

Shadow, in fact, wasn't listening at all. He directed his eyes on a girl at the garden doorway, a pink hedgehog, standing in seclusion. The moonlight aura gave her a celestial glow to her shape and presence and at this, Shadow was mesmerized by her charms. All of a sudden, he grew that same feeling he had in his dream when he held that pink rose. Could this mysterious girl be who he thinks it is?

The pretty stranger felt the need to turn around and their eyes met. When he walked over to her, in a spring of events, her heart suddenly leapt with his single step. Is he what I think he is? If he is, I hope he won't recognize me.