Chapter Revised [x]

(Rachel's POV)

[Flashback to 10 years ago]

I let out a long sigh and fell back in the seat on the little wooden bench at the piano. It creaked underneath me from lack of use. My socked feet barely touched the ground as they swung in opposite directions. My white and blue cladded pajamas were hanging loosely on my body.

I was supposed to be asleep right now. It was late and I had school in the morning. But tonight, I was restless for some reason. And being the only one awake in the house, I decided to come in here and sit by the piano alone, having it as my only company. Nobody had been paying attention to me lately anyway. What with my mom pregnant and having fraternal twins on the way, I had kind of been put to the side.

I'd already accepted that these were my last years as an only sibling, as mom and dad's one special girl. And right now, I felt as though the only way I could be special in that sense again, was to reawaken the one talent I was proud to say I had.

The lights were all turned off. The only light was coming from the half-natural moon outside the window. It seemed more serene to keep the room dark, so I didn't bother to even touch the light-switches on the walls.

On the piano, the keys were clean, shiny, and reflected the soft moonlight. I gently ran my fingers across them without completely pressing down. They were cold and smooth, practically begging to be pushed so they could emit their beautiful notes. I wasn't thrilled with the idea that we'd be getting rid of this piano tomorrow. It had to be moved to make room for my new baby brother and sister's cribs. The small, empty room that I was sitting in was originally dedicated to only this antique piano; a room with no other purpose but to be our protective shell for music. But now the room was being made into a nursery. We tried to sell the piano, but no one would take it. These days, everyone was settling for the smaller modern keyboards. And this timeless wooden masterpiece was too large to fit in the average Station Square house. So, the only people left to take it were the trash people. We had no other choice. It was such a tragic waste. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew that a unique bond had formed between me and the instrument.

One last song... all I needed to do was play one last song, and hopefully that would leave me feeling less empty about the whole thing. It would be the last song I'd ever play for a long time, until we invested in getting another piano. If we ever did, that is.

But either way, it was definitely the last song that would ever be played on this piano. It deserved one last chance to be played after all. I closed my eyes and tried to think up something memorable.

Mary Had a Little Lamb?

Ahaha no, that's insulting.

What about Fur Elise? Mmmm nah, a little too cliche. I've played that one millions of times.

Moonlight Sonata? Hm, it fit the moment.

I experienced a small relapse in time, from when my mother first taught me the song. I was so interested in the song just because it had the word 'Moon' in the title. But then again, I wanted to pick something of more originality.

And then I got it.

I inhaled deeply and began dancing my fingers across the ivory keys, playing one of my favorite songs. It was called Numb by Linkin Park. The song's original cover was amazing to begin with, but the piano version was something I found to be enchanting beyond words. I played the music while breathing in huge pockets of cold air, relishing the peaceful atmosphere as all my worries turned to vapor.

I'd never played this song alone. Usually, Mom was here to watch me and tell me to keep my wrists straight, or help me if I got caught up and forgot the rest of the notes. But this time was different. I hadn't played in eight months, but somehow it was nowhere near noticeable. The music wasn't my own, yet it felt like it was coming from my heart. I kept my eyes shut as I played the music by ear without making any sort of mistake. The halved moon shined down on me like heaven's broken spotlight. The feeling was amazing. I wanted it to last forever.

But alas, all great things must eventually come to an end, and the beautiful song ended all too quickly. Once I hit the final note, I felt the nostalgia overwhelm me. I pulled my tiny hands away slowly and admired the piano for the last time.

I could practically hear it speaking to me with its sugar sweet voice.

Thank you, Rachel. Thank you for playing my music one final time. I'll miss you.

I smiled and stood up, exiting the room and headed back to my bed.

[End of flashback]

(Shadow's POV)

"You can't be serious," I mumbled in anger and annoyance. "You must've lost your mind. This is not even remotely close to being an intelligent choice. "

Dr. Eggman just grinned back deviously. "Oh come on, Shadow. What's wrong with showing the human a little trust? Letting her out of her room isn't exactly the world's biggest deal. So why are you so against it?"

I crossed my arms. "Because you said I have to watch over her and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."

His eyes flickered mischievously. "Yes. And your point is?"

"The point is I'm not playing babysitter. I'm not going to do it. That's what surveillance cameras are for, and you have those all over the aircraft. You don't need me for that."

He let out an agitated sigh. "Really, Shadow? Refusing my orders now like a spoiled toddler? Let's be a little rational about this. I already told you that I postponed my whole Supernova Cannon idea. It will definitely resurface again, but not until I acquire the proper supplies. Nonetheless, you no longer have to lend me any of your intellect or maintenance for its construction. I have it all under control. And you're telling me you can't do this one simple thing?"

I didn't respond, and just stared at him blankly.

His mustache twitched. "You know, I don't have monitors for every camera on the Carrier. They only automatically appear on the screen if an intruder is present. And I've already programmed them to allow Rachel to walk about without them going off. So please, just keep an eye on her every now and again and make sure she doesn't find a room that isn't meant to be found. There are a lot of private things here I would like for her to never uncover. I'm not asking much, and I'm still helping you get your Chaos Emeralds. It's not like I've released that part of the bargain."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. If you insist. Just let me know when to give her the news."

"I've already sent Bokkun off to tell her. Maybe give her some time alone for now, let her learn her way around. But sooner or later you're going to have to lay down the law."

I turned and started to leave. "Actually, I think I'll find her now and get it out of the way. To think I had it in my mind that I was finally ridden of our encounters. But no, you've decided that you won't let us stay separated. I swear, Doctor, you must find enjoyment in my misery. "

He chuckled. "That's the spirit, hedgehog. Now go and make the world a better place for Uncle Robotnik!"

I just scowled and went on my way.

(Rachel's POV)

The stars were so beautiful…sprinkled in front of me in a never-ending void of black, with violet ribbons of matter overlapping one another. I gazed out of the large, spacious window of Eggman's Egg Carrier in wonder, feeling the surreal emotion swallow me whole. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.

Finally, after weeks of being stuck here, I got to see outer-space for myself.

For once I felt at peace. I was happy.

I could hear the piano music I played when I was a little kid echoing in the back of my head. The corners of my lips twitched in a small smile, and my eyes glued shut. I heard the melodic tunes of high notes being clicked, imitating the pattering sounds of rain fall, and then the rich, low notes that slammed down and flowed through me down to my core. A small breath escaped.

The music added to this unforgettable moment. All my life I had been so amazed with the magic and mystery of space. And here it was, laid out in front of me with its endless enchantment and beauty. This was something that I'd dreamt about for as long as I could remember. But what somewhat damaged my brightened mood was remembering how I in fact got here. By being a hostage. If I had never been kidnapped, I would have never been able to see this.

I couldn't tell if it was worth it.

Then I remembered how I got here, as in here in front of the window. Apparently, Eggman decided to reward me for my 'good behavior' by allowing me free access to the entire aircraft. Completely out of no-where, but I wasn't complaining. He had the locks disabled on my door, meaning I gained a little bit of freedom.

I smirked at the memory of when Bokkun came to my room to deliver the news.

"What? You mean you're unlocking the door?" I asked in disbelief.

Bokkun narrowed his eyes at me. "Uhh, yes, dummy! You can roam freely around the Egg Carrier now. You don't have to be locked up in your room!"

"Really?" I gasped in excitement. "If you're lying I'm gonna kill you! Tell me who decided this! And why now?"

Bokkun slapped his palm against his forehead. "I'm not lying! I don't get why you're asking so many stupid questions! But if you must know, Eggman was the one who decided it. He said you deserved a little freedom after showing cooperation during the last mission. Now shut up and go! Be free!" he shouted dramatically, gesturing towards the hallway.

After that, I didn't even hesitate. I bolted past him and sprinted down the halls aimlessly. I didn't know the layout of this place, and would probably get lost going one way or another. But that didn't matter. As long as I was out of that stuffy room, I would be okay. Being trapped in there like a bee in a jar was torture. I hated being in enclosed places for a large amount of time. If I had stayed in there any longer, I would've slipped into insanity.

"Sweet glorious freedom!" I sang out, throwing my arms apart as I ran, letting the air whip against me from the speed. It was like all the clouds had lifted.

And now here I was.

But then the sinking realization seeped into the pit of my stomach. My mind was released from the high it'd been experiencing and was now racing with worry and fear.

Oh my God. I completely forgot about Shadow.

And how could one possibly forget about him?

Oh wow, you're stupid, Rachel. So stupid, I swear! How could you have let yourself get so happy about this and forget that your worst enemy is still right around the corner, now closer, and now you don't know when and where you'll run into him?

But now that I stopped and thought about it, I realized that Shadow and I hadn't spoken a word to each other since we left Tragaria. I stayed in my room and he stayed...wherever. We never saw each other once, and a few days had gone by now.

Instead of thinking up new ways to verbally express my hatred for him, I had actually been searching for ways to make amends with him. No good would be done if we kept bickering. I also knew that if I pushed him too far, he wouldn't think twice about killing me. The only thing standing in between him and my death was the ties I had with my grandfather. But either way, my life wasn't something I wanted to risk. Not after nearly losing it the other day.

But I had nothing planned out for this treaty confrontation, and that's why I was so nervous. I was up a creek without a paddle. I knew I couldn't avoid him forever. But I figured Shadow was just one of those people who was impossible to talk to. I couldn't even get close to him without getting anxious. And that was why I was dreading our next encounter. I just couldn't seem to find the words that would sum up how I've basically decided to wave the white flag and entitle myself to more subtlety and cooperation. And not to mention, in some ways he deserved it himself. He did save my life twice now. Didn't I owe him that much?

"I owe you nothing, you arrogant, senseless hedgehog!"

I swallowed inaudibly, hearing my own voice play through my mind. I really regretted saying those words now. Why did I lack such basic common sense? My mouth developed a mind of its own when I talked to him. I guess that all these years of hating him, and then suddenly meeting him, was taking its painful toll.

I nervously combed my fingers through my dirty hair, deciding to practice what I would say out loud since I was alone.

My throat cleared. "O-Oh why hello there, Shadow. Uhm, yeah. So here's the thing. I've decided that I don't want to fight anymore...in fact I'm getting pretty sick of it. Even though you're hateful, evil, selfish...manipulative," I gritted my teeth before continuing. "...I really think we should try our best to make amends. Huh? What? You say you feel the same way? Well that's great then! And just know that I forgive you for all the times you frustrated me to the point that I nearly tore my hair out. And I also apologize for being such a pest when it comes to these last minute rescue missions. Anyways, I hope you've been doing good since then. This was a lovely chat, but I should get going. Later, pal!"

I laughed quietly at myself and shook my head. "Ugh, right," I remarked sarcastically. "If only it were that simple."

Then a dark voice spoke.

"...It could be."

My heart nearly exploded out of my chest from the sudden sound, and from the realization of who the voice belonged to. I jumped and spun around, letting out a short yelp as I pressed my back against the window.

"...S-Shadow!" I gasped in surprise, and a little embarrassment.

He calmly remained where he was and cocked his eyebrow. "I didn't think I would actually find you at the back of the Carrier. I've been looking for you."

He took a few steps forward, dropping his arms which had been previously crossed. "I was going to start from the back and work my way up. So it's good that you made something easier for once. Now that I found you, can I ask what you were doing?"

I subconsciously pulled on a strand of my hair shyly, darting my eyes to the side. There was no way I could lie my way out of this. The only thing I could do without making myself look even more foolish, was be honest. Of all times for Shadow to find me, it had to be now.

"I...I-I was uhh...uhm..."

Once again, for some reason, this guy was impossible to talk to.

Maybe that's more my fault than his.

"O-Okay fine. I was...I guess you could say rehearsing what I would say the next time I ran into you. You can go ahead and make fun of me. But it's not like I planned on you catching me! Basically, I'm just tired of fighting with you all the time, and, if you're the same way, I was wondering if we could stop. Starting now?"

He stared back at me dumbfounded. "Oh really, now? Well that's odd, I thought I was the arrogant senseless hedgehog. And you're the one who usually picks fights with me."

He took more steps forward. I wanted to inch back, but I was already up against the window. The closer he got, the more nervous I became. And boy was it noticeable.

He did have a point though. "That may be, but it doesn't matter. I still don't want to do it anymore," I replied.

He still kept getting closer, wearing out his blunt expression. "I see. So go ahead and enlighten me. Tell me why you've have been so incredibly hostile with me to begin with, when you don't even know me. What did the commander tell you to make you think so harshly of me? Because you should know, I wouldn't normally overlook some of the comments you've made towards me. You're lucky to be alive."

I raised my eyebrows. The hedgehog's tone didn't sound curious, or hurt. He sounded outraged. His questions came out more like demands.

I dropped my own hands and forced myself to stop cowering.

"So what, are you saying that everything my grandpa's told me isn't true? You're saying he's a liar? Did you not purposely try to intimidate him when he was a kid? Are you not a murderer, who's never cared about the lives you took? Have you never hurt anyone before? Is it not your fault that Maria died, along with all those other innocent people? Why don't you just face it, Shadow. The things you've done don't just fade away over time, no matter how much you pretend they never happened in the first place. They live with you forever. That's why I never gave you a chance. I didn't think you deserved it. The only reason I'm deciding on it now is because you've already saved me twice. It doesn't mean I like you now. I'm just being the bigger person because I knew you would never be the one to insist on making peace! And why should I? Cruel people never own up to anything, do they!"

I couldn't believe the words that were pouring out of my mouth. I could feel my adrenaline starting to pump. My breathing became heavy. But then I realized that I might have just pushed Shadow the Hedgehog over his limit.

Shadow's eyes widened and then screwed, his mouth corresponding by turning into a rigid scowl. He reared his hand back, harnessing his own energy.

"Chaos Spear!"

The yellow energy shot through me like bullets, and before I could react, I instantly flew backwards from the impact. I pounded against the window, feeling the glass do a slight crunch underneath me but not enough to crack.

The pain instantly became excruciating, trickling through me mercilessly like syrupy acid. I tried to scream, but it hurt to even open my mouth. All that came out was a loud groan, until I slid to the floor and fell onto my side. I curled up in a trembling ball and waited for the pain to cease. But it kept getting worse. It was the worst feeling I had ever experienced in my life. It was like muscle spasms, burns, needle pricks, and wasp stings all combined into one.

I pursed my lips together, praying that I would lose consciousness and not have to experience this any longer. But I couldn't. I opened my eyes to look back at Shadow. The only thing that showed on my face was the feeling of unbearable pain. I couldn't even cry. I just lay there, waiting for it to end.

Shadow crouched down next to me, not looking even the slightest bit sympathetic.

"Hopefully that put you in your place! So let's settle this right now!" he yelled.

"First of all, I am completely aware that it was my fault what happened to the humans on the ARK. I blamed myself for everything, especially Maria's death, and the memories haunted me forever. I used to feel about myself the same way you feel about me. I loathed myself, I questioned why I was created, and I never stopped to prove myself worthy in some way. And you know what? I actually did. I defeated the prototype that was created along with me. If I hadn't, the ARK would've crashed into your planet. I took down Black Doom, whose blood was used for my creation, and once again saved Earth from destruction. After sixteen years, I've moved on. I put the past behind me for good. Your grandfather has done more than enough exposing of what he thinks I am, so now that it's all been said and done, why can't he do the same? More importantly, why can't you, someone who has nothing to do with anything?"

He didn't stop to let me answer. Not that I could anyway.

"Second of all, who is he to call me a murderer! What does he do for a living? He's the Commander of G.U.N. Killing is what they specialize in, and he's the one who orchestrates it. You think innocent people have never died because of G.U.N.? I've witnessed the soldiers myself, mindlessly attacking and killing innocent people just out of paranoia. Also, don't you think it's more their fault that people died on the Space Colony ARK than mine? They were the ones with the weapons. They're the ones who shot everybody! And now your grandfather works for them. He is ther leader. So who do think is the real monster here!"

Then he paused to add. "And, if I was as evil as you say I am, do you think I would've even bothered to save you from those guys in Westopolis? Or save you again on top of that building? No. I wouldn't have. I would've let you die without a second though. But I didn't, because believe it or not, I actually care about your safety. But no, that doesn't matter a thing to you. You just keep listening to the lies you've been raised to believe about me. I don't give a damn. But I won't tolerate any more of you and your smart-ass attitude. Kidnapping you was a mistake, and if you keep this up, it will not end well. I can assure you that."

Finally, I gained some control of my body and pushed myself off the ground with my hands, looking Shadow dead in the eye. Despite the pain that he had caused me, and was causing me now, I'd given up on defending my grandfather and his moral standards. I was done being caught in dead center. As much as I didn't want to, I was starting to believe Shadow. Everything he said made sense, and I purely hated it. I still couldn't believe this was happening. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here.

I tried to stand up fully, but kept falling back down.

"Listen Shadow..." I whispered, trying to ignore the intensity of the pain and get my final words out. I placed a hand on the window for support, catching a glimpse of the stars through the edge of my peripheral vision.

"I-I'm..."

It hurt too much. I could feel myself losing consciousness. The thought horrified me. What if Shadow proceeded with killing me while I was out? I tried to fight against my instincts, even though I had actually wanted to pass out a few moments ago. But, I never intended on dying. However, if I was going to, I wanted to find the strength to get these last few words out in the open.

"I'm sorry."

And then the blackness consumed me. All my senses went dead. The pain faded away and was replaced by a warm, numbing feeling. The last thing I remember was stumbling forward and collapsing right on the spot. But instead of hitting the floor, something caught me in mid-air. Before I could comprehend what was happening, I went out like a light.

(Shadow's POV)

My rage was boiling over.

I wanted to kill her.

It would've been great if I could just kill her and get it over with.

If Rachel were anyone else, she would've been dead a long time ago. Where did she get the backbone to talk to me the way she did? She knew I was dangerous. She knew better than to anger me. Did she really hate me that much that she couldn't control herself and had to degrade me with every chance she was given? Well, I hated her too. I hated her just as much if not more.

I could see she was trying with every ounce of strength left in her to stand up, and it looked like she was struggling not to pass out.

"Shadow...

I-I'm..."

Then, it was like everything left in her gave out.

"I'm sorry."

My eyes widened. I hadn't seen that coming.

What? She's sorry? She's...apologizing?

Her eyes closed, and she stumbled a little. She seemed to be subconsciously trying to avoid making contact with me as she fell.

It was just like sixteen years ago, back on the Space Colony ARK. When that boy, the one who was friends with Sonic, tried to talk me out of destroying Earth. I attacked him with Chaos energy, and ended up nearly killing him. But at that last moment, when he made me realize Maria's true wish, he fell forward and I held my arm out to catch him out of respect.

But this time...was a little different.

Instead of simply extending my hand and letting her fall against it, I quickly stepped into Rachel's path and reached both my arms out. She collapsed with her head against my chest, her legs dead underneath her like a doll. I would've thought she was dead herself had she not been breathing softly to reassure me otherwise. I sighed inwardly and wrapped my arms tighter around her, looking down in blurred pity.

What did I just do.

It was slowly starting to sink in. I kept forgetting how fragile this girl was. Even though she tried to fight it, she couldn't deny her human body's weakness forever. My fury was rapidly being replaced with guilt. I had let my anger surpass my better judgment.

I started wishing that she would awaken, so I could tell her that I accept her apology, and that I too am ready to stop with all the fighting. Well damn, I couldn't remember the last time I felt this sorry for anything. This one human girl...what exactly was she doing to me?

I had one hand around the crook of her waist, and the other pressed against her back. I brought the one resting behind her upwards, and stroked her hair once.

This was definitely strange. This was unlike me.

But I wasn't going to keep questioning it. There was no other way to put it. I couldn't keep hurting Rachel like I just did. I was tired of feeling the disgusting guilt and sympathy. I brought her here against her will, so it should probably be my job to make sure she's protected. If she wanted to keep hating me after this, then so be it. But I knew she originally wanted to make peace, and surprisingly, that was good enough for me.

I readjusted my hands and lifted her up to carry her, just like I had when we were fleeing the city in Tragaria. Except this time, she wasn't holding onto me. She lay limply in my arms with her neck hanging to the side.

I turned and left the giant window behind us, en route to take Rachel back to her room.

I wonder why she was here in the first place. My guess is to look at the stars? Not that there's anything special about them...or do I only feel that way because I see them all the time. Perhaps this was something of a big deal to her. I believe I just ruined the experience.

Once we were down the hall from B-12, I stopped when I saw Bokkun hovering around her open door. He appeared to be waiting for her.

Great. If he saw me walking in with her like this, there would definitely be some questions, and he'd more than likely go to tell Dr. Eggman afterwards. The last thing I needed was people asking me questions about what happened. I didn't want to explain.

So before I got any closer, I took a different route and descended down a new hallway...the one that led to my room.

Hopefully, I could get her back to her own room before she woke up. I just needed to wait for Bokkun to give up and leave.

My room was Y-7. It was extremely far from the B-sectioned rooms. Once we reached mine, I looked left and right to make sure no one was around to see. I entered the access code on the keyboard, and the door slid open to reveal my usual dank, black room. Every room here looked the exact same, except in mine all the furniture was re-arranged, and the blankets on the bed were thicker, courtesy of me.

I brought Rachel to the bed, stretching one arm out to peel the blankets back, and carefully laid her down on the mattress. I made sure her head was propped on the pillow, and then pulled the blankets back over her weakened body. She let out a small sigh as soon as she was completely tucked in, turning over slightly and burying her head into the black pillow cover.

I couldn't help but stare back at her. Despite what happened not too long ago, she looked very peaceful when she was asleep.

Before I could stop myself, I found that I was I rubbing her shoulder softly. And as soon as I realized how touchy I was getting, I dipped my head and growled in abnormal shame.

"Look, I'm sorry too, Rachel," I whispered. "I'm…sorry too."

I lifted my hand, turned, and left the room.

Once I exited the doorway, and re-entered the code so that the door shut, I turned and came face to face with Bokkun.

The surprise caused me to step back.

"Woah! What are you doing here!" I asked him.

He crossed his arms suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at me. "Uhhh Shadow? What were you doing in your room?"

I cocked a brow at him. He was answering my question with a question. But it's not like he could've seen me carrying Rachel. I made sure that no one was around.

"Well, it is my room. I tend to go in there every now and again, you fool."

Bokkun tilted his head, seemingly not buying my story. My lying could not have been that obvious.

"Right..." he said. "Anyways, I've been looking for Rachel. Have you seen her anywhere?"

My stomach knotted. Fate was not on my side today.

"No. I was looking for her earlier, but I couldn't find her. I…I didn't check the back of the Egg Carrier though," I said quickly, hoping that he would go away after that.

He shrugged and started to fly off. "Okay fine. I'll go look some more then! I haven't even checked the bathroom areas yet. She always said she hated that I had to escort her when nature called, so maybe she's hiding in there alone."

He looked back. "Oh and by the way, do you remember Decoe and Bocoe? Dr. Eggman's robot partners that he shut down a few years ago? All I needed was to tell Rachel that they are going to be reprogrammed, a.k.a. brought back from the dead. So they will be working, walking, and sadly, talking again soon. Dr. Eggman thought she needed to know. Man, I'm actually really excited too! I missed those idiots! Now I won't be alone all the time!"

My blinked as I watched him leave. Decoe and Bocoe? I then remembered who he was talking about, the gold and silver robots, and bit back a scowl.

Well isn't that spectacular. Now I have more headaches to deal with. I really should've put more thought into this bargain with Eggman. It wasn't turning out as smoothly as I planned it would at all.

I then dropped my hard-edged frown, and smirked to myself. Maybe, that isn't such a bad thing. It's definitely more interesting than I predicted.

I looked back towards my door before walking off. And maybe, Rachel isn't all that bad. I might be able to get used to her.

Maybe.

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(A/N) Sorry that I took so long to update! I got pretty far in the chapter, then decided to re-write it. Originally, Shadow and Rachel were going to just shake hands and move on. But then I remembered...this is a Drama story. Everybody loves drama :P

And after reading the reviews, I need to clear some things up.

1. I understand that people don't think a relationship between Rachel and Shadow will work out because of height issues. But just a small addition, I'm aware of how short Shadow is. I've made all the anthros in the story taller than normal. They aren't as tall as humans, but are still a bit taller than they are in games, just to go along with the fact that some time HAS passed now.

2. There was a review about Bokkun's comment that he made in Chapter 15 about Shadow and Rachel's relationship being too forward. And I agree! Let's just say, that might happen more often than it should. Don't be angry, but I'm aiming for Bokkun to be that annoying character who makes situations awkward. Haha.

3. I remember a while back, someone made a review about being glad that Bokkun was in the story, and that it'd be great if Decoe and Bocoe were in it too. I originally planned on bringing them in the story, and they will have some witty dialogue. They should appear in the next chapter.

4. This is a major pointer. That's why I underlined the 4. Before any of you get too excited, Rachel will NOT become an anthro/mobian. She will stay human throughout the entire story. I know making her a cat or something would make her and Shadow have an easier chance of romance, but I'm up for a challenge. Besides, I'm not creative enough to decide how she does become an anthro and what she'll look like. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone. If it helps, I will write other stories with no humans. You could check those out when they come around.

5. I read every single one of your reviews. If you have a question, leave it in a review and I'll answer it. I'm sorry for blabbing so much. This is one heck of an author's note. Hopefully some of these things will help you to know what to expect. But I have everything set and stone. I haven't been flamed yet, but if I am just because of the whole human x hedgehog ordeal, here's the thing. It's a story, my story to be specific, and sorry but I don't really care if someone doesn't like it because they think the pairing is strange or gross. Have an open mind! That's what I'm doing, and it doesn't hurt. If it bothers you, then don't read. I don't plan on changing anything to please rude people.

Thanks, have a nice day!