Once Tikal climbed up at the altar of the Master Emerald, the exhaustion in her legs finally gave in as she collapsed onto her knees in front of it. Breathing heavily, she reached out to touch the smooth surface of the emerald, feeling its energy pulsating beneath her fingertips. The weight of her journey, both physical and emotional, bore down on her as she reflected on all she had endured to reach this moment.

Memories flashed through her mind - the trials faced, the challenges overcome, and the sacrifices made. From navigating treacherous jungles to outsmarting ancient traps, Tikal persevered with unwavering determination. Yet, it wasn't just her own journey that weighed on her heart, but also the burden of her ancestors, whose legacy she and Knuckles now had to carry forward.

As she knelt before the radiant emerald with both hands intertwined, Tikal whispered a prayer for guidance, strength and peace.

She knew that her quest was far from over, that the fate of her people still hung in the balance. But at this moment, amidst the sacred energy of the altar, she found solace and renewed resolve.

Tikal opened her eyes as she finished her prayer, steadily feeling some of the energy from the Master Emerald flowing into her body. Resting her back against it, she brought her knees up against her chest and mulled over her thoughts.

She'd been careless for the past few weeks. Pushing herself at her job in Amy's cafe, treating everyone after they got into another battle with Doctor Eggman, and looking after the house even though Knuckles insisted that she didn't need to since he'd do it instead.

But… What else could she do? She didn't join in the battles, she didn't fight. Even though it had been a while now since she was blessed with revival, Tikal still found it difficult to adjust to the fact she could live… normally. What purpose did she have here other than to spread her peace to the world?

For a while, she was oblivious to the fact that everything felt a little more complicated than it was in the past, ironically. It was just… complicated in its own way, something Tikal had to grapple with. She couldn't simply return to her old life in the echidna tribe, nor could she fully integrate into the modern world without feeling a sense of displacement. It was a constant struggle to find her place and purpose.

Looking ahead, she spotted the Chao that were playing by the nearby lake. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the little creatures move about, their innocent laughter echoing in the tranquil surroundings of Angel Island. For a moment, their carefree antics provided a welcome distraction from her own thoughts.

However, Tikal felt her mind solemnly go somewhere else, or, to be more specific, someone else.

She hadn't seen Shadow as much as before. In fact, he hadn't come into Amy's cafe at all for the past three weeks.

Maybe he's just busy? The G.U.N's schedule is pretty unpredictable with unforgiving hours.

She wanted to find comfort in Amy's words. She knew how long and vigorous hours were back there. She knew that after seeing how tired his eyes would be, as much as he tried to hide it from her when she asked that one time.

But she couldn't help but wonder if he was avoiding her. After Rouge's party, things suddenly became awkward between them, like they were back at square one like their pleasant conversations never happened previously. He seemed to be on… guard? On edge? Whenever he saw her- and she wondered if she had done something wrong. Had she done something to drive him away? Was it the way she dressed at the party? Perhaps he must've thought it was out of her character to be dressed in such a way…

However, the way his eyes looked at her up and down that night was still ingrained into her head. They said otherwise. Like the helplessly in-love person she was, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She'd think about it at work, before going to bed, and shamelessly… whenever she was next to the Master Emerald like she was now.

Did she misread the situation that night? Did he really feel uncomfortable around her? The sudden shift had Tikal's mind ridiculously fixated on it.

If that was so, then…

Tikal could let it be and see where that took the both of them… or confront him about it.

The latter seemed out of the question. Tikal wasn't good at confronting others and she didn't want to come across as desperate. In hindsight, they hadn't really gotten to know each other for that long anyway, so it felt like she had no right to do such a thing. The fear of rejection and the possibility of making things worse gnawed at her, even though she knew avoiding the issue would only prolong her anguish.

She tightened her hold around her legs as she brought her knees closer to her chest.

If he was silently trying to set his boundaries with her, then that was fair. Tikal wasn't the one to push but it still pained and upset her that he wasn't visiting her.

You're misunderstanding it.

"I wouldn't misunderstand it if you just told me…" Tikal murmured as she recalled his words.

"Chao!"

The cheerful cry of the Chao brought Tikal back to the present moment, their innocent voices breaking through the turmoil of her thoughts. She blinked down to find two Chao flying up to her with a flower crown. As they approached her, one Chao gently placed the flower crown atop her head while the other chirped happily, fluttering its wings in excitement.

Tikal laughed softly, touched by their sweet gesture. She reached out to gently stroke the Chao's soft feathers, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. In the presence of these gentle creatures, the weight of her worries seemed to lift, if only for a moment.

"Thank you, little ones," Tikal whispered gratefully, her voice filled with genuine affection. She admired the flower crown adorning her head, its vibrant colours a stark contrast to the sombre thoughts that had plagued her before.

The Chao happily flew down to her lap and closed their eyes, nestling themselves comfortably against her as they began falling asleep. She smiled and started stroking them to sleep, a sense of warmth settling over her as she watched the sunset.

Tikal closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift into a peaceful slumber, her mind finally at ease as she surrendered herself to the tranquillity of the moment.

Unbeknownst to her, the Master Emerald was starting to glow strangely…

The next morning, Tikal was with Amy setting up the café for the day ahead.

As she flipped the sign to 'open' and let the first few customers in, she had to hold back a yawn that threatened to come out.

While her sleeping pattern had been fixed for quite some time now, for some reason, she found it difficult to fall asleep last night. There was a lot of shifting and turning in her bed so she gave up and went downstairs to drink a glass of water. She wasn't having any nightmares nor was she starting to fall sick again.

It was… strange, but she concluded the fact it was because she was overworking herself again and because her mind was being cascaded about Shadow, and whatever relationship they had stood.

As she arranged tables and chairs with practised efficiency, Tikal stole glances out the window, half-expecting to see Shadow's familiar figure approaching the café. But the street remained empty, devoid of any sign of the black hedgehog.

She tried not to be upset, but she was. It was the fourth week, a month, and not once had he come in to get his usual like before. She was beginning to think that she was correct and that he was avoiding her, and that hurt even more.

Each time the door opened, her heart skipped a beat, hoping to catch a glimpse of him striding in. But each time, her hopes dwindled as another patron entered the café in his place.

She was feeling pathetic.

It was silly how much of her mind was occupied with this. She was getting so distracted that she nearly dropped a tray of dishes as she absentmindedly tried to balance it on her arm.

Amy noticed her friend's struggle and immediately rushed over to help, concern etched on her face.

"Tikal, are you okay?" Amy asked, gently taking the tray from her hands.

"J-Just a little tired," Tikal replied as she went back to placing the dishes into the dishwasher, "I had trouble sleeping last night."

She regained some of her energy back by visiting the Master Emerald yesterday and she stayed there until dusk Knuckles came to pick her up.

…So why was she still so out of it?

Amy studied her intently, her gaze searching. "Is it about Shadow?"

The mention of his name somehow spiked a muted tone of anger in her that she didn't know she had. "No, it's not," Tikal replied, her voice tinged with an ounce of bitterness.

The pink hedgehog frowned at her. "Are you sure-"

"I said it's not!"

Her sudden outburst caused the entirety of the café to fall silent, all eyes turning towards her and Amy. Tikal's eyes widened, visibly shaking, as she realised her mistake when she saw Amy recoil. She had let her emotions get the better of her again, but this time, she was misplacing her frustration with the wrong person.

Amy was only just being a good friend and from Tikal's point of view, the pink hedgehog endured so much with her being such a mess ever since she started the job, that she didn't deserve to be yelled at like that. At all. Amy had to put up with so much and all she could do was raise her voice at her? That wasn't right.

She suddenly felt so cruel.

Tikal's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she stammered, "A-Amy… I'm-"

However, Amy only took hold of her arm and led her into the back where the office was. She sat her down on a chair before giving her some tissues.

"Your nose is bleeding."

Tikal blinked in surprise, reaching up to touch her nose and realising that Amy was right. There was a trickle of blood coming from her nostril.

…But why?

She quickly dabbed at it, holding the issue against her nose as she looked at her friend apologetically. "I-I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't mean to raise my voice like that."

Amy offered her a reassuring smile, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Tikal. I understand. Do you need to take the rest of the day off? You've been working non-stop lately."

"N-No, no…" Tikal insisted as she wiped her nose, "I'll be fine. I-I just need to gather my thoughts, that's all."

Nodding, Amy went over to get a bottle of water out from the fridge and gave it to her. "Just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Not finding the words to speak and on the brink of bursting into tears at Amy's gratitude, Tikal just nodded back at the pink hedgehog and watched her return to the front to attend to the customers. She was left alone in the room.

Leaning back in her chair, Tikal closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the sudden storm of emotions somewhat seething inside of her.

What was wrong with her? She was never like this. She was so suddenly… angry.

Why was she letting this bother her so much? Why was Shadow's absence affecting her to this extent? Why was she so fixated on something that she was letting it affect her everyday behaviour?

Her attempts to rationalise her feelings were fruitless. She was letting her anger and frustration consume her and she didn't want to let that be. She didn't want to be this way if it meant she was pushing away everyone she loved.

With a sigh, Tikal gulped down the water Amy had given her before slipping into the bathroom. She doused some water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror, noticing some of the faint dark circles under her eyes.

What happened next was completely unexpected.

Tikal felt a jarring force pushing her body forward, causing her to stumble and nearly fall over the sink. She struggled to regain her balance, gasping and gripping onto the edge of the sink for support.

Her heart pounded with apprehension, a sense of unease settling over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Was it some sort of residual effect from her lack of sleep…?

…Or something more sinister?

It was then another abnormal force that barricaded her lungs which had her throw a coughing fit. Tikal struggled to breathe for a second, and she found herself closing her eyes and coughing into the sink.

What she saw had her at a standstill.

Blood.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the red fluid staining the white-coloured sink.

Why… was she bleeding?

"What... What's happening?" Tikal whispered to herself, her voice trembling with fear and confusion. She could feel a surge of energy coursing through her veins, pulsating with an intensity that threatened to overwhelm her senses.

Frantically, Tikal tried to make sense of the situation. Was it the Master Emerald? Had something gone wrong with her connection to it?

As she grappled with these questions, Tikal's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice echoing in her mind, faint yet unmistakable.

Ti… kal…

She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

She was hallucinating, she must be. It wasn't real. Whatever she heard wasn't real.

He'd been sealed away years ago. It was impossible for him to still be alive.

Tikal shook, closing her eyes to calm herself down, but it was fruitless. The image of the blue water creature flashed in her mind, causing her to snap her gaze open again.

Her gaze met her reflection in the mirror once more. But this time, she saw something different. The reflection seemed to waver, the edges blurring and distorting as if submerged in water. And within that distorted reflection, she could make out the faint outline of a figure, a figure that resembled… him.

Her heart raced as she stared at the apparition, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing. It couldn't be real, it had to be a trick of her overwrought imagination. And yet, there was an undeniable pull, a primal instinct urging her to heed the call.

With trembling hands, Tikal reached out towards the mirror, her fingertips grazing the cool surface. And in that moment, she felt a surge of energy, a connection forming between herself and the apparition. "...Chaos?"

However, the reflection wavered again and then disappeared, dissipating. Leaving nothing, like it was never there in the first place.

She took a step back, squinting her eyes but the reflection never came again. Still, she searched for any more signs, but to no avail.

Tikal stood there in stunned silence, her mind reeling from the inexplicable situation that had just unfolded.

…She was officially going crazy. She was seeing things she wasn't meant to see. She's picturing things that don't even exist anymore.

She needed to get it together.

The echidna retreated from the bathroom and made her way back to her station in the café, resuming her work in making the drinks. She caught Amy's gaze and offered her a small, reassuring smile, silently conveying that she was alright. Amy returned the smile, though her eyes still held a hint of concern. However, Tikal wasn't going to burden the pink hedgehog with her troubles right now. She needed to focus on her job. That's it, that's all.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay going home, Tikal?" Amy asked her a few hours later once they were almost finished for the day. "It's raining a whole lot out there. Maybe you should stay with me and Sonic for a bit until it clears up."

Tikal hesitated for a moment, considering Amy's offer. The thought of spending time with her friend and Sonic sounded comforting, especially given the unsettling events of the day. They could cheer her up within seconds, but she wanted to avoid any suspicion they might find from her. Explaining what happened would cause more problems and concerns.

"I-I'll be fine, Amy," Tikal replied with a convincing smile, "Knuckles gave me his umbrella and the station isn't too far off from here."

Amy eyed her carefully, seemingly wanting to press on further, to offer more support, but she sighed gently and nodded. "Alright, just be careful out there. Call or text me once you're home, okay?"

With a grateful nod, Tikal bid Amy a farewell and the other few patrons left in the café before stepping out into the rainy streets of Station Square. The cool raindrops pattered softly against her umbrella after she got it out, the rhythmic sound providing a soothing backdrop to her thoughts.

Goodness, it really was raining a lot. A storm seemed to be picking up.

Tikal couldn't remember the last time she saw this much rain since… since-

She gulped and quickly shook her head. No. Stop it.

That was over. It wasn't going to happen again. She saw Sonic defeat him. He was sealed away forever.

As she walked and was at the halfway point, the streets were becoming empty as people were hurriedly heading inside to shelter from the rain and not long after that, she was left alone. The train station was still a little ways ahead but she felt she could make it without any trouble.

…But perhaps she should text Knuckles just in case she was going to be late. She didn't want a repeat of last time.

Tikal huddled herself into a corner and rummaged through her bag to get her phone. It was proving to be slightly difficult due to the small gusts of wind that seemed to increase in doses and holding her umbrella in one hand, but she managed anyhow. However, before she could even tap on her screen, her ears twitched at the sound of… gargling, from behind her.

Turning around, she was immediately on high alert. Her breathing quickened, that same feeling of dread and anxiousness she had earlier had come hurdling back into her body as she looked around, trying to see who or what was following her.

It'd been a few more minutes and the rain was getting heavier with each passing second. Tikal thought she was just hearing things, it had been a weird day, but when she was about to brush it off, her eyes caught the bubbles floating up and up from the drain that was beside her.

The sight sent a shiver down her spine, her mind racing with a flurry of questions and unease. Bubbles? In the drain? That didn't make any sense. It was raining heavily, but surely that wouldn't cause bubbles to emerge from the drain like that.

As she watched, transfixed, the bubbles seemed to multiply, forming a frothy mass that steadily grew in size. Tikal's heart hammered in her chest, a sense of impending danger gripping her tightly. Instinctively, she took a step back, her grip on the umbrella tightening as she prepared to flee.

But before she could act on her instincts, a low, familiar, guttural growl emanated from the darkness of the drain. The sound quite literally reverberated in the air.

A surge of panic coursed through Tikal's veins as she stumbled backwards. She knew she had to get away, to find safety before it was too late. But as she turned to flee, a sudden gust of wind slammed into her with such force that it knocked her off balance, sending her sprawling to the wet pavement.

Struggling to regain her footing, Tikal frantically scrambled to her feet, her heart hammering in her chest. As she tried to take another step, a shadowy figure emerged from the depths of the drain, its form obscured by the darkness and the rain.

Tikal's blood ran cold as she stared at the looming figure, her mind reeling with fear and disbelief.

It was him.

"Chaos…"

Amy was wiping down the cups at the counter when her eyes caught a certain black hedgehog walking into her café.

Look who finally decided to show up.

Well, he definitely didn't run here, that was for sure. He must've used Chaos Control because he wasn't dripping wet from the storm out there.

She crossed her arms with a small huff. Tikal wasn't herself lately and it didn't take a genius to know that it was because of the hedgehog in front of her. Whatever the heck was going on between those two, Amy just knew it had to be Shadow's fault. It was nice to see in the beginning that he would pick Tikal up to take her home, it was so nice to hear Tikal blushing and gushing about him to her whenever they got a chance to talk during their breaks. The fact that she was finally having those girl talks with the echidna made Amy excited and pleased that she was forming a strong bond with her.

Of course, all of it came to an abrupt stop once Amy realised that Shadow seemed to be avoiding Tikal after whatever happened between them during Rouge's party.

And that ticked her off to no end.

"What will it be?" Amy asked Shadow as she begrudgingly snatched his cup, "Your usual?"

Shadow glanced at her and was silent. He must've realised she was in no mood for him and Amy couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration at the other hedgehog's nonchalant attitude. The nerve for him to think he can just waltz in here without even sparing any sort of looks around to see where Tikal might've been!

Ooh! She wasn't having it! She wasn't!

Amy's irritation bubbled as she prepared Shadow's order, her movements a tad more forceful than necessary, but she didn't care. She was furious! She was upset because Tikal was upset. Seeing how the echidna seemed to be so close to crying again earlier today made Amy suddenly determined to get to the bottom of this!

Finally, as she set the drink down in front of him, Amy couldn't hold back any longer. "Alright, spill it. What's going on between you and Tikal?"

He didn't give her the reaction she wanted, maintaining the same expression. "What?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Amy retorted, her tone firm. "You've been avoiding Tikal like the plague for weeks now. What happened after Rouge's party? Did you two have a falling out or something?"

Shadow remained impassive, but Amy could sense a hint of discomfort in his demeanour. For a just second, his eyes had flashed with some sort of annoyance. Good. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

Amy bristled at his tone. "Try me, Shadow. Tikal's my friend, and she's been miserable ever since you started acting all distant. So yeah, it is my business."

She glared at him and he glared back at her. For a while, there was an intense showdown between both hedgehogs. It seemed like the storm outside was nothing compared to the one that was being held here.

Amy silently claimed victory when he averted his gaze away from her as he grabbed the cup of coffee she filled in a moment ago. His eyes trailed themselves over the café and then back at the pink hedgehog who was vexed at him. Shadow had never been on the receiving end of her wrath before, but after seeing Sonic on it a couple of times, he knew better than to push further buttons.

"I take it she's not here then," Shadow's voice was calm, but there was a trace of something unreadable beneath the surface. Amy narrowed her eyes at him, sensing a hint of defensiveness in his statement.

"Tikal went home," Amy replied curtly and crossed her arms, almost sneering at him. "But you knew that. Did you forget her name already?"

Come to think of it, Tikal hadn't texted her that she was home yet, and it had been an hour since she left. Maybe the rain was holding her up. Still, the tinge of worry was creeping its way in, but she shook her head. She was overthinking it, probably. Tikal was tired today and probably went to sleep once she got home.

Shadow wasn't impressed with the latter part of her sentence. Irritation looked like it was glossing over his face at the abrasiveness in her response. His jaw clenched visibly, his grip tightening on the cup in his hand just a tad bit as he hardened his gaze on her, but Shadow refused to entertain the pink hedgehog's attitude any longer. He was about to say something until the front door swung open with a loud bang.

Amy quickly looked over at the entrance to see Knuckles completely drenched from the rain.

She was about to yell at him for nearly destroying her door but stopped herself once she saw him. He was huffing and puffing, out of breath from running all the way here presumably, but his panicked eyes were telling her something else.

"The Master Emerald's been shattered," Knuckles heaved as he walked over to the front and desperately looked around.

Amy's eyes widened, her hands freezing mid-motion. "What? What do you mean?"

Knuckles ignored her question and yelled, "Where's Tikal?! WHERE IS SHE?!"

"You mean she's not home?!" She was panicking now and the feeling of absolute dread pitted her stomach.

Something's wrong, something happened.

"NO! And she's not answering her phone! When I got to Angel Island, the Master Emerald was in pieces," Knuckles gravelled out and closed his eyes in frustration as his hands went to his head, "Damn it, SHIT! Get Sonic and call up Tails! We have to find Tikal and take her back to the Island!" He panted heavily as he frantically looked at her, "Otherwise, she's going to… sh-she's going to…"

The pause and urgency in Knuckles's tone sent a chill down Amy's spine. For some reason, she already knew the answer. "She's going to what?"

Knuckles took a moment to compose himself before speaking again, his voice trembling. It was something she'd never seen before from the usually hot-headed echidna "She's going to disappear… she could die, Amy."

Amy felt like she was going to collapse at his words, but there was no time for that! That was all she needed to know. Tikal was in danger and they needed to find her, and fast. "Then what the heck are we still doing here?! Let's go!" She sprang into action and turned her attention towards Shadow, "Shadow-"

It took a second for her to realise that the black hedgehog was no longer there. His coffee and change remained left on the counter.

Amy blinked.

"Shadow?"